Easy Weeknight Dinner: Navy Joes
I don’t know if it’s entirely obvious, but we are plant-based eaters around the halls of Test Kitchen Tuesday.
I don’t talk about it all that much because I guess I don’t find it all that important. Good food is good food, in my opinion, and, it just doesn’t seem to need to come up. I know the topic can be polarizing – “how on earth do you get your protein?!?” – but in reality, it doesn’t have to be. Plant-based food is not only nutritious and healthy, it can be really tasty too!
Today, I have a recipe for you that is inspired by Sloppy Joes, but, you won’t find ground beef in it. Nope.
Named by 2ChiliBreadBowl himself, this take on Sloppy Joes is called Navy Joes around our house because the base is Navy beans. I whipped this up a couple weeks ago when I had a big batch of Navy beans on hand for a reader request project. It was one of those things that just came together – and the end result was a big hit. It’s hearty, tasty, and easy.
I put this filling on Trader Joe’s frozen Naan* for 2Chili, but you could put it on your favorite bun or roll, or, if you’re going gluten free, on top of some greens or wrapped in a collard leaf. For myself, I put it on top of steamed cauliflower. The possibilities are vast!
*Note: If you buy Naan at Trader Joe’s, buy it from the freezer section. It is better than the “fresh” variety in the bread section, trust me!
Navy Joes
Serves: 4 servings (or enough for 2 sandwiches per person)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium orange or red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1.5 cups prepared navy beans
- Up to 1/2 cup prepared barbeque sauce (We like Trader Joe’s brand)
- Dulse powder to thicken, if needed
- Preferred buns, roll, or, Naan
Method
- Heat oil over medium low heat, and then add onion, pepper and garlic; Saute until soft and fragrant
- Add beans and half of the sauce; Continue to add sauce until all ingredients are thoroughly covered
- Heat through – about 10-15 minutes
- If the sauce becomes too thin, thicken with about a tablespoon of dulse powder, coconut flour, or other thickener such as arrowroot powder (I used dulse)
- Serve on roll of your choice, on a fresh bed of greens, or on top of mashed steamed cauliflower
Nutritional Breakdown
Only for filling!
 |  |
