Lentil Taco Filling

We love tacos in our house and eat them at least once a week. We have done everything from black bean and butternut squash, to Thai tofu and most recently we have been hooked on the Minimalist Bakers quinoa taco filling.

The plan was to serve the quinoa filling but I realized that afternoon that I was out of quinoa and so was the grocery store, oh the joys of small town life.

I am actually glad we were out of quinoa because it forced me to use what we had on hand and we came up with these babies. Be sure to save a little of the lentil mixture for nachos another night. We topped our nachos with some cashew queso that my husband raved over.

For the Lentil Taco Filling:
1 c green lentils
2 c broth
1 portabello mushroom, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 la Cucina taco seasoning packet or what ever your favorite taco seasoning happens to be.



Cook lentils in 2 cups of broth for 30-35 minutes leaving them a bit chewy. Set aside lentils and remaining broth.

Meanwhile dice veggies and saute in large sauce pan. When veggies are almost done but still crisp add in lentils with broth and taco seasoning. Cook until broth has been absorbed and lentils are soft but not mushy. Serve in tortillas and toppings of your choice.

MMM...Nachos...

Cashew Queso

Cashew Queso is easy to whip up. I like to use the smoothie cup attachment for my ninja blender since it is such a small amount. 

We topped our nachos with this recipe but would be awesome in burritos, tacos or just served as a dip.

Ingredients:

1/2 C cashews, soaked for 4 hours to soften
1/4-1/2 c water
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 Chipotle chilie
2 tbs salsa

Blend cashews, 1/4 cup of water, nutritional yeast, Chipotle chili and salsa until smooth, adding more water if necessary for desired consistency.

Homemade Organic Raw Cashew Milk

Necessity is the mother of invention, and when I realized I was out of milk (I didn't want to use the boys’ chocolate oat milk) I decided to give making my own nut milk a try.

Cashew milk is ridiculously easy to make and required very little prep time. I started soaking the cashews and dates at 8 am and had fresh healthy milk by lunch. Best of all no special equipment just my trusty old Ninja blender.

I used my Organic Bakers Extract from Costco in this. It’s a chocolate vanilla blend that added a nice but not chocolate flavor. The milk was way better than any I've bought and easy enough to put together while holding the baby.

I can't wait to try it out in my overnight oats in the morning.

Ingredients:

1 C Raw Cashews

2 Dates (you could also use a little maple syrup or other sweetener)

4 C Water

1 tsp Vanilla extract (or Organic Bakers extract from Costco)

Dash of Sea Salt

Soak the cashews and dates in a mason jar with just enough water to cover. Chill in the fridge 4 hours then drain.

Place drained cashews and dates in blender with 2 cups of water and process until smooth. Then add remaining 2 cups of water, vanilla extract, and salt. Process until incorporated.

That's it. Chill and use within 5 days

Shredded BBQ...sweet potatoes?!?!?

I love BBQ but when we are not eating meat it can be a tough craving to satisfy. I try not to use a lot of the meat replacement products because they are so highly processed. I came across this idea a few weeks ago but when I first attempted it I cooked it in a skillet it stuck to the pan and made a huge mess. It absorbed so much oil as I tried fruitlessly to keep it from sticking. I loved the concept of sweet potatoes as a shredded meat replacement and truth be told I just LOVE sweet potatoes, so I decided to give it another shot.  Baking the shredded sweet potatoes in the oven with just a spray of oil on either a silpat or parchment paper worked great. Nothing stuck and I was free to prep the rest of dinner while they baked. We served our shredded BBQ Sweet Potato Sliders with Kale Slaw and a few red onion slices that I tossed in a bit of vinegar while everything cooked.
Serves 2 hungry adults

Ingredients:
2 small Sweet Potatoes

1/2 C BBQ sauce

Spray oil, I used spectrum organic grape seed oil
Buns for Serving

Preheat oven to 400. Grate both sweet potatoes on the large side of the grater. Spread out grated potatoes on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with a little oil, bake for about 15 minutes, flip potatoes and spray with more oil. Bake another 15 minutes. While potatoes are baking heat BBQ sauce in a small sauce pan. Toss cooked sweet potato in BBQ sauce and serve on Buns. 

Goat Cheese stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño Poppers are one of my favorite "bar food", watching football treats but at 70 calories a pop they can really add up and sabotage your day. We created these lightened up little beauties that only weigh in at 30 calories a piece but have way more flavor than their deep fried counterparts. 

Makes 12 poppers

6 Jalapeños, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded

2.5 oz of Soft Goat Cheese (about a 1/4 Cup)

1 Tbs Fat-free Greek Yogurt

1/4 C shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Make a "slotted tray" out of foil to lay on a cookie sheet if you wish, it helps keep the poppers from falling over and the filling from spilling out. Combine goat cheese and yogurt. Spoon filling into each half of jalapeño. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until jalapeños are soft and cheese is melted.