I'm not easily shaken. But every once in a while, something so disgusting happens that it takes what seems an eternity to overcome and face your fears. For me, it's been over 4 years. I can't say that the experience has completely consumed my thoughts, but it has dictated certain aspects of my life. Until today, I never thought it would be possible to stomach the experience again.
I was 8 weeks pregnant, it was Christmastime. Excited about the new crock pot we had just gotten as a gift, my husband and I searched high and low for the seemingly "perfect" recipe to satisfy my cravings. And that's when we found Joe. Vegetarian Sloppy Joes, that is. Just sitting innocently in the pages of "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker."
The Sloppy Joes were divine. So much so that I ate 5 times more than I should have. And then it happened. I became so incredibly sick to my stomach, I thought I might die. I couldn’t look at lentils the same way again after that. Just looking at the recipe or smelling something that reminded me of that meal made me gag. The thought of how nauseous it made me kept me away from that recipe for a long time.
Time really does heal all wounds (at least of the food variety) because I finally feel ready to face it again, and as I type, Sloppy Joes are simmering in the crock pot. And the best news? It smells delicious! The next challenge to overcome: getting the kids to eat them.
Sloppy Lentils
1 tblsp olive oil
1 medium size yellow onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tblsp chilli powder
1.5 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
One 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
2 tblsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tblsp prepared mustard
1 tblsp light brown sugar or natural sweetener
1 tsp salk
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chilli powder, stirring to coat.
2. Transfer the onion mixture to a slow cooker. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, tamari, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.