Hey guys! Just a quick, super delicious recipe for you today. Its's Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes! Aka my new favorite go-to dinner for summertime.It's especially perfect for these cool, Virginia afternoons freckled with sudden thunderstorms.

I spent the last week hanging out solo because Logan was killing it at Firefly selling cold brew coffee (he SOLD OUT!!!).  So major congrats to my husband! Sometimes his crazy ideas end up being genius ideas. I'm so proud of him!!! What a freakin' champ.

To celebrate I'm taking him out on a fancy date to MAS this week. Time to pop a nice bottle of wine and go full-tilt on stuffing ourselves with expensive Spanish tapas. Oh and you bet I'm setting up some massages for him because that man is exhausted and sore as hell. 

We've been eating these sloppy joe stuffed sweet potatoes for dinner for the last couple of days. Logan gives them the double thumbs up on deliciousness factor. And I couldn't agree more.

You guys remember sloppy joes right? I'm on a bit of a camp-food kick right now. Last week it was beanie weenie mac n cheese. This week it's sloppy joe inspired dinner magic. What's next, some sort of towering grilled cheese mania?!

All of my memories of sloppy joe's involve mess halls reverberating with deafening, jovial tween conversations. Hot dogs were definitely on the menu, as were potato chips and soda. I recall feelings of both pleasure and disgust regarding my oozing mound of sloppy joe sauce nestled between white hamburger buns. Fries on the side, of course.

I remember the flavor: savory, sweet, meaty. Sort of like chili without all of the bells and whistles. That's code for "without vegetables." Welcome to America.

So, as a raging protest against everything that is oh-so wrong with the sloppy joe's of my youth, I made a hippie dip version that's downright delicious! And, better yet, my lentil sloppy joe filling is stuffed into roasted sweet potatoes. And then you eat your vegan lentil sloppy joe sweet taters like hot dogs! Skin and all, totally utensil free. It's messy... dare I say... sloppy? In the BEST way!

The lentil sloppy joe filling is savory, meaty and satisfying. My version is more complex -- flavor-wise -- than the original. With a dash of cinnamon, shallots instead of white onion, balsamic vinegar and crushed tomatoes. It's just as easy as the sloppy joe mix we all know and love. But 1000 times better for you (and for the planet, duh).

Obviously I like it best stuffed into tender sweet potatoes and topped with mounds of vegan chipotle mayo and avocado. But it's delicious all on its own, piled between two slices of seedy, toasted bread.

This recipe makes just a bit more filling than you'll need to fill four sweet potatoes. But who's complaining about leftovers?

P.s. the creamy mayo in the pictures is called Fabanaise and it's made with aquafaba and sunflower oil! It's AMAZING. Not sponsored, just a lil tip from me to you.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Created by Renee on June 22, 2016

This meal only takes 40-45 minutes if you make the lentils and the sloppy joe filling while the sweet potatoes are roasting! Eating your stuffed sweet potatoes like a hot dog HIGHLY encouraged 😉

• Cook Time: 1h 20m

• Serves: 4

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

• 4 -5 medium sweet potatoes

Lentils

• 1 cup black lentils (also called blue / french lentils)
• pinch Celtic sea salt
• 4 cups water

Sloppy Joe Filling

• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 4 -5 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper (red or orange are also good choices)
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dark chili powder
• 4 cups cooked lentils (all of the lentils)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (any low sugar variety works)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• dash cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste
• optional but highly recommended: chipotle vegan mayo, avocado, hot sauce

Instructions

Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a sharp knife. Set them on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, or until meltingly tender. Let cool to room temp before handling.

Lentils

1. Add the lentils, salt and the water to a heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce and simmer for 30-35 minutes with the lid of the pot slightly ajar. Lentils are done when they’re tender. Pour the lentils through a mesh strainer to drain off the excess liquid. Run some cold water over the lentils, then set them aside. Rinse out the pot with just water, then set it back onto your burner on medium high heat.

Sloppy Joe Filling

1. Once the pot is good and hot, add the coconut / olive oil and the shallots. Fry for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic cloves and pepper and fry for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Cook just until the pepper is starting to soften and brighten in color. Stir in the cumin and chili powder to the frying veg. Let it cook for about a minute. Then add the lentils, balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, maple syrup, cinnamon and oregano. Bring the heat down to low and cook 5-10 minutes more, just until everything is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. To serve, split each sweet potato down the middle length wise. Smash the insides of the sweet potatoes a bit. Then fill each up to the brim with lentil sloppy joe goodness. Top with chipotle vegan mayo and/or lots of avocado and hot sauce as you please. Enjoy!