Lentil Sloppy Joes

Full disclosure: I haven't had a real sloppy joe in probably fifteen years. Does that make me a less credible judge of how amazing and delicious these lentil sloppy joes are? I don't care! If you don't trust my endorsement, that's just more sloppy joe for me. I've made this recipe three times since discovering it a few weeks ago on VegWeb. My version is a bit different from the original, which calls for fewer veggies, less chili powder and canned paste instead of fresh tomatoes. Thankful as I am to the genius who invented this recipe, I consider my version an upgrade.

Lentils are packed with protein and fiber and the fresh cooked tomatoes add a boost of lycopene without the dose of BPA in the canned fruit. Savory garlic and onions ward off cancer and vampires.

I was in the mood for a big, unadorned plate of sloppy joe today, so my meal had only the seven ingredients from the recipe. But the slop is also excellent over brown rice or in a whole wheat bun.

7-Ingredient Lentil Sloppy Joes
Total Kitchen Time: 35 minutes. Serves 2-3.

2/3 cup uncooked lentils
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 a vidalia onion, diced
1/2 a green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbls. butter or extra virgin olive oil.

Free Spice Blend
1 tsp. chili powder
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Rinse and drain lentils, then set to simmer in a covered saucepan with twice the water.

Meanwhile, fry onions and bell pepper in a large pan on med-high heat until soft, about seven minutes.

Add tomatoes and fry few more minutes until tomatoes have broken down and become saucy. It helps to cover the pain from now on to keep the juices in.

Add mustard, chili powder and garlic, simmer few more minutes.

Combine cooked lentils with vegetables, stir and serve!