Vegan Sloppy Joe's with Caramelized Onions, side of Sweet Fries and Dandelion Greens
Sloppy Mix
Take a couple containers of Extra Firm Tofu and freeze it
then Defrost it
Put paper towels or good absorbent kitchen towels on the bottom and top
put a weight on it- heavy like a brick weight- you can actually use a brick (just wrap it first)
Saute' the Trinity:
Onions, Bell Peppers and Celery, chopped fine
Add 1 small can of Tomato Paste (6 oz I think)
*you may want to add more at the end to thicken it up
cook the Tomato Paste like a rue, keep it stirring, let it brown a bit, not burning it.
lower the heat
Add minced Garlic - I like 3 or 4 cloves
~meanwhile on another burner~
In a separate Pan, start sauteing Sliced Onions, the sweetest Onions they have in the market
When they start to brown and the pan starts to dry, De glaze the pan
with a combination you have in a glass near the stove of:
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
1/4 cup water
Splash the pan with a little to make a steam and get those onions caramelized.
when they are done, take em out of the pan and set them aside, but, do not clean that pan!
Add a dash of olive oil if ya think it needs it. Start the heat back up under it.
Take the Tofu that has had the water squeezed out of it, pat it dry and start crumbling it into the
pan you used to caramelize the onions
saute the Tofu for a minute or two
with 1/4 tsp. ea. Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil and Thyme
or
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning to almost everything.
and 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
then add it to the pan with the Tomato
If you happen to have any leftover lentils, this would be a good time to add them too
Add 6 oz tomato Puree
Add 1 or 2 tbsp Maple Syrup to taste
1 tsp. -tbsp. Molasses to taste
*If it's not thick enough - add more tomato paste
Sweet Fries
Use the Mandolin to Julienne Sweet Potatoes and Carrots
Deep Fry in Grapeseed oil
place on paper towels to soak up extra oil
Toss with Kosher or Sea Salt
Dandelion Greens
Steam the Greens, add Lemon Juice and Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste.
This is a bitter dish to contrast the sweetness of the other two dishes.