The Chickpea and I had our first fight.
I am a pretty neat person. I like to have everything organized in a logical, easy-to-find manner and I’m a whiz with the label-maker. I clean the kitchen before, during, and after I cook dinner. I’m that person who will pick your drink up and place it on a coaster (If I just lost readers by making that statement, I completely understand).
Sometimes, however, I… slip. Since I’ve been working again, my mornings are a little rushed. I have forty-five minutes from the time I get home from the gym before I have to be on the road to the office. A couple times last week, I may or may not have left my dirty gym clothes on the bathroom floor because I was in such a rush. When I get home, usually about twelve hours after I left that morning, I’m exhausted and all I want to do is throw on my sweats and cuddle on the couch with my puppy and some Family Ties reruns. I may or may not have gotten into a little habit of throwing my work clothes in a pile in the middle of the bedroom floor in order to lessen the time in between putting on my sweats and catching up with Alex P. Keaton. I always pick them up later, though (even if “later” sometimes usually means “the following weekend”)!
I don’t know what happened but one night, The Chickpea was livid. I had just gotten home and changed into my sweats when he completely went off on me.
“I am getting sick and tired of looking at your piles of dirty clothes everyday!” He yelled at me.
“I always pick them up!” I responded, angrily. ”At least I’m not the one who is constantly shedding their skin, and leaving it for some one else to clean up after you!”
“I have a condition, Kristy!” he defensively replied. ”You know this. I can’t believe you would sink that low. Ever since you’ve gone back to work, you’ve turned into a rude, sloppy chick.”
I gasped. ”How dare you?! I. Am. Not. Sloppy! You need to leave the room. I just can’t even stand to look at you right now.”
He grabbed his motorcycle jacket and stomped out the door. A few minutes later, I heard his motorcycle take off down the street.
I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe he would call me that. After angrily pacing the kitchen for a few minutes, I thought to myself “I’ll show him what a sloppy chick is!”
I hastily began throwing things in a saucepan on the stove, with one goal in mind: Chickpea Sloppy Joes. About twenty minutes later, I was was stationed on the couch with a Sloppy Chick, Family Ties in full-swing. Every spicy bite was filled with meaty chunks of smashed chickpeas and bell pepper. The overstuffed hamburger buns leaked bits of tomato sauce all over my plate, my face, and well, everywhere, but I didn’t care. I was letting myself be a sloppy chick, eating a Sloppy Chick, just to spite The Chickpea.
Awhile later, The Chickpea came home. He picked up the remote and turned Family Ties off and thinking he was starting another fight, I prepared to throw down. Instead of fighting, however, Chickpea apologized, but after looking at the tomato sauce dried up on the corner of my mouth and the pile of dirty napkins I had used to clean myself up, he smiled and said “I may be sorry I said it, but I still think you’re a pretty sloppy chick.” We both laughed and like the ending to any 80′s sitcom, we froze in place and the credits began to roll while playing our theme song.
SLOPPY CHICKS
makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 2 15oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, diced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 T Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 2 T Sriracha Sauce
- 1 T Maple Syrup
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 T nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt/pepper to taste
- 4 vegan hamburger buns (gluten free, if required)
Instructions:
- Pour the chickpeas into a bowl. Use a fork to mash them until they are in small chunks/shreds. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to it’s lowest temperature. Open the buns and place the halves, cut side up, on the center rack (or on a baking sheet). Let them heat up for about 10-15 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large shallow saucepan over medium heat for about one minute. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add the bell pepper and the chickpeas and sauté for about two minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and slightly thickened. If it sticks, add a little water to scrape the pan and lower the heat a bit.
- Once the buns are warmed and the chickpea mixture is hot, scoop the mixture onto the four buns. Serve while hot. The filling can be kept for about 4 days. Enjoy!
First time here? Check out the rest of my Chickpea Love Affair Vegan MoFo Entries!
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All Photos taken by Chris Miller
© Kristy Turner and Keepin’ It Kind, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material (content and images) without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristy Turner and Keepin’ It Kind with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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wow, these look AMAZING!!! sloppy chickpeas are definitely on my list to make now.
you know, you and i would be perfect roommates. i am very neat, too. the kitchen needs to be clean at all times. there can be no piles of clothes on the floor(except in extreme rush emergencies).
out of curiosity- what time do you go to the gym in the morning and how long are you there? i workout in the morning too, but luckily i live 10 minutes from my job and i don’t have to go to the gym.
Thanks, Caitlin! You and I do sound very similar- I’m sure we would make great roommates. Can you imagine all the yummy food we would have in the house?!
