face off: sloppy joes vs. sloppy sams

picture from allrecipes.com

we spent Christmas with my in-laws in UT this year. when all of the family (my hubby is one of 7, so this means lots of people) got together right before Christmas, my husband requested a main course on the 23rd of sloppy joes as an easy and delicious way to feed so many hungry mouths. my hubby's little sister and her husband are vegetarians, so i thought i'd make a complimentary vegetarian version that i'd made before to please both halves of the crowd. i liked having them both there as kind of a "face off". here was, in my opinion, the results of said face off:

• sloppy joes - traditional recipe, canned sauce, made with ground beef. i usually like them okay, but since i had the below alternative i couldn't even stomach the joes in comparison.
• sloppy sams - lentils, homemade sauce, sweetened with molasses and brown sugar. simply amazing. i can eat this stuff with a spoon, no bun required.

winner? clearly, the sloppy sams take home the award. cheaper, appease my lentil obsession and way healthier than the traditional joes. put them to the test in your house and let me know if they pass!

sloppy sams
4 big servings
modified from allrecipes.com, specifically here

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
a dash of olive oil
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses (use all brown sugar if you don't have it)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 dash worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns

1. combine broth and lentils in a saucepan. bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. meanwhile, cook onions with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 4 minutes. add tomatoes and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. stir in tomato paste, ketchup, mustard powder, chili powder, molasses and Worcestershire sauce; simmer 5 to10 minutes until thickened.
3. drain lentils and reserve cooking liquid (i never have any liquid to drain). stir lentils into sauce mixture, adding cooking liquid or water as needed to obtain the desired "sloppy joe" consistency. serve on buns.
   

flashback to lentils: curried coconut lentil bisque

i love lentils. so does my husband. so does my daughter. remember when i 1st started this blog and wrote about why lentils are amazing? remember when i made taco meat out of lentils? yum. remember when i posted lentil meatloaf? it's still fabulous. it sounds scary - it's not. i promise. (and yes, i have a label for lentils - i realize that is scary.)

i recently fell in love with lentils all over again when i made this fabulous meal last week.

i like ANYTHING made with coconut milk... coconut meets lentil and curry? has to be even better. this is one of those ultra-complete meals - it was dirt cheap, pretty, it felt good on its way down, it is super healthy and balanced and it tasted fabulous. and don't let the peas scare you - the sweetness of the peas is the perfect balance to the curry.

curried coconut lentil bisque
mildly inspired by recipe here
6 servings

a dash of olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder (another teaspoon if you want it hotter)
1 1/2 cups dry lentils, rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk (always 99c at trader joe's!)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch ginger
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup white rice, cooked in 2 cups water for 2 minutes
1 12 oz bag green peas, cooked according to directions

1. heat oil in large pot. add onions and carrots. cook 5-6 minutes. add garlic and curry. cook 1-2 more minutes or until curry is fragrant.
2. add chicken broth, lentils and coconut milk. bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 35-40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
3. add other spices. use immersion blender to blend soup into a bisque (a thick soup). salt and pepper to taste.
4. put rice and peas in a bowl. pour bisque over the top. enjoy!

recipe of the week: sweet and sour meatloaf... sort of...

my poor 9 month old has a little cold and she just went to bed for the night... and yes, it is 6 o'clock. maybe i should be posting this tomorrow morning at 4 am when she gets up... yikes. :)

okay, you may have thought i was crazy with lentils the 1st time around when i told you to fall in love with them and asked you to try lentil taco meat. if you did try this recipe, you know i'm not wacko. if you didn't you're probably going to think i've gone completely off my rocker now.

this week's recipe of the week is meatloaf... made out of lentils! it's so fabulous - i promise. and it is far cheaper, lower fat and generally healthier than traditional meatloaf. my husband, who i've asked to rate my cooking every night so i don't repeat a recipe he doesn't particularly like, gave this one a 9 out of 10. it's that good.

sweet and sour "lentloaf"

(that's lentil and meatloaf combined - it's what my husband calls it!)

6+ servings (it's really filling)

3/4 cup dry brown lentils
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 pinch dried thyme (use more you love the taste of thyme - i don't!)

1/2 teaspoon basil

a little less than 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes (add a little more if yours seems dry)
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup shredded cheese (whatever kind you have)

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees F. cook lentils and brown rice according to package directions, but cook lentils in chicken broth instead of water.
2. in a large bowl, mash lentils. to the lentils add wheat germ, bread crumbs, brown rice, eggs, onion, spices, tomatoes, ketchup, soy sauce and cheese. mix well. pour into loaf pan.
3. bake, covered, for 1 hour.

sweet and sour sauce

1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (if you're using a big can (28oz) for the crushed tomatoes in lentloaf above, just approximate about 1/2 of your big can for the sauce)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons prepared mustard (or 1/2+ teaspoon ground mustard)

1. combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. stir.

2. bring to a boil and then let simmer for a few minutes.

3. pour over meatloaf before serving. (over the whole thing or over each individual piece)

if you have a favorite meatloaf sauce make it instead. and we love lentloaf with mashed potatoes, but serve it with whatever you prefer!

recipes adapted from "imitation meatloaf" and "sweet and sour meatloaf" from allrecipes.com

fall in love with lentils

what are lentils? lentils are a bean that is extremely protein-rich (3rd most protein-rich in the veggie world after soybeans and hemp). what makes them skinny bovine-worthy?

• they are CHEAP!!! a 1 pound bag runs about $1.00 at your local Wal-Mart.
  
• a little bit goes a long way. most recipes use about 1/4 of your 1 pound bag (1 cup). that's 25 cents for the main ingredient in your meal.
• lentils are meaty. because they are so loaded with protein, in many recipes they end up tasting very meaty (but without the greasiness and fattiness that often accompany this quality).
  
• not only are lentils protein-rich, but they are fat-free and are a good source of fiber, too. hooray for healthy beans!

what kinds of deliciousness can you create with this healthy, meaty treat? soups, stews, salads, tacos (see recipe below), even vegetarian meatloaf. the possibilities are endless. so do your budget, and your health, a favor and fall in love with lentils.

***find some great lentil recipes on allrecipes.com
thanks to wikipedia.com for the lentil photo

recipe of the week: tasty lentil taco meat

i know these sound weird, but they really taste like ground beef tacos (but better and cheaper). give them a try! use as regular taco meat, in taco salad, in burritos, etc.

tasty lentil taco meat

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil (i use olive oil)
  
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth

directions

1. in a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. add broth; bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. mash lentils slightly.

cook time: 45 minutes from start to finish, makes about 6 servings
recipe found on allrecipes.com