My husband objected to calling these "sloppy lentils" for some reason - he said it made them sound gross. Since they were most definitely not gross, he wants me to call them "lentil joes." Sounds like a coffee shop to me. *shrug*
Pantry-friendly and frugal, what else could you want? "MEAT!" Yells the husband. Don't mind him. :) These really are great for stretching the budget, and it really IS ok to go a meal without meat. :)
Lentil Joes - serves 5-6
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked lentils
1 med. onion, diced
6 oz. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Sauté onion until translucent in medium sized pot. Turn heat to low and add lentils, then the rest of the ingredients and stir until well mixed. Serve on buns.
Extra info:
- I just cooked a whole pound of lentils and froze the remainder, but 1 cup dry = roughly 3 cups cooked.
- If you don't have cooked lentils on hand already, soak them overnight with a tbsp or two of apple cider vinegar (reduces phytic acid) and cook them until tender the next day - give yourself an hour or two (the older they are, the longer they take to cook) before dinner needs to be served so you don't run out of time.
- Need ideas for leftover lentils? Try a Lentil Loaf or Honey Baked Lentils.
This post is linked to Meatless Mondays, Tuesday Twister, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, What's on Your Plate?, and Real Food Wednesday.
