{"id":4948,"date":"2009-04-12T11:31:29","date_gmt":"2009-04-12T15:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/?p=4948"},"modified":"2009-04-12T11:40:40","modified_gmt":"2009-04-12T15:40:40","slug":"lentil-tacos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/2009\/04\/lentil-tacos\/","title":{"rendered":"Lentil Tacos"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_4951\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4951\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4951\" title=\"ohc-stock_lentils\" src=\"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-stock_lentils-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"lentils \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-stock_lentils-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-stock_lentils.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4951\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">lentils <\/p><\/div>\n<p>I came up with this recipe when I first started making more veggie-based dishes for dinners.\u00a0 We were in the mood for tacos but I didn&#8217;t want to use ground meat so I started looking for substitutes.\u00a0 I wasn&#8217;t fond of using a &#8220;fake&#8221; or &#8220;veggie&#8221; based meat substitute and needed something that would provide fiber, protein, and be on the healthy side.<\/p>\n<p>Enter the lentils.\u00a0 Lentils are an amazing little legume.\u00a0 They have a very mild flavor and can really go into any style of dish because they take on whatever flavor you toss their way.\u00a0 They are cheap at the store and easy to make.\u00a0 Cooking lentils yourself is so simple, no need to buy premade lentils!\u00a0 They don&#8217;t take long to make at all.\u00a0 Unlike dry beans that take hours to simmer on the stove, lentils only take a few minutes to become soft and chewy.\u00a0 If you haven&#8217;t tried lentils before, I highly encourage you to do so!<\/p>\n<p>Lentil tacos can help get you started! <img src='\/images\/wink.gif' alt=';)' \/>\u00a0 My lentil taco recipe is very quick and you&#8217;ll have dinner on the table in no time.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Andrea&#8217;s Lentil Tacos<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 C cooked lentils<\/li>\n<li>1\/4 of a large red onion, chopped<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 of a large green pepper, chopped<\/li>\n<li>1 sm-med zucchini finely chopped<\/li>\n<li>1 large carrot, chopped<\/li>\n<li>1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 C of your favorite salsa (chunky versions work best)<\/li>\n<li>1 TBSP tomato paste<\/li>\n<li>1\/3-1\/2 C of chicken stock<\/li>\n<li>1 tsp of chili powder<\/li>\n<li>1 tsp of garlic powder<\/li>\n<li>Salt and pepper to taste<\/li>\n<li>Pinch of red pepper flakes (the hotter, the larger the amount)<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 tsp of smoked paprika<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 TBSP olive oil<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a large skillet with high sides, add oil and heat over medium heat.\u00a0 When the oil is ready, add in the onions, carrot, green pepper, and jalapeno.\u00a0 Stir so everything is covered with oil, then add all the spices.\u00a0 Stir again to make sure everything is coated.\u00a0 Allow to sautee until the onions are soft and the carrot just begins to soften.\u00a0 Then add in the zucchini and stir again.\u00a0 Continue to sautee for about another 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini starts to soften a bit.\u00a0 Add in the tomato paste and salsa.\u00a0 Stir and cook for a few minutes, about 2, allowing the tomato paste to thicken the salsa and incorporate into the veggies.\u00a0 Then add the chicken stock, starting with 1\/3 of a cup.\u00a0 If the mixture seems a bit too thick, add in more chicken stock a tablespoon at a time.\u00a0 You want this mixture to be thick but also saucy.\u00a0 If it&#8217;s too thin, it won&#8217;t stay in the taco shells.\u00a0 Once the stock is added, then add in the lentils.\u00a0 Cook for another 3 minutes or so until the mixture is at a simmer.\u00a0 Turn off heat and spoon mixture into taco shells.\u00a0 Serve warm, makes plenty for leftover meals.\u00a0 Freezes well.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_4949\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4949\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4949\" title=\"ohc-lentil_taco_filling\" src=\"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-lentil_taco_filling-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Lentil Taco mixture \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-lentil_taco_filling-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc-lentil_taco_filling.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4949\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lentil Taco filling <\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lentil tacos are a favorite here at the HQ.\u00a0 A definite a &#8220;go-to&#8221; meal when we need something quick and I&#8217;m craving a bellah full of veggies.\u00a0 You get the loveliness of a taco with the healthy benefits of veggies.\u00a0 Naturally, you could eat this many different ways.\u00a0 Soft shell?\u00a0 No problem.\u00a0 Or make burritos with the filling.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve laid it on top of a salad and had it that way as well.\u00a0 It&#8217;s yummy hot or cold because I would be lying if I said I&#8217;ve never just dipped tortilla chips right into the filling.<\/p>\n<p>I use chicken stock in everything.\u00a0 Very rarely will you see a true vegetarian dish at the HQ.\u00a0 However, most of my veggie based dishes can easily be turned full vegetarian.\u00a0 For example, vegetable stock can be subbed for the chicken stock in this dish.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve also played around with the liquids and used a bit of stock and a bit of beer, which turned out very nice!\u00a0 Gave it a more complex taste of sorts and felt a little more indulgent.\u00a0 I have no idea how typical meat eaters would respond to this dish.\u00a0 I would say try it and find out!\u00a0 My husband loves these tacos and usually has 3 or more at a meal. <img src='\/images\/biggrin.gif' alt=':D' \/><\/p>\n<p>This does make a large serving.\u00a0 I tend to make things in large batches so I have leftovers and can freeze portions for later use.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4950\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4950\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4950\" title=\"ohc_lentil_tacos\" src=\"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc_lentil_tacos-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Lentil Tacos \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc_lentil_tacos-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/ohc_lentil_tacos.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4950\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lentil Tacos <\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for something new, give this twist on tacos a try!\u00a0 Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!\u00a0 Enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I came up with this recipe when I first started making more veggie-based dishes for dinners.\u00a0 We were in the mood for tacos but I didn&#8217;t want to use ground meat so I started looking for substitutes.\u00a0 I wasn&#8217;t fond of using a &#8220;fake&#8221; or &#8220;veggie&#8221; based meat substitute and needed something that would provide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[33,23],"tags":[16],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4KYWa-1hO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}