The kids and I can't agree whether these are called Smunchies or Crunchies, but either way they're requested often. Like other recipes, I will sometimes add dairy cheese for the boys, but I omit the dairy cheese from mine and it is plenty delicious just as is. They're a little time-consuming, but better than anything I've ever had at That One Taco Joint. PS If you're thinking this looks similar to stuffed bell peppers you're right, but the outcome is completely different.
4 very large flour tortillas (I think 12" is the biggest they make)
1 8" flour tortilla torn into fourths
4 tostata shells, the flatter the better
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. lentils*
1 1/2 c. brown rice*
Taco seasoning to taste
4 to 5 dashes Worcestershire (vegean) to taste
4 to 5 dashes chipotle tobasco sauce
4 T. vegan sour cream (commercially purchased or make your own)
4 T. salsa
Diced tomato, optional
Shredded lettuce, optional
Vegan cheese, shredded, optional
*For variation, you may substitute refried beans (vegan, of course) for all or part of the lentil and rice mixture.
Warm flour tortillas either in the microwave or a large, dry skillet. Keep warm in a tortilla keeper or on a plate under layers of paper towels. Set all tortillas, including tostata shells, aside so they are ready for assembly.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft but not yet carmelized. Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add enough hot water to keep ingredients moist and not sticking to the pan. If you add too much, don't worry - you can just let it cook down at the end.
Add lentils, brown rice (and/or refried beans if using), taco seasoning, worcestershire sauce and tobasco sauce. Stir to combine and cook until heated through. Let it cook a few minutes for flavors to blend, adding additional water if necessary.
Preheat another large, dry skillet over medium heat. Assemble smunchies. Arrange 1/4 of the lentil mixture followed by 1/4 of the salsa and the tostada shell. On top of the tostada shell spread the sour cream and any other optional fixin's you choose. The flour tortilla is not large enough to wrap itself all the way around, so place 1/4 of the smaller flour tortilla in the center. Begin folding edges of large tortilla up and over, holding in place until all edges are folded. (You should not be able to see any of the inner ingredients at this point.)
Place smunchie in pan, folded sides down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Check occasionally to ensure it is not burning. Flip and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the top is golden. Let stand a few minutes before serving as it will be HOT.
Repeat with remaining smunchies. Makes 4 smunchies. Warning: children, specifically teenage boys, get addicted to smunchies and you may be asked repeatedly to make them.
Showing posts with label Lentils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lentils. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18
Monday, January 17
Stuffed Peppers
Traditionally stuffed bell peppers are made with ground beef and cheese - poor cows! This version is just as tasty, probably more filling, and doesn't leave you feeling like you have a rock in your gut. It's light, healthy and tasty. They key is lots and lots of seasonings. :o)
3 bell peppers (I use green, but use any color you like)
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. cooked lentils
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. tomato paste*
Water
Taco seasoning to taste**
Real Salt to taste
4 to 5 dashes Chipotle Tobasco sauce
4 to 5 dashes worcestershire sauce
1/8 c. nutritional yeast
Cook rice and lentils if you don't already have them cooked. Don't be afraid of making too much - you can just measure out what you need for this recipe and save the rest for a future meal.
Fill a very large pot with hot water, within a couple of inches of the top. Bring to a boil. Remove cores and seeds from peppers, rinsing well to remove any remaining seeds. Submerge in boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes - DO NOT OVERCOOK! Mushy peppers won't work for this at all. :) To test, they should be fork-tender, but still be able to stand up on their own. It's better to remove them early and test, because you can always put them back in the hot water if they need to be cooked a little longer. When finished, remove peppers from water and let drain, upside down, while preparing the rest of the dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When olive oil is warm, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are soft and aromatic. Add lentils, rice, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add water as needed to keep the mixture moist (I ultimately ended up adding about 2 cups hot water by the end, but do so gradually). Add taco seasoning, Real Salt, Chipotle Tobasco and worcestershire (most worcestershire sauces have anchovies and are therefore not vegan - but if you look hard you can find a vegan version). Continue stirring, adding water as needed, and adjusting for taste. Remove from heat.
Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil. Do NOT coat with cooking spray as this will make your peppers burn. Your peppers should be firm enough to stand on their own. Stuff each pepper with 1/3 of the stuffing. If desired, top with vegan cheese. Most vegan cheeses don't melt. For my kids I add dairy cheese, but I leave mine naked, so to speak. Prop them up together so they don't fall over (hence the reason for using a small baking dish as well).
Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Using tongs, grab the peppers and cut in half. Top with vegan sour cream if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Variation: Cut peppers in half prior to stuffing. Divide the filling six ways. Pro: you don't have to try to cut a hot pepper in half. Con: the stuffing doesn't stay in quite as well. Another option is simply to serve the peppers whole, though this is a LOT of food. Fine for my teenage children, but a little too much for me. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and eat within a couple of days.
*Most cans of tomato paste come in 6 ounces, and I rarely use 6 ounces at once. To avoid waste, I measure it out into 1-tablespoon portions and freeze. When I need the tomato paste, I simply pull it out of the freezer and add it directly to the recipe.
**Using a premade taco-seasoning may not seem very "vegan." I totally agree. However, I bought a container of it at Costco quite some time ago and I'm still trying to use it. I'm a huge fan of not wasting, so until the warehouse-sized container of taco seasoning is gone, this will show up in my recipes. After that, I will come up with some! :~)
3 bell peppers (I use green, but use any color you like)
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. cooked lentils
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. tomato paste*
Water
Taco seasoning to taste**
Real Salt to taste
4 to 5 dashes Chipotle Tobasco sauce
4 to 5 dashes worcestershire sauce
1/8 c. nutritional yeast
Cook rice and lentils if you don't already have them cooked. Don't be afraid of making too much - you can just measure out what you need for this recipe and save the rest for a future meal.
Fill a very large pot with hot water, within a couple of inches of the top. Bring to a boil. Remove cores and seeds from peppers, rinsing well to remove any remaining seeds. Submerge in boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes - DO NOT OVERCOOK! Mushy peppers won't work for this at all. :) To test, they should be fork-tender, but still be able to stand up on their own. It's better to remove them early and test, because you can always put them back in the hot water if they need to be cooked a little longer. When finished, remove peppers from water and let drain, upside down, while preparing the rest of the dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When olive oil is warm, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are soft and aromatic. Add lentils, rice, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add water as needed to keep the mixture moist (I ultimately ended up adding about 2 cups hot water by the end, but do so gradually). Add taco seasoning, Real Salt, Chipotle Tobasco and worcestershire (most worcestershire sauces have anchovies and are therefore not vegan - but if you look hard you can find a vegan version). Continue stirring, adding water as needed, and adjusting for taste. Remove from heat.
Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil. Do NOT coat with cooking spray as this will make your peppers burn. Your peppers should be firm enough to stand on their own. Stuff each pepper with 1/3 of the stuffing. If desired, top with vegan cheese. Most vegan cheeses don't melt. For my kids I add dairy cheese, but I leave mine naked, so to speak. Prop them up together so they don't fall over (hence the reason for using a small baking dish as well).
Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Using tongs, grab the peppers and cut in half. Top with vegan sour cream if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Variation: Cut peppers in half prior to stuffing. Divide the filling six ways. Pro: you don't have to try to cut a hot pepper in half. Con: the stuffing doesn't stay in quite as well. Another option is simply to serve the peppers whole, though this is a LOT of food. Fine for my teenage children, but a little too much for me. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and eat within a couple of days.
*Most cans of tomato paste come in 6 ounces, and I rarely use 6 ounces at once. To avoid waste, I measure it out into 1-tablespoon portions and freeze. When I need the tomato paste, I simply pull it out of the freezer and add it directly to the recipe.
**Using a premade taco-seasoning may not seem very "vegan." I totally agree. However, I bought a container of it at Costco quite some time ago and I'm still trying to use it. I'm a huge fan of not wasting, so until the warehouse-sized container of taco seasoning is gone, this will show up in my recipes. After that, I will come up with some! :~)
Tuesday, October 12
Seitan and Lentil Tacos
This was one of those "What's For Dinner?" solutions. The kids had ideas that didn't sound all that great to me, and I had ideas that didn't sound all that great to them. This is what we finally settled on - and I couldn't have been more pleased. We have plenty of leftovers for dinner tonight.
1/2 recipe Homemade Seitan or Cheater Seitan
1 c. dry lentils
2 to 3 T. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Taco Seasoning, to taste
Tortillas
Taco Toppings (tomato, avocado, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, spinach, lettuce, salsa, etc)
Cut seitan into 2 inch chunks (approximately) and place in food processor. Process on low for a few seconds at a time until seitan is crumbly and resembles cooked ground beef.
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with hot water, at least 3 cups. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sort lentils, removing any rocks or debris. Rinse under cold water. Add to saucepan, return water to boiling, and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
While lentils are cooking, heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic begin to carmelize. It may be necessary to add additional olive oil if onion begins to stick to the pan. Once carmelization begins, add ground seitan and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until seitan just starts to brown. If lentils are not yet finished cooking, reduce heat on skillet to low and stir mixture frequently to prevent burning.
