sloppy josephs

sloppy josephs are a wee bit more refined than the stuff that comes in a manwich can. these messy numbers are made with ground beef style gimmie lean (a meat free pseudo sausage) which is very low in fat, but high in protein, making these a nice alternative to sloppy joes for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb gimmie lean, ground beef style
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 medium sized yellow onion, finely diced
1 orange bell pepper (any color will do), finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste
buns (i used multigrain ones from trader joes, but anything will be fine)

in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the gimmie lean in the olive oil, breaking the log up into as many small pieces as possible. i used a stainless steel pan and the gimmie lean did stick to the bottom, but both the balsamic and the tomato sauce and paste are highly acidic and excellent pan de-glazers. if you are worried about the bits at the bottom getting too brown, scrape them up as best as you can and feel free to turn down the heat to medium. once the sausage log resembles ground beef crumbles, add the balsamic vinegar and scrape up the bits at the bottom (if you can't get them all, don't worry, the tomato stuffs will help). add the onions and peppers and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes. once the onions and peppers have softened, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. add the spices, tomato sauce, and paste and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add the maple syrup, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes while you toast some buns and make sure to serve a heaping scoops, the sloppy part is where all the fun is. enjoy!