Sweet Chili Sauce

I have discovered an incredible sauce!  It is so good, I find myself wanting to make things just to dip into it.  Even french fries taste good with it.  It is a sweet and sour sauce with a kick.  I put only a little kick in our version, but feel free to put more kick in yours if you'd like.  My whole family is nuts about this sauce!  I love it with chickpea nuggets (my kids with with chicken nuggets).  I am so addicted - I am wondering what I will use the dip for next.....

Sweet Chili Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup agave
6 Tbsp sugar
1 - 2 tsp chili sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
Pinch ground cayenne pepper            

Directions:

Combine vinegar and water in a small saucepan.  Whisk in cornstarch.  Add the remaining ingredients (chili sauce to taste). 

Heat over medium heat, stirring often until mixture comes to a full boil.  Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and let the sauce cool, uncovered.  Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Alfredo

 

My daughter needed me to make a main dish for her tennis banquet at school.  I was a little nervous about making something that everyone would like, especially teenagers, that didn't SCREAM vegan or healthy.   From my experience here in Idaho, most people freak out if you mention vegan - they just won't touch it.  My daughter and I came up with alfredo.  She absolutely loves it and it doesn't scream healthy or vegan.  In fact it seems very NOT vegan.  My mom gave me this recipe a while back and it is really delicious.  I have doubled the recipe, because it was not quite enough for my family of 4 (two teens).  I think I might put less salt in it next time though because it seems like a lot of salt to me.  I have also tried this with chopped broccoli and it was so delicious! I think peas would also be very good. It if fun to change up the kind of pasta you use too.  I would use probably 12-16 oz of pasta for this recipe.  I have not tried this recipe with the basil - so if you do, let me know what you think!

Alfredo
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp onion powder
2 ½ cups water
2 ½ tsp no chicken bouillon
2 tsp salt
2 tsp basil (optional)

 

Directions

Blend all ingredients really well in blender, until smooth.  Cook until hot and thick, stirring often with a wire whisk.  Pour over noodles.

BBQ Beans and Macaroni

One of my favorite things to eat growing up was my Mom's hot dog casserole - one of many yummy comfort foods she'd make me! (We were a family of 6, but I like to think she made it for me!)  I was a major hot dog lover.  I still (secretly) have pains for hot dogs.  I know there are vegan versions, and I've only tried one brand, but it just wasn't the same.  Anyway, I have been cooking many recipes from my childhood (my Mom is a great cook), but now that I am a plant eater I've had to put on my thinking cap on and try to veganize my favorite home cooked meals.  Some are much easier than others.  The longer I've been doing this though, the easier it has been getting.  Besides leaving out the hot dogs, I was on a mission to make this a healthier, less processed meal for my family.  So, I believe I have come up with a good substitution for my Mom's hot dog casserole and now call it BBQ Beans and Macaroni.  AND since my family scarfed it down for dinner last night, I think it is a success.  I didn't even miss the hot dogs!  One little note for thought - you could use mustard powder instead of yellow mustard.  I didn't think of that until now!  I will definitely try it next time!

BBQ Beans and Macaroni
Serves 4-6

2 cups whole wheat macaroni
2 ribs celery, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 16 oz. can chili beans
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or YOUR favorite)
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/4 cup molasses
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Cook and drain the macaroni according to your package's directions. 

In a large pot saute the celery and onions in about 2 Tbsp water.  Cook until they start to look translucent adding more water if needed to keep from sticking.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. 

Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked macaroni, stir and serve.

Happy Birthday to the World's Cutest Vegan!

This is what happens when your husband hacks your blog!

Fellow readers, May 17th is Elisa's birthday. If you've enjoyed her recipes--even if you're visiting Happy Veggie Geek for the first time--please leave your birthday wishes in the comments. I know Elisa appreciates each one of you.

Best regards,
The World's Best-Fed Husband (Greg)

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is probably my favorite summer dish.  It is a fun one to do with your kids or when you have friends over.  It is kind of like visiting a salad bar, or baked potato bar - so many yummy things to stack on your plate.  My kids like being able to decided what goes on there plate and how much. This recipe is a good starting place, but feel free to add to or decrease the amount of each ingredient according to your family's taste. You can also use your own favorite gravy if you want. 

