Tempeh Mushroom Sloppy Joes

Serves 6-8 or makes great leftovers.

My favorite thing to substitue meat with is mushrooms. I personally think the flavor of mushrooms is so much more delicious and savory than many of the other alternatives. Extra bonus: mushrooms also have a lot of healthful qualities and are not processed.

This recipe features a trick I use in vegan cooking when I'm using a meat substitute: season food like you would season it if it weren't the substitue.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. mushrooms, any type, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped medium fine
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 2 T olive oil
• 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled into 1/4 inch pieces (I buy organic to make sure the soy isn't genetically modified)
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/3 c. ketchup or tomato sauce and 1 tsp. worchestershire
• 1/4 c. mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12-16 slices of soft bread or 6-8 hanburger buns (sometimes whey, a derivative of cow's milk, is added to bread, so watch for that on the label)

Ok, to start off, for those of you who are unfamiliar, this is what tempe looks like in the package:

(photo credit: Veg with Lisa Lisa's Blog)

Tempe is usually found in the refrigerated or frozen section of natural food stores. You might also be able to find tempeh in the produce section of your supermarket in a refrigerated case. This is where I've always found vegan meat-substitions.

Once you have found tempeh at the store, buy it and bring it home with you. When take the tempeh out of the package, this is what it looks like:

(photo credit: FotoosVanRobin's photostream flickr site)

Tempeh is traditionally made by fermenting soy beans and grains like barley, millet, etcetera. I have found soy-free tempeh in the past. There are also plenty of options that are gluten-free. I would highly suggest purchasing organic tempeh if you avoid eating GMOs. Soy beans are notoriously genetically modified unless specified otherwise.

On to the recipe...

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the chopped mushrooms, the chopped onion, and the garlic. Add a sprinkle or two of salt to help sweat out some moisture and cook the veggies more quickly. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure to scrape up the browned pieces from the pan.

Once the mushrooms and onions have begun to soften and the moisture is mostly evaporated, add the crumbled tempeh and peppers. Continue to cook until the tempeh is warmed through and the peppers have begun to soften. I like my peppers a little fresh and crunchy still. If you like them softer, add with the mushrooms and onions.

Turn off the heat, but keep the pan on the burner. To the pan add the ketchup (or tomato sauce and worchestershire) and mustard. Stir all these ingredients together, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bread or buns.

Here I've had an open-faced sloppy-joe on some hearty bread. I would suggesting a softer bread, which is tastier, and easier to eat as a regular sanwich.

My mom used to serve creamed-corn with sloppy joes when I was a kid. I still love creamed corn, and counter to the name it is vegan usually, especially if it's in a can. If creamed corn is not your thing, or you aren't into eating the corn and additives out of the can, these sandwiches would pair nicely with corn on the cob. Like soy, corn is also often genetically modified, so if you're into avoinding GMO, purchase organic.