G.I. Joes

This recipe is a fun vegan variation on sloppy joes - perhaps the G.I. stands for garden-infused or garden-inspired! Needless to say, they're still just as sloppy and tasty to eat as the meat variety.

To start, pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed without oil). Let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and chop; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion, 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves; saute for 3 minutes.

Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon raw sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1 (28-ounce) undrained can of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce hat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally - the mixture should be slightly thick by the end.

Stir in one (12-ounce) package of soy crumbles - Light Life, Yves Veggie, and Boca all make vegan versions, and I chose Yves Veggie for tonight. Note: if you use Boca, their crumbles are frozen, and should be thawed in advance.

Once you've added the soy crumbles, cook a final 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Place 6 (2-ounce) hamburger buns on a platter. My new favorite on the market are the whole wheat hamburger buns from Whole Foods' house brand.

Spoon about 2/3 cup of the filling onto the bottom halves of each bun, then top with the top halves. You'll have six G.I. Joes of 400 calories each.

Cost:
red bell pepper $1.08
canned crushed tomatoes $3.19
soy crumbles $3.79
hamburger buns $2.89