Oh my gosh, we tried this recipe on Chickypea for Not-So-Sloppy Tempeh Joe the other night and it was amazing! I made little changes, like doubling the sauce and adding a little vinegar and sesame oil but it is similar to the original. The sauce was so delightfully tomatoey, tangy, spicy, salty and sweet! Paired with tempeh sauteed with onions and peppers, and doused with a refreshing dollop of sour cream, it was a perfect pocket. It was the kind of meal where you look at your plate after and wonder where all went so fast!

Tangy Sweet Tomato Sauce
1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 Trader Joe’s frozen garlic cube
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup water

• Mix all ingredients together in a little sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce for 5 minutes. Try not to eat it all while tasting it.

Tempeh Sloppy Joe’s
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 bell peppers (any color)
1 onion
1/2 tablespoon more olive oil
1 8 ounce block of tempeh cut into cubes
Sprinkling of soy sauce
Salt
Pita bread (here is a recipe for homemade pita bread!)
Tangy sweet tomato sauce
Sour cream
Green onions chopped
Black olives sliced

1. In a large skillet saute the bell peppers in the olive oil for a few minutes, then add the onions. Once a little browned remove from the pan.
2. Heat more oil in the pan and then add the tempeh and saute for a few minutes until a little browned. Sprinkle with soy sauce to give the tempeh a nice color. Salt to taste. Add back the peppers and onions to the tempeh.
3. Stuff the pita with the tempeh mixture, load up on the tangy sweet tomato sauce, and add a liberal dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions and olives.