The Sloppier the Better!

Growing up I was not a sloppy joes fan.  Not sure what didn’t do it for me, but it just wasn’t something I’d request for a weeknight meal.  Figuring I should give the classic recipe a spin, at least for posterity, I started throwing stuff in the Le Cruset.  I hit the big time.  This was a great recipe and wouldn’t take half as long if I werent scrutinizing each pinch of ingredient and scribing them in my kitchen notebook.

I served it up on Ezekiel buns, I love ‘em when they’re toasted, with a schmear of vegenaise.  On the side we had corn on the cob and BBQ chips.  A lot of starch, but I’ll make up for it with my upcoming cleanse in a week.  Time to “clean house” and clear out all the remnants of the tasty holidays.  However, I do have to say, I only put on a pound over this year’s holiday.  Compared to past holidays, this is amazing.  Last year I packed on six, after having gained ten after the wedding.  Luckily all those are gone and so will be that holiday pound after my cleanse.

But, back to the food!  Here’s my take on Sloppy Joes with a great balance of salt, sweet, sour and spice.  Sloppy nirvana.

1 tsp olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 c maple syrup
1 Tbs vinegar
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
14 ounces diced tomatoes, not drained
1 Tbs yellow mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
14 oz Gimme Lean or any other ground beef sub

Heat oil over medium heat. Once heated, toss in bell pepper, onion and garlic and sautee 5 minutes stirring frequently. Put in sugar and stir until sugar liquifies. Add in carrot, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Add in tomato sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, tomato paste, liquid aminos, mustard and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine. Crumble in “beef” and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and contine to simmer until sauce thickens.
Serve on toasted burger buns or bread.