Portobello Sloppy Joe's

Hey friends! It's been a long time since I posted on this blog, but that's all about to change. If you followed my summer adventures on the blog, The Thinking Spoon, you will know that I had surgery to remove a rare and fast-growing 4.5x5cm tumor from my left breast. The surgery wasn't too bad at all, but I suffered severe bronchitis and a disgusting staph infection on my leg afterward. So, it's not been the greatest summer. I'm still weak and I've put on a lot of weight from all my time spent convalescing, but I'm finally starting to perk up. And I'm ready to reclaim my health! The recipes that I will feature from here on out will focus on maximizing nutritional benefits. I need to lose weight, get strong, and make darn sure I don't wind up with another cancer scare. I hope you'll come along with me and offer your support and suggestions along the way. I love hearing from you guys! So, let's get started with a new recipe in a new year from a new gonna-get-healthy Jen. 

In the South we like our Sloppy Joe's kind of sweet, with a maple-y BBQ flavor. If you prefer them more on the savory side, leave out the sugar and ketchup, and just add an extra tablespoon or so of tomato paste, along with some savory spices of your choosing. You can't mess this one up. Just taste as you go and you'll end up with something fun, yummy, and really, really messy on your plate, which is why they have the word "sloppy" right there in the title.
I topped mine with homemade pico de gallo, but I think pickled jalapenos or just straight-up lettuce and tomato would be nice too. My husband likes to spritz his with classic hot sauce and my daughter likes to eat hers on tortilla chips. You seriously can't go wrong. I hope you enjoy these!
<1 pound portobello mushroom caps, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 large sweet onion, small dice 1 large red bell pepper, small dice 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cheap beer, divided

1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional, depending on your budget)

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon sugar

A few drops of liquid smoke

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 hamburger buns

Toppings of your choice (homemade pico de gallo is pictured)

• Whirl the mushrooms in batches in a food processor until very finely chopped, scraping the sides as needed to incorporate larger chunks. Don't pulse them so long that they liquify.
• Drizzle oil into a hot cast iron skillet. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add 1 tablespoon of the beer and continue to cook for a few minutes more.
• Add walnuts and red bell pepper to the pan, along with an additional tablespoon of beer, and cook until the pepper pieces are tender.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and well-incorporated.
• Add all remaining ingredients, except buns and toppings (d'uh). Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a taste and consistency that you like. Feel free to fiddle with the flavors, add some other spices, or jazz it up any way you like it. 
• When you get it where you want it, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to rest a few minutes. It will thicken a bit as it rests.
• Spoon onto toasted buns and top with your favorite stuff. 
• Enjoy!

Lentil-Rice Burgers on Whole Wheat Buns

There are several versions of the lentil patty floating around the internet and, while they all have lentils in common, their remaining ingredients are often quite different. The point is that you can play with this recipe a lot and it's still going to taste great! This particular recipe is my own favorite version, but sometimes I spice it up with different ingredients like mushrooms or zucchini when I have extras laying around the kitchen.
My absolute favorite way to serve this burger is with homemade BBQ sauce and mushrooms sauteed in vegan butter and garlic salt ladled on top. It's sooooo good!

Here are the recipes for the buns, the burgers, and the sauce. Enjoy!

THE BUNS
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 C, plus 2 Tbsp warm water from the tap (not too hot)
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/4 C agave nectar, or sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt
2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of the warm water. Mix together with a whisk until bubbly.
• Add oil and sugar, and whisk. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and remaining 2 tablespoons of water, then add it to the dough mixture.
• Add the salt and the flour and mix together with a hand mixer, using the dough hook attachments. If you don't have dough hooks, you might just have to stir with a wooden spoon until dough thickens and then mix it the rest of the way with your hands.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Divide into 12 equal pieces. I do this by rolling the dough out into a long snake formation and using a knife to make equal cuts, starting from the center.
• Shape each piece into a ball and place 3 inches apart on 2 separate baking sheets.
• Cover dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bake dough for 6-8 minutes, or until desired "brownness" is attained. Watch out - the bottoms burn easily, so don't let them brown too much.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.   

THE LENTIL PATTIES 
4 C water
1 C uncooked lentils
1 C uncooked brown rice
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
a few shakes of liquid smoke, to taste
2 small to medium russet potatoes - peeled, cubed, boiled, then mashed1/8 C olive oil, or non-stick cooking spray

• Place 4 cups of water, lentils and rice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer on medium-low heat until lentils and rice are soft and water has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Once lentils have cooled, add your cooked potatoes and mix.
• Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
• In a large skillet (preferably a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) heat the oil over medium.
• Shape mixture into 12 equal-sized patties and cook in the skillet until nicely browned on both sides (can take up to 5 minutes per side). 
• Be gentle with the patties when you handle them as they are fragile and can fall apart easily.

THE BARBECUE SAUCE 
(enough for 12 burgers)
4 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar, or agave nectar
Dash of unsweetened cocoa powder
A few shakes of liquid smoke

• Whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hope you enjoy the burgers!

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