Sequestration Meal #559
I know what you're thinking. I said no more burgers for a bit. But this isn't a burger, even though it's on a burger bun! I had frozen some of my buns to pull out some night for a low-effort dinner, and here it is: Coleslaw, a Sloppy Joe, tater tots, and ketchup.
The recipe for the Sloppy Joe filling is from the Spruce Eats. It worked out super well with a bit of dill pickle. Sloppy Joes are knife-and-fork sandwiches that are super nostalgic for me, and unlike a lot of my nostalgia foods, the vegan version is super cheap--much more so than even the frugal original version my mother used to make. This is a TVP-based Sloppy Joe, and the TVP itself comes to about 30 cents per serving, whereas an equivalent amount of ground beef is closer to $1.25.
I don't think I've ever made them as an adult. I'm pretty sure my mother wouldn't make them anymore, either. Sloppy Joes probably reached their zenith in the 1980s, when we had them on a regular rotation. I can't recall being served anything with them at the time; if you were still hungry after one you'd just have another.
But here I am making my peace with coleslaw, this time mixing both purple and green cabbage for a salad that encourages me to eat it by being pretty. It worked! I really liked this. My technique is improving, I think. Someday I may even be able to give you a coleslaw recipe of my own.
And who will ever argue with tater tots? I certainly won't. All in all, a near-perfect meal.
I will never argue with tater tots. Alas, there is a frozen potato product shortage here so I haven't seen potato gems in the supermarkets for months! A true tragedy.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, your potatoes will return. And then: All the tater tots!
DeleteThat *is* a really pretty coleslaw. I saw a comment a few days ago about how superior shaved-cabbage coleslaw is vs. chopped-cabbage, and I think they might end up being sort of two separate creatures, kind of like light-and-fluffy fat-free box-style mashed potatoes are a different substance from skin-on half-mashed-with-sour-cream red potatoes, which are a different substance than fully-mashed but skinless and heavily-buttered russets.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the difference with potatoes is that nearly all mashed potatoes are pretty good (albeit only some are sublime), whereas coleslaw..... ;-) (I have liked some coleslaw. I will admit it. But it's definitely more uncertain than mashed potatoes.)
I like my cabbage to be cut as thinly as I can get it if I'm going to eat it raw; it just doesn't have a good texture otherwise, in my opinion. I still don't know if coleslaw will ever be a go-to side dish for me. I'm unlikely to trust anyone else to make it the way I like it. But I'm proud of finding a way to appreciate it, for myself!
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