Lentil Sloppy Joes

If someone offered me lentil sloppy joes a few years ago, I probably would have laughed.  And yet, it's funny how things can change because--seriously!--I think I prefer these lentil sloppy joes to the original meat version.  These have all the flavor without the guilt.  Believe me, I know how crazy this sounds, but I don't think I'll ever make sloppy joes with meat again.

Lentil Sloppy Joes
Printable Recipe
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium-sized onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup uncooked brown lentils, sorted

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can diced green chilies
1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)

Directions
1) Saute onions and bell pepper in olive oil until onions are opaque.  Add garlic, chili powder, and lentils, stirring for 1 minute.  
2) Add water and bring to a boil.  Cook on medium low, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. 

3) When the lentils are done, add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Ladle lentil mixture onto buns (or toasted sourdough!), garnishing with cheese, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, or whatever sloppy joe fixings you like.  Enjoy!  

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Spring is coming!  There are some days I can feel it in the air.  Those are the days when all I want to do is ignore the housework and dinner prep and hang out at the park with my son.  Those are also the days when it's useful to have a couple of fast, easy meals to whip together at the last minute when we don't come back home until dinnertime.  This chickpea sandwich tastes just like its chicken alternative, but, you know, without the chicken.  And the thing about vegetarian meals?  They usually come together in a snap.

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Printable Recipe

Makes about 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 can (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 stalk celery, diced

2 green onions, diced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 cup dried cranberries

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh bread, croissants, or pitas
lettuce leaves, optional

Directions

1) Pour chickpeas into a medium-sized mixing bowl and mash with a fork and the back of a large spoon until  desired consistency. 

2) Mix in celery, green onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, and cranberries.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

3) Use mixture as filling for a sandwich or pita, garnishing with lettuce as desired.  Enjoy!

Tuna Melt

We don't eat much seafood in our home. My husband typically doesn't like it, and I usually don't feel strongly enough about it to care.  So when I do get that urge to make some seafood, and it doesn't come that often, I usually go with that feeling.  And that's how I recently ended up making tuna melts for dinner.  It's not glamorous or even that good-looking, but it was incredibly satisfying.

And yes, I feel a little lame referring to canned tuna as "seafood."

Tuna Melt
(adapted from Eating Well)
Printable Recipe
Makes 2

Ingredients
1 (5 ounce) can chunk tuna, drained
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
dash garlic powder
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices wheat bread
1 tomato, thickly sliced
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1) Combine tuna, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, garlic powder, hot sauce, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2) Spread 1/4 cup of the tuna mixture on each slice of bread; top with tomato slices and cheese. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas

This is a perfectly good meal.  Quick.  Easy.  Tasty.  The chicken is so simple, but very moist and flavorful.

I just have a couple little complaints: 1) The cucumber sauce.  It'll do in a pinch, but this one is so much better, it's not even comparable.  Yes, it takes longer, but it's worth it!  If you're seriously short on time, make the one written here, but if not, I implore you!  Make this one!
2) I've decided I don't like pitas.  That is, the kind of pitas I've been eating lately--dry and flavorless.  What I really want is that fresh Albanian pita-like bread they sell in Sarajevo.  It's so good!  But, alas, no Albanian bakeries nearby.

If it weren't for those two little complaints, this dish would be fabulous.  Try it out and let me know what you think.  One big plus, however, is that because I made Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas, it caused me to make Indian-Spiced Chicken Pizza with the leftovers.  Which is seriously delicious!

Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas

(adpated from Eating Well)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup cucumbers, seeded and thinly sliced
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pepper, to taste
4 6-inch pitas
1 cup lettuce, chopped
1 large tomato, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced


Directions
1) Combine 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and cayenne pepper. Place the chicken in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle on curry mixture.  Cover and chill 1-2 hours.
2) Preheat grill to medium-high or position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler. If grilling, oil the grill rack or prepared pan and cook until no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 4 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the breast. Or  use your Foreman or equivalent kitchen grill and cook each breast 4-6 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, combine cucumber, yogurt, cilantro, garlic powder, lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
4) Thinly slice the chicken. Split open the pitas and fill with the chicken, yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.  Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Pitas

I have no problem with traditional chicken salad except for the fact that its become a little too blah for me. This recipe cures the blahs by adding curry powder and diced pears.

I'm admitting to you right now that the picture is a little underwhelming, but I blame that on the fact that it was the last of the chicken curry, without any lettuce to be had, and it looks a little sparse as a consequence. This recipe was a hit with my family and I'm sure I'll be making it again.

Curried Chicken Pitas

(adapted from Eating Well)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 ripe but firm pear, diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 whole-wheat pita breads, cut in half
2 cups chopped lettuce

Directions

1) Combine yogurt, mayonnaise and curry powder in a large bowl. Add chicken, pear, celery, cranberries and almonds; toss to combine.

2) Fill each pita half with 1/2 cup chicken salad and 1/4 cup lettuce. Enjoy!

Asparagus Wraps

In an effort to make a simple and vegetable-oriented dinner, I came across this asparagus wrap. (By the way, asparagus season is ending soon, so go get some now!) It totally hit the spot and I loved how easy it was.

Asparagus Wraps

(adapted from Within the Kitchen)

Printable Recipe

Makes one wrap

Ingredients

tortilla

cream cheese (regular or a savory flavor, such as tomato and basil or garden vegetable)

2-3 slices deli ham (optional)

4-5 stalks asparagus, broiled

4-5 chives

4-5 slices yellow pepper

Directions

1) Generously spread cream cheese all over one side of the tortilla. Spread ham slices over the tortilla, if using.

2) Line asparagus, chives, and yellow pepper alternatively across the tortilla.

3) Tightly roll the tortilla. Enjoy!

Poor Man's Steak 'n Everything

Growing up, my mom occasionally made an open-faced sandwich using ground beef. I have a suspicion that this dinner item originated out of her need to get rid of some extra ground beef from the freezer, but whatever the reason, we loved this meal. However, I realized that I never shared this with my own family until very recently. We were in need of a quick meal, had everything on hand, and I knew that they would love it.

My husband is not partial to mushrooms, but I think these would be great with a few sliced up. I would also love to try using cream cheese instead of mayonnaise sometime for a creamier version. For more inspiration, check out the menu at my family's favorite steak sandwich shop when I was growing up, and create your own Poor Man's Steak 'n Everything.

Poor Man's Steak 'n Everything
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf french bread, sliced
mayonnaise, about 1 tablespoon per slice of bread
1 tomato, thinly sliced
sliced provolone cheese (or whatever cheese you have available)

Directions
1) In large skillet, cook beef and drain excess fat. Return skillet to stove and add onion, garlic, green pepper, and salt and pepper until the onions are clear and green peppers are soft.
2) Arrange sliced bread on a cookie sheet. Spread mayonnaise of bread. Spoon meat mixture on top of bread. Top this with a slice of tomato. Lastly, top with cheese.
3) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Use the broiler for 5 minutes if you would like more of a golden color. Enjoy!