Monday, January 30, 2012

Sandwich week day 1: The Vegan Sloppy Joe

Breakfast: A vanilla oatmeal protein smoothie

Lunch: Veggie chili with brown rice

Dinner: The Vegan Sloppy Joe with salad


I recently had a request from a reader to post a couple of good sandwich recipes, and it got me thinking; how could I have neglected such a typical part of a British / North American diet for almost a year? I am shamed - shamed into doing an entire week of great sandwiches!

Of course, being English and all I should technically be starting with something classic of the Isles, but instead I'm going to go all American on you.

Although a sandwich is typically thought of as an easy lunch option, there are certain types that can (and should) be used as dinner. The Sloppy Joe is one of these.

A very popular American dish, the Sloppy Joe isn't exactly gourmet, but it is great comfort food and warms up those cold winter nights when you need something tasty!

You'll need:
(Feeds 2)
1 cup TVP
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 orange pepper, diced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 large ciabatta buns or breadcakes*, sliced in half
a little oil

Method:
Put the TVP in a bowl with a little less than 1 cup water and let it rest for 5 minutes
Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until the onion is browning
Throw in the pepper and fry for 5 minutes
Add in the TVP, tomatoes, oregano, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar and tomato puree
Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced into a very thick sauce
Serve on ciabatta buns / breadcakes / whatever you call them and enjoy!

The texture of TVP is the closest thing to ground beef you can get as a vegetarian, so those of you who sometimes crave meat might find this a nice little treat when you're feeling a bit meaty. It's ok, I won't tell anyone.

*I am from Yorkshire, so I call it a breadcake. If you're in another part of the UK you might call it a barm, muffin, bread roll or bap. In America, you might call it a burger bun or a hamburger bun. In the rest of the world, I've no idea. Hopefully you know what I'm getting at though.

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