Lentil Sloppy J's!

I haven't blogged in days, feels like forever! It's been a very busy week. I think it's great that I get to read others blogs that are able to do it daily. Keeps me inspired. I've been working on getting this blog in great shape and user friendly. Any thoughts or suggestions would be very helpful!

One of the easy go to meals I used to make when I was a meat eater was Sloppy Joe's, BK loved them and it was an easy way to "hide" some veggies. Now that we are no longer eating meat I had to find a way to still offer some great Sloppy Joe's.

So, here is my version. Lovingly called Lentil Sloppy J's.

What you will need:
1 cup green or red lentils, rinsed
Water
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or 1/4 cup vegetable stock)
3/4 cup bell pepper (I used mini bells in a variety of colors, green works well too), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/4 teaspoons stone ground mustard
1 cup ketchup (you can use tomato sauce if you want to lower the sugar intake)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Whole wheat buns

What you will need to do:
Pick through the lentils to remove any rocks or debris. After rinsing your lentils place them in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover them by an inch (use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to lentils). Bring to a boil then simmer until desired tenderness 15-60 minutes. Add water as necessary, don't let it completely dry out. Drain if necessary. You can do this step ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large saute pan heat oil (or vegetable stock) until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Mix in the lentils and heat for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the whole wheat buns :) and the salt/pepper combo. Heat through for 20 minutes stirring often. Taste first then add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve on toasted whole wheat buns.

A great side dish: Sweet Potato Fries. Green Beans too!

Cheers and happy eating!