Vegan Sloppy Joes

This might sound like fakery but aha!

You are wrong.

Or maybe you're not wrong, but we're working with my rules and re: the substance-not-flavored-to-taste-like-meat clause, TVP is not fakery.

Textured vegetable protein is in the same category as tofu, as far as I'm concerned. It's mostly its own thing and doesn' t have a lot of wacky Jersey factory ingredients. Just a particular texture. I still don't use it much, but for some reason I'm all over the veggie sloppy joes. Maybe because the real ones always seemed disgustingly fascinating. Something we didn't do in my fam. I have never had one, but I no longer feel I'm missing out.

So I have to admit, I didn't really measure this as I was making it. I always do it to taste, and unlike my hummus, it pretty much always comes out the same. I have guesstimated measurements for the second half of the ingredients - tomato on - so start under and work up to the amount, and then over if that seems necessary. Trust your taste. This one is pretty true to flavor.

Vegan Sloppy Joes

olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 serranos chilies, minced

1 carrot, grated

1 portabella, chopped

1 cup (dry) TVP, re-hydrated

1 cup canned tomato and juice, chopped

2 tbsp Bragg's

2 tbsp molasses

½ cup ketchup

salt to taste

1. Heat approx. 2 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat in a large heavy duty skillet. I use my cast iron.

2. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and chilies and stir for another minute. When fragrant, add tomato, Bragg's, molasses and ketchup.

3. Taste; adjust.

4. Add TVP, carrot, portabella and salt. Stir until thoroughly mixed and bring to a simmer. Turn down heat and simmer for 10-15 min.

5. Taste; adjust.

Good luck!