Happy Meatless Monday!  Another week another vegetarian recipe.  As you may or may not know, we support the Meatless Monday campaign – a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  It’s part of an eco-friendly worldwide movement to reduce consumption of animal products in favour of more plant-based meals to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week we bring a popular dish made vegetarian for you to try.

Lentils are full of nutrients and combine for a healthy (and fat-free) source of protein and complex carbohydrates.  This is a great vegan take on an old classic recipe courtesy of Post Punk Kitchen.  Serve open-faced on a Kaiser or sesame roll (whole wheat or multigrain preferably) along with a side salad for a healthy satisfying lunch or dinner.

Snobby Joes Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 green pepper, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns (optional – for serving)

Directions:

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside. About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.  Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait.

This is a fast, healthy and satisfying meal good for lunch or dinner.  Don’t forget – to join the movement, sign up online by going to your local Meatless Monday site or you can go here meatlessmonday.com to learn more.   If this Monday passed you by, next week is another chance to go meatless – it’s only one day for an eco-friendly cause.  Join us.  Bon (vegetarian) Appetit!

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