Sloppy Joes!

On this cold and rainy day I decided that I wanted some good old fashioned comfort food! You know like mom used to make when you were little and couldn't go outside because it was raining or snowing. While this didn't happen much to me in California growing up the few instances that it did rain no one dared to leave the house so my mom would just cook all day while we watched movies, or searched for snails outside (because they would only come out when it was raining and my brother and I love messing with them.) Anyways back to the point.. my favorite rainy day foods were anything that was messy and fun to eat like sloppy joes! 

Being a vegetarian who likes to keep things on the low cal side of life I wanted something that would taste just as good but without animals or tons of calories! So I came across this awesome recipe and tried it out! All I can say is it's better than mom used to make!! And it's better than those gross Manwich things you see in the store that come straight from a can. Call me crazy but any meat like product that comes out of a can scares me and well grosses me out. So I made this for my roommate and she loved it! You can make it as messy or neat as you want and it will give you something great to munch on while you watch the snow, or rain, or wintry mix as they like to call it here in Boston. And please don't let the picture scare you...I know it looks a little weird but it tastes amazing!! Try it for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2-1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1-1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 kaiser rolls

DIRECTIONS

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, green pepper, and garlic: saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, tomato paste, vinegar, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in kidney beans, and cook an additional 5 minutes.
• Cut a 1/4 inch slice off the top of each kaiser roll; set aside. Hollow out the center of each roll, leaving about 1/2 inch thick shells; reserve the inside of rolls for other uses.
• Spoon bean mixture evenly into rolls and replace tops. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 205, Total Fat: 3.9, Sodium: 580mg, Total Carbs: 35g, Dietary Fiber: 6.2g, Protein: 7.8g

Now that you have everything you need go ahead and pop in that movie and relax! I suggest a light hearted movie, Martian Child was pretty cute...but you have to be ready for a corny ending! Other than that it is pretty good! 

Happy eating!