Being a Veg Mom to Non Veg Boys
Being a vegetarian Mom to non vegetarian boys means my vegetarian cooking needs to be phenomenal so they don't notice there's no meat in their food. Fortunately my husband is a vegetarian but I knew that when I married him however with my children I don't believe in forcing them into a choice of ours that may not work for them. This is why I cook them fish every once in a while and encourage them to eat whatever they want when we're out. For now my vegetarian dishes are working in not only satisfying their hunger and health but also teaching them that eating meat and chicken everyday isn't the only answer.
My Sloppy Joe recipe gets a five star rating from my boys every time. I love cooking it because it is quick and easy to make. All you need is:
Vegetarian Soppy Joe mix. If you can't find www.fantasticworldfoods.com Sloopy Joe mix at your health friendly store, order it online. It is textured soy protein which is seasoned to taste amazing. It is so good that it fooled my boys into thinking it was non vegetarian.
Olive oil
Baby potatoes
Buns, I like using brioche buns.
Tomato paste
Corn
Not shown in the photo above is an optional side salad with your choice of veggies and dressing.
Since the Sloppy Joe mix cooks up fast, I start cooking by preparing the potatoes first. I use baby sized potatoes rather than frozen French Fries because I feel they are less processed no matter what the packaging says plus they are easy to cut up. Simply set your oven temp to 425 degrees, drizzle olive oil over your sliced potatoes and bake until crispy.
In a large covered pot boil 1 3/4 cups of water. Then add the Sloppy Joe mix along with 3 ounces of tomato paste and a table spoon of olive oil. Stir, lower the flame, cover with a lid and let it simmer.
Since corn is in season, we're eating a lot of it these days. Clean, cut it up, put it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven.
In no time your Sloppy Joe mix will absorb the excess water and look something like this. Turn off the flame, keep it covered and set aside.
It is now time to heat up the buns. I use brioche bread rather than hamburger buns because I like the way it soaks up the Sloppy Joe sauce. Slice the bread in half, put on a baking dish and toast in the oven.
This would be a good time to put on your oven mitts and pull out your potatoes. Stir and flip the potatoes around with a spatula or large spoon. Put them back in the oven to bake and keep an eye on your corn and buns as you get your salad ready. Here I have plenty of baby green leaves, sliced cherry tomatoes and avocado tossed in a bit of our favorite, Annie's Naturals Goddess dressing www.annies.com
Pull your buns and corn out of the oven first. Keep the potatoes in as long as you can because they need the most amount of time in the oven. Place the Sloppy Joe mixture on the buns, salad and corn on your dishes and then get those potatoes out. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
