Sloppy Lentils

This dish could be made in the slow cooker as well - if you're able to get up early enough in the morning to prepare it (yeah, um, that hasn't been me lately). My kids initially complained when I said I was making Sloppy Lentils, probably because they detest Sloppy Joes made from ground beef. Surprisingly, my oldest - who complained the loudest - gobbled up his serving and had seconds.

1 cup dry lentils, sorted and rinsed
Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 6 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 t. dry mustard
2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 T. Agave nectar
Real Salt, optional

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with hot water, about 3 cups, and bring to a rigorous boil. Add lentils, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 25 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.

While lentils are cooking, pour a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are soft and just starting to brown. Remove from heat.

Drain lentils and return to saucepan. Add cooked onion and garlic, tomato sauce, tomatoes, mustard, Bragg's, and agave. Stir to combine. Add Real Salt to taste, if desired. Bring to a light simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and sauce begins to thicken.

Serve on hamburger buns or open faced over a slice of bread. Top with vegan cheese if desired.

Makes about 8 sandwiches.

Note: There are several types of lentils (green, brown, red, black, yellow, etc). The most commonly used in the United States are green, brown and red. Brown lentils are popular because of how well they hold their shape and are great for use in salads or soups. Green and red lentils will become a little mushier when cooked, so keep this in mind when selecting lentils. Additionally, green and red lentils will cook faster than brown, so keep that in mind when gauging cooking times. I used brown lentils in this recipe. Do not mix old and new lentils together, as they will not cook evenly.