Recipe:
- 1 Cup Black Lentils
- 5 Cups Filtered Water
- 1/2 White Onion – diced
- 1 Large Tomato – grated or 2/3 Cup Strained Tomatoes
- 1 Teaspoon Ancho Powder – ancho pepper ground in coffee grinder
- 2 Teaspoons Paprika
- 1 1/4 Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoons Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne (optional)
- 12 Corn Tortillas or Taco Shells (I used sprouted corn tortillas)
Toppings
- 1 1/2 Cups Red Cabbage – thinly sliced – or to taste
- 1 – 2 Roasted Poblano – diced or sliced into thin strips
- 1 – 2 Tomato – diced – or to taste
- 1 Cup Cilantro Micro Sprouts or Fresh Cilantro – or to taste
- 1 Cup Jack Cheese – optional – or to taste
- 1 Cup Ancho Crema, Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche – 1 teaspoon ancho powder per cup – or to taste (optional)
Other topping ideas
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Fresh Corn
- Lime Juice
Instructions:
Lentils
Measure lentils, sort for any rocks and rinse. Add the water to the lentils, turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are soft, yet still firm. Strain and set aside.
Roasted peppers
Roast the peppers on the stovetop on medium-high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove. Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs. When good and charred, steam them for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char. Slice in half and remove the seeds and stems.
Ancho powder
Remove the stem and seeds from the ancho pepper, tear into small pieces and grind into a powder in a coffee grinder. Set aside.
Lentil taco meat
Dice the onion and add to a straight sided pan, along with the olive oil. Sauté on medium-low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes or until slightly golden. Cut the tomato in half. then grate the tomato cut side down and add to onions (if using tomato sauce, add it in place of the grated tomatoes). Turn the stove to low and cook for 10 minutes (if it becomes dry, add a bit of olive oil). Add the salt, ancho powder and all the spices, mix well and add the lentils. Cook for another 10 – 15 minutes to incorporate all the flavors. It’s even better the next day.
Assemble
You can either heat the tortillas in some olive oil in cast iron skillet until soft or you can wet them with water and heat them in a 350 degree pre-heated oven (drape them over 2 bars on the middle rack, they will be stiff at first but will drape down into a u shape after they heat up). Bake for 5 – 10 minutes until desired crispiness. Serve everything in separate bowls and let everyone assemble thier own tacos.
Health Benefits:
Lentils have extremely high levels of soluble fiber and a good amount of insoluble fiber. They have cholesterol-lowering fiber which helps stabilize blood sugar levels giving you a steady stream of energy. A half-cup provides about a third of the daily requirements. Not only is the fiber good for your heart, the amount of folate and magnesium is very beneficial for cardiovascular health. Lentils provide a steady stream of glucose to your brain. Glucose is a sugar and a key source of energy for the cells in the body and it is the only fuel your brain can use. The high fiber regulates the release of the glucose, providing a steady stream of fuel that powers your brain cells and is a key component in keeping your brain healthy. Lentils are loaded with an impressive amount of blood-fortifying iron and when paired with food containing vitamin C, the iron is enhanced, which in turn increase your energy. They are truly a nutritional fountain of youth. Lentils originated in Southwestern Asia along the Indus River have been eaten for over 8000 years. years.
