The day after St. Patrick’s Day is National Sloppy Joe Day
My understanding of a Sloppy Joe is a bunch of hamburger (?) meat (?) in tomato sauce, stuffed into a bun.
That is something I will never ever ever eat because ground beef is the most disgusting thing I can think of ( I barfed up spaghetti bolognese when I was about 8 and then slipped in it – my dad had to put me in the shower with my clothes on… never again, beef, never again)
Traumatic memories from It Takes Two starring Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen also was a key player in my distain
Anywho I decided to do my usual internet search of vegetarian/ vegan versions, survey a few to get the gist, and made my own version which involves quinoa and sweet potato
Here it goes, to the best of my memory:
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 sweet potato
- olive oil (enough to sauté the aforementioned vegetables)
- 2 tablespoons of cumin
- 4 tablespoons chilli powder
- salt & pepper
- 1 jar tomato sauce
- long, flowing, unrestrained squirt of ketchup
- long, flowing, unrestrained squirt of Sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoons Kim Kardashian Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 cup of TruRoots Sprouted Lentil Trio (sprouted green, brown & black lentils)
- 1/2 cup of quinoa
- 3 1/2 cups of water
- Kaiser buns
- avocado
- fresh jalapeños
Finely dice the first 6 ingredients and add them to a large heated pot with olive oil.
When softened, add the spices. When fully coated, add the next 8 ingredients.
Stir occasionally and potentially add more water as the lentils and quinoa take form.
When lentils are no longer crunchy and all water is evaporated / absorbed, scoop generous amounts onto kaiser buns. Garnish with avocado & fresh jalapeños.
They were great. I now see why Ashley Olsen’s character was so taken with them.