It is a nice, light dinner for a hot summer day and filling.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Hawaiian Haystacks
Serves 4

1 cup brown rice (or favorite grain - quinoa is also really good!)
1 15 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups crunchy chow mein noodles
1 tomato, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, or chives are good also
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
shredded vegan cheese, optional

Gravy
1 cup water, plus 1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp vegan chicken bouillon
2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to your package's directions.

To make gravy, pour 1 cup water into sauce pan.  Stir in bouillon.  Mix 1/4 cup water and flour in a small bowl and whisk together.  Pour into the broth.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 1 minute.  Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make your haystacks spread rice out on your plate.  Then stack the chow mein noodles, beans and gravy.  Add tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, and green onions.  Top with pineapple, cheese (if using), almonds and coconut.  Then dig in and enjoy!

Raviolis

My girls love raviolis - it is one of their favorite things to eat.  They often ask for me to make them for dinner.  I haven't had any luck finding any vegan versions at the grocery store so I have had to get a little creative.  I don't want my girls to feel like being vegan you are missing out on anything, so I try to accommodate them when I can.  So I have come up with a delicious alternative to the traditional ravioli, and I do have to say...they are awesome.  I can't wait to make this recipe again!  They are actually pretty fast and easy to make because I used gyoza (wonton) dough from the store.  You could always make your own dough if you wanted to take the time.  I just don't have a lot of time to spare with two teenagers in the house.  I make the filling with garbanzo beans, although I think most people would typically use tofu.  I personally try to stay away from soy when I can and I think the garbanzos are great in this recipe!  This recipe will probably only serve 2-4 people.  For my family I would definitely double it, because they eat them like they are going out of style!

Raviolis 

1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 ½ Tbsp Vegenaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp barley miso
Salt and pepper to taste
Gyoza wrappers (24)
 

Combine all the ingredients except for the gyoza wrappers in a food processor.  Mix until creamy, it doesn’t need to be completely smooth – some texture is good. 


Put a slightly rounded ½ Tbsp of mixture on the center of a gyoza wrapper.  Moisten the edges lightly with water and fold over.  Press the edges together to seal.

Drop the raviolis in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes.  Drain water and serve with your favorite sauce.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars

I have discovered something I am totally excited about.  Recipes for homemade Larabars.  I don't think I have even tried a Larabar, although I have seen them at the store. I was craving something that felt a little naughty yet healthy.  One of my favorite blogs these days is Chocolate Covered Katie http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/   I love her blog!  She has a fun vegan blog full of recipes that are naughty but much healthier for you.  Anyway, I decided I would look for something on her blog to make yesterday and decided to make her Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Larabars. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/14/oatmeal-raisin-cookie-larabars/  I didn't have raisins however so I decided to use blueberry flavored craisins.  OH MY........ .it was SO delicious, I decided to make up some more batches and play around with the ingredients.  I tried new flavors and made them into double batches.  All of them turned out very yummy!  I tried orange flavor craisins with pecans, and papaya with cashews.  I was having so much fun I decided to try another one of her recipes, Chocolate PB Cookie Laura bars. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/10/02/chocolate-peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies/  I substituted my blueberry craisins for the raisins again. 

Everything was so good....I am in love.  The coolest thing is - NO ADDED SUGAR!!  When I told my husband, he was shocked.  The raisins (or craisins in my case) sweeten it up.  They taste a little like eating cookie dough.  I am going to be have fun playing around with the recipe more.  I'm thinking coconut would be SO good!

So anyway try these and have fun getting creative with your flavors too.  You might surprise yourself.  Also be sure to check out Chocolate Covered Katie - she especially likes to make things with chocolate.  Can't go wrong there!   Oh, and FYI, my pictures show the four different versions I made, incase you were wondering about the different colors.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars

1/2 cup raisins
6 T quick oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pulverize the oats in a food processor, then add all other ingredients and blend very well. Form into balls or bars. (If you want, you can portion the dough into plastic bags before smushing the bars, so your hands don’t get sticky.)

This recipe makes a little over three Larabar-sized bars.  The bars last at least two weeks in the fridge. They can also be frozen.

No Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is about as easy as it gets!  So if you are in need of some comfort food and something to warm your soul this is the recipe for you!  It takes maybe 20 minutes from start to finish and the result is very pleasing.  My family loves pasta that comes in various shapes.  They seem to be heartier and brings out the kid in you. Isn't that what chicken noodle soup is all about anyway!?!  My favorite place to get pasta is at Cost Plus, they have shapes for the current holidays and other fun ones.  As you can see in this picture it was March, because of the shamrocks!  It's not the best picture because my camera battery was quickly dieing and I had only a second to take it, but I will update with better pictures in the future!

No Chicken Noodle Soup
Makes: 4-6 servings  (My family of 4 devours the whole thing!)

Ingredients

8 cups water
3 Tbsp. no chicken bouillon
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
¼ c chopped onion
8 oz. favorite pasta (shapes)
Fresh or dried parsley

Directions

Combine the water and bouillon in a large pot.  Add the carrots, celery and onion and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and turn down to a simmer; cooking until the pasta is al dente.  Add the parsley and stir. 

Chickpea Lasagna

My favorite food is pizza, but lasagna is a very close second.  Lasagna has to be one of the unhealthiest things a person can dive into, but ohhh.... so delicious!  I really hated the thought of not being able to splurge on this heavenly dish, so I made it my mission to try and find a vegan way to make it. 

When I first started out as a vegan, I was eating a lot of soy and was able to find some really yummy vegan lasagna recipes with tofu.  But after a while I decided maybe soy wasn't for me and so I needed to find a way to make lasagna without tofu.  I think I have been able to come up with a good alternative.  My real test was having my kids try it.  When they ate almost a whole 9x13 inch dish of it I figured it was a winner!  Surprisingly the chickpeas are delicious in this lasagna.  It is really creamy and oh so good!  It isn't the normal "American" lasagna that everyone loves, but it is much healthier and yes healthy (at least in this case) is a good thing!  You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this recipe, sometimes it is just nice to try something different and healthier.  I would love to put some chopped mushrooms in this recipe, but my kids hate mushrooms.  So for now I am going to enjoy my kids' delight when I make lasagna for them and leave out the mushrooms, but I highly suggest putting some in the sauce if you'd like.

If you are one of my many non-vegan friends, you can replace the Vegenaise with regular mayo since you probably don't have Vegenaise in your fridge.  Nutritional Yeast is a very good source of vitamin B12 and has a "cheesy" flavor - so I highly suggest you give it a try.

Chickpea Lasagna

Ingredients

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
12 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans of water
1 pkg. spaghetti sauce mix
4 ½ cups chickpeas
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
4 ½ Tbsp Vegenaise
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp parsley
½ Tbsp minced garlic
18 oz. pkg. Daiya mozzarella (optional)

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. 

In a medium saucepan, stir together the tomato paste, water and spaghetti mix.  Let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pulse the rest of the ingredients (except for the mozzarella) in a food processor until there are no more whole chickpeas and you have a somewhat chunky paste.  It is OK to have small chunks of chickpeas left.

Spoon just enough sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan; top with 3 of the cooked lasagna noodles.  Spread with 1/3 of the chickpea filling.  Sprinkle with a handful of cheese if you are using it.  Repeat layers twice more, except after the last chickpea layer spread the red sauce over it then sprinkle the cheese.  I usually have some leftover cheese when I am done, but feel free to use the whole package if desired.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes to set layers. 

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings

The wind is blowing and it is snowing.  On days like this I want something warm and comforting for dinner.  I have discovered a dumpling stew from one of my favorite blogs Post Punk Kitchen.  There are many yummy recipes to be discovered there!  Anyway, this is one of my favorite, newly discovered recipes and it provides a lot of comfort.  In fact my whole family enjoys the comfort from this stew - even the kids!  You don't have to be vegan to fall in love with this.  I encourage you to check out the other recipes from Post Punk Kitchen too! http://www.theppk.com/recipes/  I did make a couple changes, only because I didn't have fresh herbs on hand, but I had dried.  For the fresh thyme I used 1 tsp. dried and for the fresh dill I used 2 tsp. dried.  I didn't have sweet paprika so I just used plain old paprika.

