Sautéed Kale & Lentil Joe's

Over the last several days, I've seen a few different pictures for Lentil Burgers and Lentil Joe's on Facebook and was craving something 'lentily' tonight. I also had a bunch of Kale that I wanted to use. I also wanted to make a variation of the Mustard Greens & Balsamic Chick Pea recipe I tried earlier in the week. All in all .. I think I was just really hungry from only having had an early brunch and no late lunch. 

Earlier in the week, Eco-Vegan Gal posted a picture of her Lentil Joe's that will be on the Forks Over Knives page. And I was inspired by a Fatfree Vegan Kitchen recipe which I was trying to make variation. Also, I've been a tester for Happy Herbivore recipes and I've tried this excellent recipe from her (which I can't post because it is copyrighted and not published yet!). I've made, in a past life, a recipe by Post Punk Kitchen which is great. And in my search today, I also came across this gem by Tasty Easy Healthy Green. Of course, as luck would have it, I didn't have all the ingredients for any one recipe, so I mixed and matched and improvised and so the credit for my creation goes to all these lovely folks. 

Sautéed Kale & Lentil Joe's

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 4 cups of fresh Kale, leaves torn into bite sized pieces
2. 1 cup raw Green Lentils 
3. 1 Medium White Onion, diced
4. 8-10 White Mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
5. 1 large Tomato, diced
6. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
7. 2 cups water or home-made vegetable broth
8. 2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
9. 2 tbsp Honey
10. 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
11. 6 tbsp Soy Sauce
12. 1/4 tsp Turmeric
13. Salt to taste. 

Directions:

Remove stems form kale leaves, tear leaves into bite-sized pieces and wash the leaves well to remove any traces of dirt. Allow to sit in a colander to drain. Line a deep pot with half a cup of vegetable broth. Turn heat to medium-high. Add garlic and half the soy sauce. As the water comes to a boil, saute garlic until it begins to release its aroma. Then, add the kale to cover the entire surface of the pan. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and allow the greens to wilt to a bright green (3-5 min). Remove greens from the pan with a slotted spoon, allowing them time to drain, and place in a bowl. To the remaining liquid in the pan, add turmeric and diced onion. Allow onion to wilt and then add lentils. If there isn't enough liquid (~1/2 cup) in the pan, add more vegetable broth. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover to allow lentils time to cook (~10-15 min). After about 10 min, check the lentils and if they're about done, add mushrooms and more vegetable broth, if needed. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender and lentils are done. Once lentils are done, turn heat to medium high to allow excess liquid to evaporate in these last few minutes as you add the final flavorings. Add tomato, mix well, allow to wilt and blend with the lentils. Now add the remaining ingredients  (ketchup, honey, dijon mustard, soy sauce and salt to taste). Cook for a couple more minutes until the consistency is dry, yet sloppy, enough to resemble Joe's. Serve over a bed of Sautéed Kale or assemble the kale and lentils in a Sloppy Joe sandwich.  

My Assessment: I loved it both ways. A great way to get greens! As I predicted a few days ago, the FFVK recipe works great with Kale and the chickpeas were well substituted with lentils.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 187 (Fat Calories 5)
Total Fat 0.6 g; Carbohydrates 36.5 g; Fiber 6.9 g; Sugars 10.5 g; Protein 12.2 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary a lot.

* Nutrition facts are provided for the 'Bed of Kale' option, without the bun, for the same reason.