While trying to pace myself and savour every bite of one of my favourite meat replacement dishes, Vegan Sloppy Joe, I thought, this one is too good not to share.
The first time I had a sloppy Joe was in the USA and as I travel there are some recipes, I know are going to become my favourite, no matter where I am in the world.
This one is ideal when you want a really meaty texture and flavour.
There are other recipes I have tried, and they just don’t hit the spot mainly because beans or lentils don’t give the meaty texture.
If you find a recipe like this anywhere else, please let me know because I pride myself on thinking that this is very original.
The secret to the meaty texture is the combination of textured soya mince and finally chopped aubergine.
Although I'm giving you step-by-step instructions, because of my nomadic lifestyle, I'm aware that there may be certain herbs or spices that are not easily available or there are better options that you are aware of where you are based. So, I'm sharing this with the encouragement for you to play around and experiment as much as I enjoy doing that with every dish and recipe that I come across.
I'm sharing these recipes because being my version of a plant-based vegan changed my life. I really want to encourage people to know that plant-based food can be delicious, and you don't have to shy away from fats or carbs, especially if you are on a weight loss journey.
It's important for me to interject here and say that I'm not coming from any health expert or dietitian background. I'm simply telling you that by eating balanced macros and ensuring that there's fat, carb, and protein in each one of my meals, I have managed to lose and keep off over 45 kilos.
If you’re only finding me now, a big part of my personal transformation has been my choice to go plant-based vegan, for health and weight loss. Another side note is that you will find many plant-based people avoid oil and fats, but it took me years of getting stuck on my journey to realise that my body doesn’t mind the oil, so I don’t shy away from it. I do monitor it though, in an app, to make sure my macros are close enough. I know it’s not an exact science, but it’s been mentally calming for me to keep my eye on it.
Enough about that thought let's dive into the Sloppy Joe recipe.
Another one additional important thing to note before I dive into the recipe is that I'm a solo traveller, always in somebody else’s kitchen, so this recipe is made for one.
Simply double it or expand on it in any way, to feed as many people as you like.
Another thing to interject is that I love my food, so this filled the bread roll, after pulling all of the bread centre out of the middle.
Ingredients
25g textured soya mince
35g chopped red onion
100g finely chopped aubergine
1 large finely chopped tomato
1 tbs olive oil
¼ tsp garlic powder or one clove of fresh garlic
25g tomato paste
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Vegan meat seasoning (I used steak and chops)
Instructions
Finely chop and keep separate the red onion, aubergine, and tomato
Soak the textured mince in boiling water, by ensuring all the mince is covered and leave it to stand until you are ready to add it to the pan
Microwave the aubergines on high for three to four minutes. They must not be very soft to have the meaty texture
Heat the pan and add the oil
When hot, add the onions and fry until golden
Add the tomato and fry until soft
Add the aubergine and stir without waiting too long to add the textured mince
Add all the seasonings and stir them together
Salt is optional but I have never needed to add it
Taste and play with the flavour, if need be, before serving
Cut your fresh roll, scoop out the inside and then fill it with the mince
If you are counting calories then on the MyFitnessPal app, I have included the recipe, Vegan Sloppy Joe which has calories at 71g, fat at 6g and protein at 25g
If you try this recipe and like it, I would love for you to share it with anyone fully immersed in plant-based living or figuring it out.
Please snap a pic or make a little video and tag me in, letting me know what you think! Insta or TikTok
Happy Everything ...
