Sloppy Joes

Serves 6-8
Vegetarian / Vegan

Did you have a hard day? Me too. Sloppy Joes might not make your boss value you more, or convince your partner to take out the trash. But they WILL take you back to a time when your biggest concern was convincing your parents to let you dress yourself.

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 head of garlic, cleaned and chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 package of extra firm tofu
salt & pepper
1 small can of tomato paste
1 32 oz can (or two 16 oz cans) of whole or crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of apple cider vinegar
¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce (if you are vegan, omit this, or use a vegan-friendly version)
hot sauce
cumin
hamburger / hot dog buns (I like whole wheat, but use what you have / like)
mustard (optional... I like whole grain spread on my buns, but who doesn’t?)

Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, bell pepper and zucchini in some olive oil until it is translucent.

Mash up the tofu in a bowl and then sauté it with the veggies for 5-6 minutes

Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes (if they are whole, crush them by hand), the brown sugar, the apple cider vinegar, the Worchester cause, some hot sauce, a few big pinches of cumin, a few drizzles of molasses, and lots more salt and pepper.

Stir and TASTE! This mixture should taste surprisingly like the Sloppy Joes you ate as a kid. Sweet, tangy, barbeque-ey, and smoky. Continue to add more of any of the ingredients until you like the way it tastes.

Let the mixture cook until much of the liquid evaporates, and you are left with a thick filling (about 10 minutes). Serve on toasted buns with mustard, and a napkin.

For a more “meaty” texture, try adding your favorite processed fake meat to the mixture. I like to add a chopped up soy bratwurst, or some soy crumbles if I have it. What’s that? You want shredded cheese on yours? That’s crazy! Me too. Try serving the sloppy joes with "This is the Best Potato Salad EVER!!!".