LENTIL TACOS

LENTIL TACOS

Did pink slime make you feel down? Perhaps you’re already vegetarian? Maybe you aren’t happy paying $4 per lb. to buy ground meat. If you don’t yet know this, then lentils are an excellent alternative (or extension) in place of ground beef!

I made use of lentils to increase the amount of ground beef for the Sloppy Joe’s recipe; however, after one of my amazing followers (Hi Emily!) sent me an email with a recipe the recipe at the blog A Couple of Cooks, I decided to give it a go. Lentil tacos. …and I adore them!

The taco-seasoned lentils are very easy to prepare (and cost around $1.91), and you can put on any toppings or shells that you’d like. I used taco-size tortillas of corn. I also used the homemade seasoning for tacos, homemade pico de gallo avocados fresh (they were at a sale), and a little sour cream. The classic cheese, lettuce, and tomato combination could be delicious!

In the event that your kitchen isn’t sufficient in order to prepare your taco seasoning, you can use a store-purchased packet of seasoning, or you could make use of a salsa jar in place of freshly made pico. Below is a breakdown of the cost, which contains my choice of toppings. Be aware that the toppings you choose will impact the cost of your taco.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of dry brown lentils ($0.61)

One small onion of yellow ($0.51)

Two cloves of garlic ($0.16)

2 tablespoons olive oil($0.24)

1. Taco seasoning for tacos (with the addition of corn starch) ($0.34)

One teaspoon salt ($0.05)

16 small corn tortillas ($1.03)

1 recipe pico de gallo ($1.91)

8 oz. Sour cream ($1.39)

Two small avocados ($1.19)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a pan at medium-low heat, lightly toast corn tortillas on both sides. If you’re using a cast iron or non-stick pan, it is not necessary to use oil. If you’re using stainless steel or any other cookware, then you might require a quick spray using non-stick oil. The tortillas need to have a slight browning in certain places, but they should still be flexible.

Sort and wash the lentils. Make sure to bring 3 cups of water up to a steady boiling point in a medium-sized pot. Once it has reached the end of boiling, then add the lentils. Allow the bank to bring back to a simmer before reducing the heat to a low level; cover the pot with a lid. Let the lentils cook for about 20 minutes. Within 20 minutes, you can taste the lentils and test their texture. They should be soft but not soft and mushy. Rinse the lentils with a colander. (For easy step-by-step video instructions on how to cook lentils, you can visit here.)

While the lentils simmer, make Pico de Gallo (instructions here). Mix in the taco seasonings, including Corn starch (instructions here).

Slice the onion into pieces, chop the garlic, and cook using olive oil in an enormous pan at medium-low heat until they are soft. When the onion is cooked, add the lentils that have been rinsed, as well as the taco seasoning and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of water. Stir, and cook on moderate heat until the soup is thick (about 3 to 5 minutes). Sprinkle with salt as needed to bring out the flavor (I added one teaspoon).

Make the tacos by using approximately 1/4 cup of cooked lentils in each taco. A slice of avocado, a tiny quantity of pico, and sour cream. If you have leftover cilantro leftover from making pico de Gallo, it could also be used to garnish the tacos.

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