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings
by Isa Chandra
serves:  6-8
time:  1 hour

For the stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 medium sized sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla), quartered and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable broth, at room temperature
2 stalks celery, tops removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds potato, in 3/4 inch chunks (peel if they’re russets)
1 cup baby carrots (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Fresh black pepper
1 15 oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

For the dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons dried rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy)
2 tablespoons olive oil

First we’re going to make a roux, but it has a little less fat than a traditional roux, which means it doesn’t get as goopy. If you’d like a more traditional roux, just add extra oil.

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat.
Add the oil and sprinkle in the flour. Use a wooden spatula to toss the flour in the oil, and stir pretty consistently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the flour is clumpy and toasty.

Add the onion and salt, and toss to coat the onions completely in the flour mixture. As the onions release moisture, they will coat more and more. Cook this way for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and stir for 30 more seconds or so.

Stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Add the celery, potatoes, carrot, dill, thyme, paprika and black pepper, then turn the heat up and cover to bring to a boil. Keep a close eye and stir often, so that it doesn’t clump or boil over.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew is nicely thickened and the potatoes and carrots are tender.

In the meantime, prepare the dumplings.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the rosemary. Make a well in the center and add the milk and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until a wet dough forms.

When the stew is ready, mix in the beans and plop dough right on top of the stew in spoonfuls. You should get about 14 dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and cook for about 14 more minutes. The dumplings should be nice and firm. Use your ladle to dunk them into the stew to coat.

Ladle stew into bowls, topped with dumplings. And serve!

Recipe Notes:
~If your baby carrots are the plump kind, then slice them in half on a diagonal. If they’re thin, don’t bother. And if you’d like to use adult-sized carrots, peel and slice them in 1/4 inch diagonal pieces.
~I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven for this. You don’t need to use cast iron, but the wider the pot the better, because you need lots of surface area to make the roux and cook the biscuits later. If you don’t have a wide pot, then using a large, deep pan will work, too.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

I love cranberry orange everything (especially cranberry orange oatmeal for breakfast, yum!).  So, today I had to try out cranberry orange cookies.  I was going to do something chocolaty for Valentine's Day, but thought having red cranberries in the cookies sort of counts as part of a Valentine's theme.  These cookies are so delicious!  My daughter, Kait, was eating them like the world was coming to an end.  Something about the orange sugar on these cookies makes them extra special.  They are a new favorite here - I highly recommend these every day - and especially for your sweethearts this Valentine's Day.

Cranberry Orange Cookies
Cookies:

1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
3 Tbsp. water
1 cup sugar

3/4 cup vegan butter, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

Orange Sugar:
1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine flax with water and mix well.  Set aside and let it sit for at least a few minutes.

Combine all orange sugar ingredients in small bowl; stir until well mixed. Set aside.

Combine 1 cup sugar, butter and and the flax/water mixture in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add slowly to the other ingredients and beat until well mixed. Add all remaining ingredients. Continue beating just until mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in orange sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass to 1 1/2-inch circles.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. (DO NOT OVER BAKE.) Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Pumpkin Ravioli

My kids love ravioli.  It is one of their favorite things to eat.  It is not easy to find something they both love, or at least it sure seems that way sometimes.  So I like to make it for them now and then for dinner.  The only problem is ravioli tends to be filled with meat or cheese or even both.  So I decided to give pumpkin a try.  It turned out to be a very good decision!  As I have said before in an earlier blog, I am not exactly crazy about pumpkin, but I loved these raviolis.  They tasted so much better than I thought they would be and I can't wait to have them again!  Even my husband was surprised, and he likes pumpkin far less than I.  So here is another great fall recipe for you to try.  They are really not that hard to make especially not having to make your own dough.  Just make sure there are no eggs in the dough, if you are going a vegan route - most seem to have eggs.  I used gyoza wrappers, but you could also try wonton if you prefer. If you can't find vegan Parmesan in the store, you can use the easy recipe at the end of this post.  Also, you can use fresh sage (about 16 leaves) instead of the dried stuff. 