I wake up around 4:45 and get to the gym by 5:30. I work out until 6:30-6:45, get home a little before 7. I do that 4 days per week and then one day I go for a 6-8 mile run instead. I try to be out the door by 7:45 for my long commute. Saturdays and/or Sundays are for yoga. You are so lucky to only live 10 minutes from work! How great is that!
Ha! I loved this line – “I have a condition, Kristy!” It made me laugh out loud. Poor Mr. Chickpea. It’s not his fault that he’s creamier with his skin gone. It’s like chickpea dandruff.
These sloppy chicks sound marvelous! David is definitely the neat one in our relationship. I’m on the sloppy side, but I’ve tried my hardest over the years to curb those urges.
Hahaha! You’re totally right- chickpea dandruff!
I’m glad you like the sloppy chicks. They’re for sure one of my new faves. David doesn’t sound as uptight as the Chickpea, not by a long shot, so I’m sure you guys do just fine with your clean/sloppy balance.
I don’t think the chickpea would survive in my house. It’s a disaster all the time because of a certain 3 year old tornado that I can’t keep up with
Chickpea sloppy joes sound amazing!
Thanks, Somer! I don’t know how much longer he’s going to put up with me either. I’m getting annoyed with myself and my lack of keeping a clean house lately!
These look delicious Kristy! Sorry to hear about the spat ….. it’s good to get to that point (hehe) – love the look of these – they sound delicious!!
Thanks, Shira! We feel so much closer now, having gone through that.
I hope you have a fabulous weekend! xo
Love this post! I kind of feel bad for Mr. Chickpea with his skin condition. I am the neat one in our house, but with a full time job and lots of other activities, I sometimes have to wait til the weekend to do a full clean sweep – so don’t worry, it’s fine by me!
I love these sloppy chicks – I may just have to make them tonight!
Thanks, Melissa- I loved writing this one. And you’re right- I was way out of line with my jab at his peeling skin. Very insensitive of me.
I’ve been like that recently too- On the weekends, I’ve been all about organizing and cleaning and getting things done. I need to have a weekend just to relax pretty soon! 
Have a great weekend! xo
Heehee
! I think the result of your little tiff makes it worth the harsh words! Great idea!
Thank you, Annie!
Holy crap, these look delicious!!!! I think I may make them for dinner tonight. I think I have everything at home !:) Thanks for the awesome recipe hun!
Thanks, Courtney! Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend! xo
loving these and so many other recipes!! gorgeous photos too, will be featuring you in my weekly Vegan Mofo round up.
Thank you so much, Jo! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to this, but I did see the round-up and I am so thrilled to be a part of it!
well this definitely looks awesome!
Thank you, Bridget. It kind of rocked my world.
I am so completely different..:) i just wish someone would magically clean up after me:) coz i do love to use a clean kitchen:) sometimes i just give that magical look to hubbs;)
i knew you would eventually get to sloppy chicks:) i love chikpeas in sloppy stews! and we eat indian food with our hands anyway, so i am not scared by this sloppy chick.
This looks incredible. I absolutely love sloppy joes and I can’t wait to try this1
Yay! THank you Monique- I hope you enjoy them!
I love this idea – I’ve made something similar with crumbled tempeh, but I am a bit of a chickpea fiend. I might plop some homemade pickles on top for nostalgia.
Oooh! Pickles would be fantastic- I wish I’d thought of that! I hope you enjoy them!
There’s always next time for pickles! =)
I love chickpeas but I don’t know too many recipes with them. Can’t wait to try this one out!
Enjoy, Kate!
Oooh and I was just wondering what to make for dinner tomorrow! Thank you! Great blog, came to it via a Pinterest post.
I love hearing that! Thank you so much, Kath, and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Haha oh Kristy, this post was just adorable. Silly Mr. Chickpea and his flakiness
We are all allowed to be sloppy sometimes. At least you made the most of it and created this delicious dish
Thank you, Gabby! You’re so right- I need to learn to embrace the fact that I’m going through a sloppy phase right now.
Yum! Totally making this tonight. Me and my boyfriend have a vegetarian and vegan food truck called “the lucky cow”. My parents are vegan and me and my boyfriend are vegetarian so dinner is usually mixes for us. Tonight I’m trying smoked Gouda Mac and cheese to see if it would be a good fit for the truck and I always feel obligated to make something my parents will eat too! Don’t get me wrong I usually choose vegan food but we have to try other things for the truck. I’ve tried tvp and lentil sloppy joes but never chikpea!! This might be a new favorite! Might even make it to the truck menu!
