December 28, 2020This is about...
Lentil SLOPPY JOES ---YUM!
Lentil SLOPPY JOES ---YUM!
IT'S ALMOST NEW YEAR'S! AND GOOD RIDDANCE TO 2020! 2021 has to be better. And I hope for all of us that it is.
To help bring in a better coming year, my grandmother had a New Year's Day tradition which all of her grandkids hated--eating a bowl full of sludgy lentil soup. Every year, no matter what, that pot was boiling on the stove when we arrived. There was no way of wiggling out of it. Because THIS WAS ONE WAY SHE BELIEVED WE WOULD HAVE GOOD LUCK AND HEALTH IN THE NEW YEAR. The only redeeming value was the little hotdogs that floated on the top.
Because of that decades long tradition, I feel guilty if I don't make something with lentils for New Year's Day. That soup is long gone, but lentils can be very delicious in so many recipes. Last year, it was LENTIL BOLOGNESE, and THIS YEAR I'M MAKING LENTIL SLOPPY JOES.--- just as sweet, tomatoey and tasty as the original canned "Manwich"--remember that?
Well just to refresh your memory, it's a sloppy joe sauce that you mix into a couple of pounds of browned and drained ground beef. Along with Swanson TV dinners, it was a quick and easy-to-make staple in my house when I was growing up. Back then, no one even thought to read the ingredient list to find out what was actually in the can. Well it turns out that it's pretty much some tomato paste, but MOSTLY A CAN FULL OF SUGAR AND THICKENERS--YUM??
Well here's a healthy version that cuts out all of the "bad" ingredients and still makes a very tasty sloppy joe. If you remember my lentil Bolognese, this is a similar technique. Chopping up veggies in the food processor, and using canned lentils makes it quick and easy. And IT'S ACCIDENTALLY VEGAN TOO!
If you pick the bun up with both hands and chow down, they'll be good and sloppy. But I suggest eating it with a knife and fork--just as delicious, but so less messy. And, a better way to start off the New Year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
LESSONS Learned:
1. A food processor is the way to go, but you could also finely chop all of the veggies by hand.
2. Don't just grab a can of green chilies without checking the heat level on the can. I like mild. But you could accidentally grab a hotter one.
2. I like to butter my hamburger buns and toast them in a frying pan until browned. But you could just toast them in a toaster. I even like just a soft, untoasted hamburger bun as the base too.
3. If you use vegan Worcestershire sauce, like Annie's, and brown sugar or agave, it's a totally vegan recipe.
4. Don't want the bun? Serve it over steamed, grated zucchini, zoodels, or any pasta of your choice.
Lentil Sloppy Joes
(inspired by Katie Lee)
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
One 4 ounce can mild chopped green chilies
One 8 ounce can tomato sauce, I like Muir Glen
1/2 cup ketchup, organic if possible, Heinz of course
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, or honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, regular or vegan (Annie's)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, I like Braggs
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 15 ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
To serve:
6-8 hamburger buns, toasted
Toppings: sliced avocado, lettuce leaves, sweet or dill pickle slices
Make the sloppy joes:
With a food processor running, drop the garlic through the feed tube until finely minced. Add the chopped onion and green pepper into the bowl of the food processor and process until finely chopped.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and sauté until softened and onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the green chilies, tomato sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar or honey, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, celery seed, black pepper, salt and the water. Combine well and cook for a minute or 2 to heat through. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Serve the sloppy joes on toasted buns, with the toppings of your choice.
Makes 6-8 servings. YUM!
To help bring in a better coming year, my grandmother had a New Year's Day tradition which all of her grandkids hated--eating a bowl full of sludgy lentil soup. Every year, no matter what, that pot was boiling on the stove when we arrived. There was no way of wiggling out of it. Because THIS WAS ONE WAY SHE BELIEVED WE WOULD HAVE GOOD LUCK AND HEALTH IN THE NEW YEAR. The only redeeming value was the little hotdogs that floated on the top.
Because of that decades long tradition, I feel guilty if I don't make something with lentils for New Year's Day. That soup is long gone, but lentils can be very delicious in so many recipes. Last year, it was LENTIL BOLOGNESE, and THIS YEAR I'M MAKING LENTIL SLOPPY JOES.--- just as sweet, tomatoey and tasty as the original canned "Manwich"--remember that?
Well just to refresh your memory, it's a sloppy joe sauce that you mix into a couple of pounds of browned and drained ground beef. Along with Swanson TV dinners, it was a quick and easy-to-make staple in my house when I was growing up. Back then, no one even thought to read the ingredient list to find out what was actually in the can. Well it turns out that it's pretty much some tomato paste, but MOSTLY A CAN FULL OF SUGAR AND THICKENERS--YUM??
Well here's a healthy version that cuts out all of the "bad" ingredients and still makes a very tasty sloppy joe. If you remember my lentil Bolognese, this is a similar technique. Chopping up veggies in the food processor, and using canned lentils makes it quick and easy. And IT'S ACCIDENTALLY VEGAN TOO!
If you pick the bun up with both hands and chow down, they'll be good and sloppy. But I suggest eating it with a knife and fork--just as delicious, but so less messy. And, a better way to start off the New Year.
LESSONS Learned:
1. A food processor is the way to go, but you could also finely chop all of the veggies by hand.
2. Don't just grab a can of green chilies without checking the heat level on the can. I like mild. But you could accidentally grab a hotter one.
2. I like to butter my hamburger buns and toast them in a frying pan until browned. But you could just toast them in a toaster. I even like just a soft, untoasted hamburger bun as the base too.
3. If you use vegan Worcestershire sauce, like Annie's, and brown sugar or agave, it's a totally vegan recipe.
4. Don't want the bun? Serve it over steamed, grated zucchini, zoodels, or any pasta of your choice.
(inspired by Katie Lee)
3 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
One 4 ounce can mild chopped green chilies
One 8 ounce can tomato sauce, I like Muir Glen
1/2 cup ketchup, organic if possible, Heinz of course
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, or honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, regular or vegan (Annie's)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, I like Braggs
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 15 ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
To serve:
6-8 hamburger buns, toasted
Toppings: sliced avocado, lettuce leaves, sweet or dill pickle slices
Make the sloppy joes:
With a food processor running, drop the garlic through the feed tube until finely minced. Add the chopped onion and green pepper into the bowl of the food processor and process until finely chopped.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and sauté until softened and onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the green chilies, tomato sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar or honey, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, celery seed, black pepper, salt and the water. Combine well and cook for a minute or 2 to heat through. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Serve the sloppy joes on toasted buns, with the toppings of your choice.
Makes 6-8 servings. YUM!
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