Lentil sloppy joes
So who's given themselves a challenge for lent this year? I'm still
going strong with the Whole Foods Lent Challenge and I've now concocted
quite a few new exciting sugar free recipes. I will be sharing some of
those later this week.
For those also following my six-pack challenge will know that I am focussing more on lentils (i.e smaller pulses) this week after the 'bean effect' last week! That sounded a fine plan to me since I love lentils in their various forms- red for a great soup base and a firm green lentil for a meat substitute. I warn you now there are likely to be a fair few lentil based recipes to throw your way. But I
figure that’s ok, since lentils are a fabulously
protein, iron and fibre rich warming winter staple...plus they are generally
very cheap and easy to cook up. I’ve mention before that I buy dried lentils
and beans in bulk and then cook them up in large batches to freeze.This recipe was inspired by photos of Rachel Ray's lasagna pizza bread but turned into something all of its own, more of a 'sloppy joe’s' type concoction (or what I would imagine one to be since Sloppy Joe's would seem to be a US phenomenon!) I served the lentil mix over two of my flatbreads sliced in half. You can use any bread recipe or serve over slices of polenta a little more like this bruschetta recipe. The ‘quick cheese sauce’ is a cheesy dollop topping and is optional. I think it works really well as a flavour hit in this recipe although I wouldn’t be inclined to serve it on it’s own in a recipe- you’d want to add more creaminess. This cheese sauce recipe is the best if you want something more substantially cheesy to dominate a recipe.
The lentil topping can be made as a larger batch and chilled
for a few days. I ate it the following day as spag-bol over a bed of rice-quinoa pasta that caught my eye in
a health food shop.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 slices GF bread (see note*)
Lentil bolognaise:
1 tbs olive
oil
1 small red
onion
1 1/2 cups
cooked dark green lentils- either cooked from dried or tinned (important to use
lentils that hold their shape stay firm once cooked)
1 small tin
(200g) chopped tomatoes
1-2 cloves
garlic or ¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp
chipotle sauce or other flavourings to taste (e.g Cajun mix)
Quick cheese drizzle:
1 tsp ground chia
2 tbs nutritional yeast
Pinch mustard powder
Scant ¼ cup ‘milk’
*For the bread I used my flatbread
recipe and halved each of the 2 flatbreads to make 4 slices.
Method
To make the
lentil sloppyjoe’s, saute the onion for 5 minutes until softening. Add all
remaining and simmer for 5 mins.
Either use
my flatbread recipe or your own bread variation. Or serve over polenta sliced
as per this bruschetta.
To make a
cheesey drizzle, mix all ingredients together to form a thick smooth paste.
Layer up the
lentil mix over the bread and top with the sauce.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.