My apologies for missing so many weeks recently!

I know that I tend to make a lot of slow cooker recipes, but it’s what keeps us fed while I’m in school. I promise some active cooking recipes soon. In fact, I’ve got a brownie recipe for next week!

Anyway, I haven’t had Sloppy Joes in I don’t know how many years, but for some reason I decided to try the Tempeh Tornado recipe from The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour. If you haven’t already – I really recommend picking up your own copy of the cook book, because there are so many awesome meals in it. The Tempeh Tornado recipe makes a hearty sandwich filling that’s so nice and cozy. It’s so good for warm dinners in the winter. It also works really well for lunches if you pack the filling and the bun separately.

Please excuse the paper plate! This photo is from when I enjoyed it at work for lunch!

INGREDIENTS:

2 packages (8 ounces) tempeh, cubed (I just crumbled it)

3 cloves garlic

½ bell pepper

Buns for serving

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes of 3 cups chopped fresh

½ cup water (Add a little more water if you will be cooking it for more than 9 hours.)

1 tablespoon vegan chicken-flavored bouillon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tablespoon apple cider, plain white or white vinegar

1 teaspoon molasses (I didn’t have any and it was fine without)

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (This stuff is expensive!)

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika

½ teaspoon pasilla chile or regular chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (to taste)

THE NIGHT BEFORE:

Steam the tempeh in a steamer basket for 10 minutes. This takes out some of the bitterness. While the tempeh is cooking, mince the garlic and bell pepper,

To make the sauce: place all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the tempeh, garlic, and pepper, cover, and store in the fridge.

(You may have noticed this by now, but I tend not to prepare this stuff the night before, so I prepared everything in the morning and it worked out fine.)

IN THE MORNING:

Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve as open-faced sandwiches or on buns.