Sloppy Joe Lentils

I was really craving some good ol' Sloppy Joes last night, but did not want to go to the store to get ground beef. Hmm what to do, what to do? I knew I had some lentils in the pantry, and they are always my go to "meat substitute" in dishes because they are so high in protein. After doing a couple quick Google searches, I discovered that Lentil Sloppy Joes are actually a really popular item in the vegetarian/vegan world. There are like a bajillion recipes. I used some bits and pieces of others' ideas online to create my own concoction. It wasn't exactly Manwich, but it sure was delicious and incredibly flavorful. I also didn't haven't buns (fail) but served it over rice with super easy roasted green beans.

Sloppy Joe Lentils & Roasted Green Beans Recipe:

• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground mustard powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash of cinnamon
• salt, black pepper

• 1/2 lb green beans, washed, trimmed and dried well
• olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Asiago cheese

Combine the lentils and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Do not overcook.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil over medium low heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except green beans and last seasonings), mix very well and cook together for a couple minutes. Add your drained lentils, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low. Depending on how sloppy you want it, add more or less liquid. 

Meanwhile, toss your green beans in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and grated cheese. Spread evenly on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake to turn the green beans and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

When ready to eat, serve Sloppy Joe lentils over rice with your delicious roasted vegetables!

Not a beautiful dish, but a tasty one.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

I know what you're thinking...

Stew? In the middle of the summer in Texas? Are you insane?

Maybe, but I love stew, and I won't let 100-degree weather keep us apart. Also, today happened to (officially) be the first day of summer. Now this means absolutely nothing to people in Texas, but still...kind of funny that I chose to make this of all meals. Oh well! It's so good and hearty and totally worth it.

Moroccan Lentil Stew Recipe:

• 1 cup lentils
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cayenne peppers, diced ( also added a few tbsp of homemade hot sauce)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• Generous salt, black and cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups beef broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 1 sweet potato, NOT peeled and diced into small cubes
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Green onions for garnish

Add the first set of ingredients to a large stock-pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover and let simmer for 15 more minutes. Check to make sure lentils and potatoes are tender; using an immersion blender, puree some of the stew. This will give it a thicker, creamier texture. Add the remaining ingredients (sans green onion), simmer for an additional 10 minutes and serve!

Black Lentil Curry

Oh curry, how shall I profess my undying love for thee? You are so tantalizing, mouth-watering and brimming with exotic zest and spices. You are not only the meal upon my table once a week, but also the namesake for my cat. In a word, you are...perfection.

(Not exactly the most appetizing in photos though)

Wow...I'm not..insane

But I am crazy for curry. I realize "curry" is incredibly general and I love ALL of them. We make a Garam Masala based curry almost every week and it is my favorite. Sometimes we just use simple veggies, sometimes chicken; Steven even did meatballs once. This week, I used black lentils.

I did the best I could to "quantify" everything, but usually I just dash seasonings here and there. This sounds about right though. I like a really cinnamon-y Garam Masala curry, so I use about 2 tbsp of the stuff when I make curry. Steven...not so much so he'll use 1/2-1 tbsp. Really, it's up to you!

Black Lentil Curry Recipe:

• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced (We buy fresh ginger, but powder would probably work too though the flavor wouldn't be as strong)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil (might need more if you decide to cook chicken before)
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala (less if you don't want that super cinnamony taste)
• 1/2 tbsp coriander (we have coriander seeds, which we smash in a mortar and pestle but you can buy coriander powder)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp peanut or cashew butter (any nut butter works. It's mainly for consistency and adds just a hint of flavor. But you really only need a very little bit bc too much and the whole dish will taste like peanut butter)
• 2 8oz cans tomato sauce (we accidentally used one once that had green chiles in it and it was AWESOME. Added a bit of spice so I might suggest using one can of that or just sticking to the original tomato sauce)
• 1/2 cup green peas (frozen works best)
• 1/2 cup corn (frozen works)
• 2 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt or coconut milk

• 1/2 cup black lentils
• 2 cups cups water

Rinse the black lentils very well in cold water. Place in a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover with lid for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, caramelize onions in the olive oil over low to medium-low heat. Once translucent, add minced garlic, ginger and carrots. Once the ginger and garlic barely brown and the carrots become a bit more tender, add all the spices (except peanut butter) and mix until everything is well-coated.

Add the two cans of tomato sauce and cook on medium heat until bubbly. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes with a lid. If it looks a little too thick for your liking, add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth until you get desired consistency.

After it simmers for awhile (and makes your house smelling all INCREDIBLE) add the peas, corn, lentils and dollop of peanut butter. Let that all come together nicely for about 10 minutes. At the end, add your yogurt or coconut milk to get a nice creamy texture. I typically use yogurt because I like the tang. Mix it all together and BAM.

Time to serve this awesome stuff over white/brown/basmati/jasmine rice. Pick your poison.

Now, before tonight, I had made brown rice several times in a variety of ways...all of which failed. Too chewy, undercooked, mushy, etc. I tried a new method tonight and can I get a hell yeah? It was great. You'll need to bring about 12 cups of water to a boil on high heat in a large pot with a lid. While this is heating up, rinse the brown rice thoroughly. When the water is boiling, add the rice and boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Then drain on a strainer, put back in the pot with heat off and steam for 10 minutes. Voila: fluffy, tasty brown rice.