To celebrate 15 years of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, a philanthropic program that provides mentorship and funding to food and beverage entrepreneurs across the U.S., Samuel Adams created “Our American Dream Cookbook.” The cookbook, which is out Oct. 1, features 80 inspiring small business owners, including several local entrepreneurs, highlighting 100+ recipes with locally inspired flavors and the stories behind these culinary entrepreneurs.
Plant-based chef Synovia Jones, founder of Nobe’s P.B. Foods, is one of the L.A. small business owners featured in the new cookbook. Synovia shares her vegan adaptation of the kid classic recipe, sloppy joe.
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup red or green lentils
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped shiitake or cremini mushrooms
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons coconut sugar or pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
8 vegan burger buns, split and toasted
2 ripe but firm avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
Instructions
To simmer the lentils, in a saucepan, combine the water, broth, lentils, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To cook the vegetables, while the lentils are cooking, in a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
To make the sloppy joe filling, add the tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garam masala (if using), and paprika, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the flavors come together, about 10 minutes.
Add the lentils and their cooking liquid to the frying pan, stir to combine, and simmer until warmed through. At this point, the lentil mixture can be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month and then reheated just before serving.
To assemble and serve, arrange the bun bottoms, cut side up, on individual plates. Spoon the lentil mixture onto the bun bottoms, dividing it evenly. Top with the avocado slices and close with the bun tops. Serve at once.
