Sloppy Jills!

We all know Sloppy Joe, right? He’s filling, messy, perfectly sweet and tangy and tends to spend lots of time in cafeterias.  But have you heard of his healthy, vegetarian and more sophisticated sister, Sloppy Jill? Probably not…because we just invented her! The Sloppy Jill sandwich is a nutritious, low-fat and more upscale version of the classic meat sandwich we all grew up loving.  Our reinvented version features lentils, which are loaded with protein and easy to digest and of course, hidden veggies!  This one pot meal will leave your family asking for “more SLOPPY JILL’S PEA-LEASE!”

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup green or brown lentils

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic chopped

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup bell pepper

½ cup diced carrot

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 cups water

- The morning you plan on making this meal, leave lentils to soak in a bowl of water.  This will shorten the cooking time of the lentils and make the beans more digestible.

- Rinse and drain soaked lentils and place in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to fully submerge the lentils and bring to a boil. Let the lentils simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked but still somewhat firm.

- Drain lentils and set aside.

- In the same pot you made the lentils in pour in oil, onions and garlic and let cook for about five minutes over medium heat.

- Add bell pepper and carrot and cook for another 8 minutes.

- Add lentils, ketchup, maple sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, mustard and water.

- Mix all ingredients together and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.  If you’d like the filling “sloppier” add a Tbsp of water at a time until you get your desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

- Remove from heat and allow to sit for another 10 minutes to thicken up.  

- Serve with your favorite sandwich bread or roll.

Serves 8