Vegan Sloppy Joes

The candles were a big Halloween hit at the gym, although one member did ask why we didn't do Tootsie Rolls instead. She wasn't unhappy with her candle, she just had a Tootsie Roll jones and needed a fix. Personally, I never liked Tootsie Rolls, give me real chocolate rather than rubber chocolate substitute any day.

The neighborhood goblins were happy with the chocolate and pretzels that we gave out. I let the girls take all their candy to school today. I just want it out of the house. One option for chocolate candy is to cut them into small, chip size pieces. Place these in the freezer and use them in place of chocolate chips in cookies. The results can be quite unique.

Take out restaurants must make a fortune on Halloween. I know I was the only person cooking in my neighborhood last night. I mentioned yesterday that I had an excess of produce in the fridge from last weeks CSA pick up. The majority of it was greens. I have a repertiore of strongly seasoned recipes that hold up well with the slightly bitter flavor that can accompany some greens. Last night rather than use beans, I opted to make Vegan Sloppy Joes.

There are a lot of variations on this recipe but my favorite is based on a recipe from Feed Your Family For $12.00 a Day by Rhonda Barfield. Here's the recipe:

In a heavy pot over medium heat combine:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion or leek diced
1 large bunch of kale, chopped with stems or chopped celery, or beet greens, chopped with stems or collards chopped with stems or 1 large celeriac, peeled and chopped or any combination of the above.

Let this cook for about 3 minutes stirring frequently. If you've used a lot of leafy greens, cook them until they wilt down. Add in:

3 cups tvp
3 cups of boiling water
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
2-4 Tbs brown sugar (I started using 4, now I use 2)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

I love to serve this over bulgur.