I love this quick and easy lentil sloppy joes recipe from the Minimalist Baker so I figured why not pile it on top of some air fryer potatoes with cheezy goodness. Definitely a great combo!
Ingredients
Sloppy Joes Ingredients:
2 cups water or veggie broth
1 cup of red lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp)
1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar (plus more to taste)
1-2 tablespoons of vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce
1-2 teaspoons of chili powder (plus more to taste)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin (plus more to taste)
1 pinch smoked or regular paprika (optional)
Fries:
4-5 medium potatoes
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning of choice
Cheeze Sauce:
1 cup cashews, raw
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 large Potato, cooked
1 can mild green chilies, 4 oz.
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Preparation
For the Sloppy Joes, in a small saucepan, add liquid and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add rinsed red lentils and bring back to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until just tender. You want them to be cooked through but not mushy. Drain well and set aside. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add water, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sautè for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the peppers and onions are tender. Next add tomato sauce, coconut sugar, vegan worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika (optional). Stir to combine. Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the skillet as well, and stir to combine. Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally – about 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili powder and/or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or worcestershire for depth of flavor.
For the potatoes, wash potatoes really well then cut into wedges. Next, I add a small square of parchment paper to my airfryer so the seasonings do not fall to the bottom of the basket (not all air fryers are created equal so check that yours can have parchment paper, if not, just sprinkle before adding to the air fryer). Lay potatoes in a flat layer on the parchment paper then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice. Air fry for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. Shake the basket and sprinkle potatoes with salt midway through. Check that potatoes have a little squish to them.
To make the cheeze sauce, wash and cut potato and boil on the stovetop or cut the potato into quarters and microwave until fork tender. Set aside to let cool. If you have a high speed blender, you can skip this next step. Boil water in an electric kettle or on the stove. Remove water from heat and combine with the cashews in a heat-safe bowl. Cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes. Drain cashews and add all the ingredients into a blender (a high speed blender like Vitamix tends to work best). Blend on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Add lentil sloppy joes and cheeze sauce to fries and enjoy!
Recipe Origin: