Shalom alechim!
I know it's been a while since I have posted anything. Please excuse the delayed post. I also know that this is a few days late--as I have been having difficulites in posting this. I think I got all of the bugs out.
Nevertheless, for the last month or so, I have designated a Taco Tuesday in our house. I've been posting these sexy tacos on Facebook, Instagram, and my other social media accounts. One of my Facebook friends tagged another friend and told her that she needed to make these. With that response, I thought, "Why not just post it on the blog?". So, here I am.
My tacos are vegan. Instead of ground beef or any other type of animal protein, I use lentils. It may sound a bit suprising, but lentils have a nice, meaty texture that, in my opinion is somewhat similar to soft ground beef. And with the right seasonings, you won't even think that you're eating vegan. That seasoning is actually a sauce, and trust me, it is very flavorful!
First things first. You'll need to cook your lentils. This recipe calls for 1 cup of dried lentils and 2 cups of water, to start. I say this because lentils soak up liquid like you wouldn't believe. You would have to continue to add liquid to keep them cooking. Cook the lentils on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.
While the lentils are cooking, here are the ingredients for the taco sauce. You will need a can of diced tomatoes, about 1 small onion or half of a large one, minced garlic ( I used 7 cloves--as I love garlic. Use as much or as little as you want), chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ( I used one pepper), chili powder, salt, and a splash of vinegar (I used white vinegar in this one based on a YouTube video I saw. I will try ACV next time).
Combine all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and let simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes.
After the simmering time, blend the sauce. I used an immersion (stick) blender, but you can also put it in a regular blender as well.
Blend until smooth, And here is your sauce/seasoning.
After the lentils are done cooking, drain,,,
...and put in a pan/skillet with the taco sauce. Mix and allow to cook on low heat for about 3-5 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld together.
Aaaaaand, your taco filling is done!
Here are the toppings--lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, and two types of cheese. Daiya Pepperjack Cheese for my Ish. Organic Mexican blend cheese for me.
By the way, the guacamole is homemade as well, and it is very simple. All you need is avocados (I used one), a little bit of onion and tomato, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Here are the tacos...done. The shells were put in this contraption for toasting...and then filling. My Ish found this on Amazon, and it's pretty cool. You just drop the taco shells in the inserts from the top and just put in the oven for toasting. Once toasted and filled, you just slide the taco out of the slits on the side, and put on the plate.
Dinner is served, How sexy are those? You must try the blue corn shells. They have a cool look, and taste just like any other corn taco shell.
I hope that you make these for you Taco Tuesday or any night that you're craving tacos. I would love to know how they turned out for you. And until then,,,Shalom shalom.
Bathshua
ADDITIONS:
After this entry, I have experimented with other different kinds of tacos as well--namely soft tacos and fillings. Please have a look below:
Fish (cod) tacos with shredded cabbage, pickled onions, tomatoes, and guacamole cream.
Tempeh tacos with shredded cabbage, pickled onions, tomatoes, and guacamole cream.
Black bean tacos with cheese (I used Daiya vegan cheese for my Ish), white onions, tomatoes, lettuce and homemade guacamole.
For the pickled onions, thinly slice an onion (I used red for this) and put in a container (I used a quart canning jar). To make the pickle, take 1 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cup of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar), a tablespoon each of salt and sugar, allspice berries, black peppercorns, and whole mustard seeds, and put them in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the pickling solution over the onions. Cover and allow to set in the refrigerator overnight, They are so good!
For the guacamole cream, I just made my homemade guacamole recipe as noted above, and added cashew milk. Cashew milk has the consistency of heavy cream, so it is perfect for this application.
I hope that these will also serve as inspiration on your Taco Day--Tuesday or otherwise.
Shalom Shalom.
