Hello! Today is Monday (Ugh!) and I was craving something hearty after school. Usually I make a salad or something, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So, I looked up a sloppy joe recipe and totally made it my own- replacing the beef with chickpeas. After making it I discovered that it would probably go great over quinoa or even just by itself in a bowl! Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, roasted (check out my Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe for directions)
• 1/2 tablespoon avocado/ olive oil
• 1/2 a medium onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 a bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 a can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add in the onions. Cook until translucent (6-7 minutes).
2. Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, celery, pepper, garlic, mustard, vinegar and all of the spices. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let the ingredients reduce for about 7 minutes.
3. Add in the chickpeas and stir. Let the mixture simmer for another five minutes to let it reduce and build flavour. This is when you can taste it and see if it needs any extra seasoning. If you like your Joes spicy, feel free to add a 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.
4. Remove from heat and serve on sprouted wheat bread, over quinoa, or by itself! Store in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled.

And there you have it! Doubling this recipe would be great so you can have it on hand in the fridge for lunches and snacks. Hope you enjoy my Joes!

Yours Truly, MyDayIsBooked;))