Sloppy Joe Squares

This Week's Theme: Eclectic Americana...
After coming home from work early and feeling miserable for hours, I decided that I wanted to give a strange twist to typical, domesticated American dishes. Most dishes that appeal to the American palette contain mainly meat and other animal products such as broth, milk, butter, eggs, and cheese. This week, I'm on a mission to prove that people can still enjoy "meaty" satisfying meals without the carcass and/or its other counterparts. What better dish to start off Eclectic Americana week than Sloppy Joe's? Not only is my version lower in salt, but it is also much, much lower in fat. It still uses the convenience of ready-made store bought dough, but I see it as more of a time saver than an inability to cook. In my links list, there is a link for PeTA's "Accidentally Vegan" page. If you're short on time, some of the items that you used to consume may have been vegan, and will help out a LOT when you have less than a half hour to have dinner on the table!

Sloppy Joe Squares:

2/3 c. sweet onions, chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil (expeller-pressed)
1 c. Morningstar veggie crumbles
1/3 c. TVP (textured vegetable protein), hydrated with 1/3 c. hot water and a pinch of vegan beef bouillon
1/4 t. salt
as much black pepper as you'd like
1/4 t. chili powder
1 T. flour
2/3 c. water
3/4 t. apple cider vinegar
a dash each of garlic, onion, cayenne, paprika
1/2 t. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1/3 c. ketchup
1 (4 oz.) package of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

In a skillet on med-hi, sautee onions in the canola until almost translucent. Add the veggie crumbles and the hydrated TVP. (Note: If you can't find TVP at a local health food store, you can sub it for veggie crumbles, but I like to stretch out the more expensive product [Morningstar] while reducing my salt intake.) Toss in all the dry seasonings and sautee for a few minutes. Mix the flour with the water and add to the mixture. Preheat oven to 375 F. Add cider vinegar and ketchup. Stir and simmer for a few more minutes, until sauce has thickened. Set aside. In an ungreased 8x4 loaf pan, place two of the triangular pieces of dough on the bottom, pressing the seam together and the dough along the edge of the pan. Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto the dough, and place the last two pieces on top, pinching together the seam and tucking the outside edges down into the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.