Excuses the Mess: Lentil Sloppy Joe's

I'm feeling very nostalgic lately. So I think this weeks batch of posts will be dedicated to good ol' all American classics (aka the food of my childhood).

Back in the day, sloppy joe aficionado.

Ah sloppy joes, yet another childhood dinner staple. In my eyes, nobody made sloppy joe's better in my eyes than my lovely mother. For the most part if she didn't make it, I wouldn't eat it.

But as all children do, I grew up and moved out and didn't have the luxury of my mom's home cooked meals every night. I got pretty good at them myself but hadn't made them in a long time. Recently I found a recipe from Skinny Bitch (a lovely gift from the hubby, and a cookbook I highly recommend) for Lentil Seitan Sloppy Joe's. I've made little changes so that it's closer to what my mom would make.

Honestly this dish is so easy to throw together and it's one that veggies and meat-eaters alike could enjoy! Plus it makes awesome leftovers for lunches, it almost tastes better the next day!

Lentil Sloppy Joe's: (serves 6, adapted from: Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin)

• 1/2c dried lentils
• 1c water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced (I prefer red, but green or any other color works fine)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1T spicy dijon mustard
• 1T balsamic vinegar
• 2T soy sauce
• 1/4c barbecue sauce (I use Stubb's Original)
• 6 whole wheat buns (I like to use Arnold Sandwich Thins)

Boil 1 cup of water in a sauce pot, rinse and drain the lentil and add them to the boiling water. Reduce cover and simmer for 30 minutes, drain lentils and set aside.

While the lentils are simmering, chop up onion, carrots, pepper, and garlic. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat and add vegetables and saute for 10 minutes.

Stir in lentils tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, and bbq sauce. Heat for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat divide equally amongst buns and serve.

P.S. my entire non-vegan family looooves these! And my mother switched out her old recipe for these!