Lentil tacos; baked brown rice
I was craving something--anything--wrapped in a corn tortilla. Usually my brother likes tacos with soy crumbles, but I don't like the taste. Beans are always good, but I wanted to try something different: lentil tacos.
I googled and found this (non vegan) recipe, changed a few things around, and ended up with this.
I used red lentils because they're smaller. That means that they cook faster, and more closely approximate the texture of taco filling. But you could easily use regular lentils--just cook it longer.
Filling
olive oil
half of a medium onion, chopped
garlic
1 c. red lentils
2.5 c. vegetable broth (or water--it would probably be fine)
1 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1/4 c. salsa (optional)
Sautee the onion and garlic. Add the spices and cook for a minute more. Add broth and lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are tender (add more broth or water if needed.) Stir in salsa and cook for a few minutes more.
Tacos
Broil or pan-fry some corn tortillas. Fill them with the lentils and your favorite taco parts. I used rice, sauteed bell peppers and onions, cilantro, green onions, salsa, and lime juice.
Also, Alton Brown has an awesome way of cooking brown rice: baking it! Usually I use a rice cooker, but when I don't I have a hard time making it non-soggy on the stove (plus it always sticks to the pan.) This way the texture is great, you can ignore it for an hour, and you don't have to worry about scrubbing the pan. Here's the recipe.
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (use vegan margarine or olive oil, obviously)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.