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Saturday, May 16, 2009

Lentil Tacos = Yum!

Lentils and I have not been the best of friends. I know that they are good for you, but I had yet to find a recipe that actually made me want to eat them. Then Lentil Tacos entered into my life. Yum, yum, yum! I know a couple of you had asked for the recipe and I didn't want to share it until I knew whether it was good or not. So, now, I gladly give you the recipe! :) This recipe was created by my vegetarian, foodie friend Caela. Her culinary creativity always amazes me!

Lentil Tacos

1. Sort, rinse, and drain about a cup of dry lentils. We use brown lentils, but I'm sure any kind would be just fine. The brown ones look the most like meat, though!

2. Boil them in about 3-4 cups of water until they're done. It only takes about 20 minutes. Lentils are quick-cooking because they don't have to be soaked first.

3. As they're boiling, saute up some diced onions. Add a small can of diced green chilis and about a half a can of drained corn to the mix. (I used frozen corn and it worked just as well.)

4. Once the veggies are heated up, add about 1/2 cup water and a package of taco seasoning mix. If you want to make your own taco seasoning, I recommend a mix of cumin, chili powder, cayenne powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. (I made my own)

5. Drain the lentils. Dump them into the veggies. Stir and heat through.

Serve them up on regular taco shells or they are equally delicious as soft tacos with some salsa, cheese, and sour cream!

I also wanted to share my 2 favorite smoothie recipes. These are frequently served for breakfast at my house. It's quick, easy, and uses every day ingredients. And, of course, no sugar! :)

Fruit Smoothie

1-1 1/2 cups apple juice (depending on how thick you like your smoothie)
2 frozen bananas, broken into chunks
about 1 cup of an assortment of various fruit (frozen or fresh)

Put apple juice and bananas in blender and blend until relatively smooth. Add other fruit and blend. ~This usually serves the children (who use smaller cups) and me.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothies

Serves 2 (this works for me and my little ones to share, but if it's for the whole family, I double it)

1 cup milk (raw is preferably, and makes it that much more thick and creamy)
1/4 cup peanut butter (I stick to organic, as peanuts are highly sprayed. Other nut butters would also be delicious!)
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2- 2 Tbsp honey
2 frozen bananas, broken into chunks

Combine all in the order given, and blend until smooth. Enjoy sipping on this indulgent treat! We don't have these very often but they are a nice change from the fruit ones. And they are really delicious!

Hope you enjoy them!

~A

7 comments:

Em said...

Thanks for the recipe and photo of the lentil tacos. I was really skeptical yet curious when you posted it as part of your meal plan last week. But they look yummy...AND I have lentils on hand. I'll have to give it a whirl! :)

Em said...

Oh, and have you seen this smoothie recipe? It actually has a few handfuls of spinach--but with frozen berries and oj concentrate, you'd NEVER know. It's packed with nutrients. You should try it! http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/02/the-wonders-of-green-smoothies.html
I just realized the recipe is not too specific
I use: 3 handfuls fresh spinach, 1 c milk, 2 T oj concentrate, 1/2 c water, a T or so of honey, and 1 c. frozen berries

Erika said...

I love sharing all these recipes!! Thanks.

Marie said...

mmmmmm...I love beans. I am going to serve these up and see what Devin thinks.

jenifriend said...

i am so excited to try this. thank you for posting about it!!

Marie said...

I think you'd probably find it to be pretty useful.

Zombiemommy said...

Your photo made me want to try these. We ate em for dinner tonight. They were so good and I am a meat eater... We made them using homemade taco seasoning (so easy, Tightwad gazette's version taste just like the packet) I am so excited to add this to my list of common meals, the kids ate their dinner without too many threats! Hurrah. I served with salsa (canned tomatoes, cumin, garlic, lime juice, salt, swig of olive oil, jalapenos in the parents bowl), sour cream, chopped up organic spinach. I even sometimes make my own tortillas, but I didn't want to work to hard before church and then have a frustrated attitude. Thank you so much! Enjoy reading your blog.