Beanie Jose's with Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts

These are meatless sloppy joe's with taco seasoning, so I present: Beanie Jose's
Tempeh provides a meaty texture and the red kidney beans help pull everything together. This recipe was adapted from Mark Bittman's Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes which was featured in the May 2010 Cooking Light magazine.  This recipe is meatless and delicious.  Everything comes together in about 30 minutes, making this an easy weeknight meal.

You can use a ready prepared taco mix, or you can make your own.  Serve the beanie jose's on top of toasted kaiser rolls and top with sliced red onion rings.  I served with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. Preheat the oven to 400 F, prep the brussels sprouts, then heat the water for the tempeh.

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 c water
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T minced garlic, about 2-3 medium cloves worth
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
3/4 cup tempeh, cut into 2" chunks (about 1/2 of a block of tempeh)
1/2 cup grated carrot (1/2 of a large carrot)
2 t taco seasoning (see below)
1 t brown sugar
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red chili flakes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4-6 kaiser rolls
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, heat up 2 cups of water over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in tempeh and simmer for 10 minutes. Simmering the tempeh helps reduce the bitterness.
2. In a non-stick skillet heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Crumble tempeh and add it into the pan. Continue breaking the tempeh apart until it resembles grounds. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add in carrots, taco seasoning, sugar, oregano, and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in tomatoes and mix everything together.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add half the beans to the pan, and mash the other half in a small bowl. Add in the mashed beans and stir everything together until the beans are heated through.
7. Top the bottom half of each roll with 3/4-1 cup of the beanie jose's. Serve alongside some onion rings.

Taco seasoning:
1 T ancho chili powder (you could also use dried chipotle powder)
1-2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried onion flakes
1/4 t smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
1/4 t red chili powder
1 t oregano, dried

1. Mix all the spices and herbs together. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 3-4 T (depending on if you add/minus ingredients)

Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
1-1/2 c brussel sprouts, (measure them whole, then cut them in half, or quarter them depending on size)
1 T olive oil

For dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T water
1 T olive oil
1 tsp capers, rinsed
1/8 tsp coarse sea salt
fresh black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
1. Quarter or halve the brussels sprouts and toss them with 1 T of olive oil.
2. Place them in a pan and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring often.
3. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
4. Toss the dressing with the roasted brussels sprouts and serve immediately.