Tofu?…Who Knew?

It is not that often that I really crave meat.  But every once in a while there is a food item that contains meat that just sounds SO good.  Case and point: sloppy joes.  Obviously I cannot eat “real” sloppy joes as they contain meat.  However, after some searching and browsing through recipes, I found a solution: tofu sloppy joes!  Because this recipe uses tofu rather than beef it is much healthier.  Tofu contains fewer calories than ground beef and waaaaay less fat.  Plus, it is still a high-protein food.  The best part about this recipe?  The tofu takes on the same texture of ground beef and the sandwich tasted just like a sloppy joe.  This recipe made approximately 6 servings worth.  Looks like I have some yummy leftovers in my future!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of EVOO
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 package of firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

1. Heat EVOO over medium heat.  Cook garlic, onions, and green peppers until softened: approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add crumbled tofu.  Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown: approximately 3-5 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients.

4. Simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sloppy joe mixture will become less runny with cooking time.

I served my sloppy joe on a whole wheat thin bun w/ mustard, a pickle, and roasted brussel sprouts…delicious!

One more thing…in my last post I mentioned how I eat Amy’s frozen meals (but only on occasion) when I need a quick lunch or dinner.  For lunch today I enjoyed Amy’s Veggie Loaf w/ Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables.  This meal is meat and dairy free (vegan) and it was delicious!  I highly recommend this variety.  The only downfall of Amy’s meals is that some can be high in sodium (like most frozen meals).  Amy’s makes low sodium versions of many of their meals so I will have to let you know how they are once I try them!

There you have it: 2 meat-free versions of some of your favorite meals normally made with beef!