Pumpkin Ravioli
Makes 4 servings

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree or 1 1/2 cups

1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

pinch of ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp vegan Parmesan, plus more for garnish

salt and black pepper to taste

24 gyoza wrappers

4 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

Mix the pumpkin, vinegar, nutmeg, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

Working on a clean surface, lay down a single gyoza wrapper and place a small spoonful of the pumpkin mixture in the center, being careful not to overstuff (I used about 1 1/2 - 2 tsp).  Rub the edges of the wrapper with water, then fold in half.  Press firmly around the edges with your fingers to secure the filling inside the ravioli.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers to create 24 ravioli.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Salt the water and turn down the heat to medium so that it's gently boiling.  Carefully drop in the ravioli and cook for 3 minutes, then drain.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and sage.  Cook until butter is lightly brown and begins to give off a nutty aroma.  (Do this carefully so you don't burn the butter.)  Add the cooked ravioli to the pan and toss gently to make sure they don't break.  Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Homemade Vegan Parmesan

1/2 cup blanched almonds or white sesame seeds
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 - 2 tsp light miso
heaping 1/4 tsp salt

Grind almonds or sesame seeds to a fine powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse or process until well mixed.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Shake container before using to break up any lumps.  Will keep for a month or longer.  May be frozen.

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Biscuits

I am not a huge pumpkin fan, but for some reason it has been sounding kind of good lately.  Maybe I am just really into the season this year.  Anyway I thought I would try some pumpkin flavored biscuits to have with our soup this week and they actually tasted really good.  I found the recipe from An Opera Singer in the Kitchen http://www.singerskitchen.com/.  I didn't have the whole wheat white flour she called for, so I went with whole wheat pastry flour and it turned out well. I am sure all purpose white flour would work as well. So if you are having a hankoring for something with pumpkin or just want to try something new, this recipe is simple and delicious!

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Biscuits

makes a dozen 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tsp. baking powder3/4 tsp. salt

2 Tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 Tsp. Earth Balance margarine

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk

2 Tsp. agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and spices. Blend in the margarine using a pastry blender.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, coconut milk, and agave nectar.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture holds together. Knead lightly on a floured surface and roll out to 1″ thickness. Using a 2″ biscuit butter, cut the dough into circles.

 

Re-roll the scraps and cut out biscuits until you have used all of the dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

 

Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Apple Nachos

It is apple season time and my family loves apples.  This year I spotted a recipe for some apple nachos and just had to try them!  My family kept having me repeat that I was going to make them "apple" nachos.  They thought they must be hearing me wrong.  Anyway it was a big hit!  You really can't go wrong making these - and the fun thing is you can really get creative with what you put on these.  You definitely want crispy apples and the slightly tart goes really well with all the sweet things you put on them - so keep that in mind.  This is what I did with my nachos - but feel free to be creative and put your favorite things on it.

Apple Nachos

3 crispy and slightly tart apples
3 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Slice the apples thin enough so it would be easy to eat the slice in one or two bites.
Then melt the peanut butter, until it is runny, and drizzle it all over the apples. Next, top the apples and peanut butter with sliced almonds, chopped pecans, coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Then go nuts!

Lentil Sloppy Joes

This recipe in yet another that proves that being vegan doesn't limit you.  These sloppy joes are so hearty and delicious you almost forget that it is vegan.  It is so much healthier than eating a traditional sloppy joe, but doesn't make you feel like you are eating "health food".  It is a must try for everyone, even those who love their meat.  I originally found this recipe in Veganomicon, but I have tweaked it to my own tastes.  By the way, Veganomicon is an awesome cookbook for those of you needing vegan recipes.

Lentil Sloppy Joes
serves 4 - 6

1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced small
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste (or half of 6 oz. can)
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard (or your favorite)
whole wheat hamburger buns (or buns of your choice)

Rinse lentils and put them in a small saucepan along with the water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and let it cook for another 15 minutes.  (My lentils seem to cook really fast, so at this point check to see if yours are tender or need a little more time.  Most cookbooks say about 20 - 30 minutes.  Mine takes about half that time.  You don't want them to be mushy - you want them to still hold their shape.)  Once lentils are soft, drain and sit aside.

As the lentils are cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic and saute for about a minute more. 

Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano, and salt.  Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the maple syrup and mustard, and heat through.

Serve on hamburger buns either open faced, or as a sandwich.