Snobby Joes

I don’t know if I’ve ever had an authentic Sloppy Joe.  I went to summer camp and I’ve dealt with my fair share of lunch ladies but I seriously don’t think I’ve come across an authentic Joe.  

I just found out a few weeks ago that Manwich was not actually meat-in-a-can.  I literally always thought it was Spam’s ugly cousin.

  But apparently it is just the sauce for a Sloppy Joe.  This concept baffles me.  It seems like way more trouble to buy a special can of mystery sauce than it is to add some spices to your generic tomato sauce that you always have on hand anyway.

But I may be baffled simply because I’ve never tasted the glory that is Manwich.

It wasn’t until I began cooking for the omnivore that it even occurred to me to cook a Sloppy Joe.  And it only occurred to me then because I was trying to think of foods that his mother may have cooked him during his childhood.  I use this same recipe for his batch o’ Joes and sub 1/2 lb ground meat for the lentils.  He loves it.

Snobby Joes (serves at least 3 adapted from Veganomicon) 

1/2 cup lentils boiled in 3 cups water, with a bay leaf
8 oz tomato sauce
1 T maple syrup
2 t spicy mustard
1 t oregano
1.5 T chili powder
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t salt

Saute onion and garlic and add to drained boiled lentils. Add spices and tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Then cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Simmer a little more to reduce to the liquid if too soupy.