That’s so awesome that you have a food truck! Where are you located? It’s also really cool that you and your family have similar eating habits- it must make get-togethers much easier! If you give this recipe a try, I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
Squealingly delicious! Thanks for sharing it!
Oooh! Squealingly! That has got to be my word of the day! Thank you!
Hahaha this was hilarious Kristy!….I am pretty sure we are cut from the same cloth – I too steathily place coasters under people drinks if the happen to “forget” one, I cannot relax unless the kitchen is picked up and am notorious for needing a “clean”kitchen before cooking, I just hate having the “before” mess still there before the new mess comes in- Justin is the complete opposite, when i am away he goes all week withou doing the dishes but makes sure the Kitchen is spotless before I come home
I am absolutely planning on making these – hopefully tonight, they look incredible!
We totally are cut from the same cloth. I get so antsy when the kitchen is not clean, or if there are papers laying around, shoes left in the living room, etc… Happiness is a clean house.
I hope you enjoy the sloppy joes as much as we did!
Just made these for lunch- they were AMAZING!!!! Thanks for another great recipe
xo
Awesome, awesome, awesome! I love hearing that- thank you!
P.S. I can’t stop going to your site and drooling over your pumpkin pie bars. It’s causing me to get very little work done over here. 
Just made these tonight… finished licking my plate and started typing. I don’t think I will ever make veg sloppy joes any other way ever again. These are amazing and so easy. The ingredient list seemed intimidating at first glance but I soon realized I already had everything in my pantry and fridge already.
Only changes I made – I’m not a red pepper fan so I left that out and I cut the Sriracha to around a tablespoon (I think… I added until I could feel a little tongue burn). I also added in the optional nutritional yeast.
Maybe my Trader Joe’s wheat buns are tiny because I think this will stretch to at least 6, if not the full bag of 8.
Anyway, holy moly, thank you for being sloppy because this recipe is a goldmine of yum.
Jen, I LOVE hearing this! You totally made my day!
Sorry to be a johnny-come-lately with a question, but are the tomatoes whole or diced? If whole, are they added whole? In either case, should they be drained or added with their juice? Thanks!
You are not a johnny-come-lately, Leanne! Sorry- I should have specified! I used diced, and I just tossed in the whole can. I hope that helps! Enjoy!
I accidentally bought crushed fire roasted tomatoes at the store last week and didn’t realize my mistake until I was opening the can. Still tasty!
Leftovers make for amazing nachos, too…
Crushed would work just as well, if not better. And I like your thinking, Jen- sloppy joe nachos! Yum!
Just cooked this! THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING !! OMG!!! So good! Thank you!!!
<3
Awesome! I am so stoked that you liked it- it’s one of my faves too.
Hello! This recipe looks delicious! I have never used Liquid Smoke before … where do you find this and what brand do you use?
Thank you, Amanda!
I use Colgin, which I know for sure is vegan. I usually get it at Whole Foods, but you can order it here too.
I found your recipe on Oh She Glows a couple of days ago and made these sloppy chicks tonight for dinner. It was mine and my husband’s favourite “new meal” for the last few months! Thank you for sharing. I’m looking forward to trying more stuff from your site!
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you, Katie!
I, too, found this recipe through the ohsheglows site. I’ve made sloppy joes before using a vegan meat alternative and am so happy to find one made with chickpeas. I love the varied choices of vegan meat alternatives, but would always prefer to use beans, peas, legumes, etc. I’m hoping to make these within the week. So glad I found your site!
I’m with you- meat alternatives are fine every once in awhile, or if you’re in a pinch, but I would prefer legumes any day of the week!
I hope you enjoy thema nd I’m so happy you found KIK too. 
Is it okay to leave the liquid amino out of this recipe or will that affect the salt level? Thanks and can’t wait to try this!
You could leave it out, but you will affect the salt level. You can use tamari or soy sauce in its place, though! Enjoy!
I made these for the kids and I tonight. Mashing up the chickpeas kept the kids busy while I made dinner which makes this mom of three very hungry children very happy. I cut the Sriracha down to one teaspoon seeing as I’m the only one who would have enjoyed the original amount. None of my kids are tempeh/tofu fans so I’m always on the lookout for other alternatives…seeing as the 8yo asked for seconds, I can guarantee we’ll be eating it again.
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you!
This was a HUGE hit with the omni parents!!!! Thank you!!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you!
We really enjoyed these. It was my first time with sriachi and it was excellent! Thank you!
Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! So happy you liked them, Laura!
Made these last night for dinner and they were absolutely AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing your brilliance! Such delicious smokey sweet chickpea goodness! Will definitely be making again!