Long time, no talk, y’all! I am back from my conference in South Dakota, which feels nice. It was a great experience and I learned a lot (plus, being away from the office can be so nice sometimes), but being able to relax and chill at home feels great. I am ready to get back into the swing and things and back into some “normalcy.” And what could be more normal than food blogging?!? Let’s get to it!
In case you had not noticed, lately I have been a bit obsessed with Thai-inspired foods. So, let’s keep the trend rolling with this next recipe. While working on my Magazine Monday recipe clean-up project, I came across a recipe for Thai Sloppy Joes in the March 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. I loved the idea of using Thai flavors in sloppy Joes, but wanted to make a twist on the recipe (which originally calls for using tempeh), and was inspired by Chelsey’s recipe for lentil Sloppy Joes (which are amazing, by the way!). This recipe turned out to be incredibly tasty, so I am thinking that my adaptation was a mighty fine one!
Thai Lentil Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine.
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 1/2 to 2 cups water (for cooking lentils)
water, for cooking
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup bell peppers, diced (I used red and green)
1/2 cup coconut almond milk (or light coconut milk)
3 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 TB fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp curry powder
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
4 slices of whole wheat bread or 2 whole wheat buns
Directions
1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Once the lentils are cooked, line a large skillet with a thin layer of water and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, lower the heat to medium and add garlic, onions, and peppers. Cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add cooked lentils, coconut almond milk, curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir until well-combined.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until the lentil mixture is at your desired consistency.
5. Serve the Thai Lentil Sloppy Joes mixture on 2 slices of toasted whole wheat bread or on a whole wheat bun.
Now, of course, you must serve your Thai Lentil Sloppy Joes with a side of your favorite vegetables (and a dill pickle spear, too! ;)). I served my sandwich alongside The Happy Herbivore’s spinach saag, which I slightly adapted by adding mushrooms and peppers. Why not combine the flavors or Thai food and Indian food all in one meal? I am definitely known to not keep it to one “type” of food.
I really love eating Sloppy Joe-type sandwiches on toast (as opposed to on a bun), but in all honesty, the carbs are not even necessary. I ate my second serving as leftovers for lunch the next day and ate them with a spoon and without the extra carbs. So, if you are someone who is watching their carb intake (definitely not me!), you can eat them plain, or they would be fabulous in the form of cabbage rolls or lettuce wraps. Be creative!
This twist (both with the use of lentils and Thai flavors) on the traditional Sloppy Joe sandwich turned out to be amazingly delicious. I was already a convert to the idea of using lentils in the place of ground beef, and now that I added the spicy (but do not worry…they are not that spicy!) and flavorful Thai spices to this dish, I am not sure that I will ever go back to the more “traditional” Sloppy Joe sandwich.
Lentils are amazing and Thai flavors are amazing. If you have never cooked with either, then this very well may be the perfect recipe for you to give them a try. The flavors that result from such an easy dish are truly remarkable. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! 🙂
