Snobby JoesWe tried the sloppy joes from Veganomicon.  It is a terrific cookbook filled with tons a delicious looking recipes- this is our first attempt.  So far, we are very impressed.  The “Snobby Joe” recipe has a really nice texture from the lentils and slightly sweet taste; I thought this tasted ultra kid-friendly.  We cut back slightly on the spice so that it was sure to be kid-friendly (3 Tbsps of chili powder back to 2 Tbsps).  Our oldest (5) helped while shopping today for the week’s groceries and helped her mom cook by adding the “secret ingredient” (which was maple syrup)… so that she would be really invested in the meal.  It worked for the most part as she ate about half a sandwich- even though she said it was really spicy, but it was only so she could have dessert and an extra cob of corn. Our oldest son, 2, didn’t really get past the corn on the cob and pineapple. To make this more kid-friendly, I would start by cutting back on the Chili Powder at the very minimum.  This recipe is really worth a second round- or at the very least a grown up meal with full spice!

We served the sandwiches openfaced with chips and Veganomicon’s Tropical Avocado Salsa Fresca (we used pineapple), sliced pineapple, corn on the cob, and a simple tossed salad.  It was quite the summer fiesta.