Drain lentils and add to seitan mixture. Add taco seasoning, a few tablespoons at a time, until desired flavor is reached. Add approximately 1/2 cup hot water with taco seasoning, more or less as needed, to prevent seasoning from clumping. Do not add too much water as it will make your tacos too "drippy." Continue cooking and stirring until heated through.
Serve immediately on tortillas, garnishing as desired.
Note: The taco "meat" can be made ahead of time and heated through just prior to serving.
Variation: Add a 6 oz can tomato sauce or a 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes (drained) with the taco seasoning.
Variation #2 - Barley and Lentil Tacos. For one dinner we didn't have any seitan made, and it takes a considerable amount of time to prepare, so I boiled up 1/2 c. barley and used it in place of the seitan. The boys hardly noticed and the tacos got good reviews from my little critics.
1/2 recipe Homemade Seitan or Cheater Seitan
1 c. dry lentils
2 to 3 T. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Taco Seasoning, to taste
Tortillas
Taco Toppings (tomato, avocado, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, spinach, lettuce, salsa, etc)
Cut seitan into 2 inch chunks (approximately) and place in food processor. Process on low for a few seconds at a time until seitan is crumbly and resembles cooked ground beef.
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with hot water, at least 3 cups. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sort lentils, removing any rocks or debris. Rinse under cold water. Add to saucepan, return water to boiling, and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
While lentils are cooking, heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic begin to carmelize. It may be necessary to add additional olive oil if onion begins to stick to the pan. Once carmelization begins, add ground seitan and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until seitan just starts to brown. If lentils are not yet finished cooking, reduce heat on skillet to low and stir mixture frequently to prevent burning.
Drain lentils and add to seitan mixture. Add taco seasoning, a few tablespoons at a time, until desired flavor is reached. Add approximately 1/2 cup hot water with taco seasoning, more or less as needed, to prevent seasoning from clumping. Do not add too much water as it will make your tacos too "drippy." Continue cooking and stirring until heated through.
Serve immediately on tortillas, garnishing as desired.
Note: The taco "meat" can be made ahead of time and heated through just prior to serving.
Variation: Add a 6 oz can tomato sauce or a 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes (drained) with the taco seasoning.
Variation #2 - Barley and Lentil Tacos. For one dinner we didn't have any seitan made, and it takes a considerable amount of time to prepare, so I boiled up 1/2 c. barley and used it in place of the seitan. The boys hardly noticed and the tacos got good reviews from my little critics.
Wednesday, October 6
Sloppy Lentils
This dish could be made in the slow cooker as well - if you're able to get up early enough in the morning to prepare it (yeah, um, that hasn't been me lately). My kids initially complained when I said I was making Sloppy Lentils, probably because they detest Sloppy Joes made from ground beef. Surprisingly, my oldest - who complained the loudest - gobbled up his serving and had seconds.
1 cup dry lentils, sorted and rinsed
Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 6 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 t. dry mustard
2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 T. Agave nectar
Real Salt, optional
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with hot water, about 3 cups, and bring to a rigorous boil. Add lentils, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 25 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
While lentils are cooking, pour a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are soft and just starting to brown. Remove from heat.
Drain lentils and return to saucepan. Add cooked onion and garlic, tomato sauce, tomatoes, mustard, Bragg's, and agave. Stir to combine. Add Real Salt to taste, if desired. Bring to a light simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and sauce begins to thicken.
Serve on hamburger buns or open faced over a slice of bread. Top with vegan cheese if desired.
Makes about 8 sandwiches.
Note: There are several types of lentils (green, brown, red, black, yellow, etc). The most commonly used in the United States are green, brown and red. Brown lentils are popular because of how well they hold their shape and are great for use in salads or soups. Green and red lentils will become a little mushier when cooked, so keep this in mind when selecting lentils. Additionally, green and red lentils will cook faster than brown, so keep that in mind when gauging cooking times. I used brown lentils in this recipe. Do not mix old and new lentils together, as they will not cook evenly.
1 cup dry lentils, sorted and rinsed
Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 6 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 t. dry mustard
2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 T. Agave nectar
Real Salt, optional
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with hot water, about 3 cups, and bring to a rigorous boil. Add lentils, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 25 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
While lentils are cooking, pour a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are soft and just starting to brown. Remove from heat.
Drain lentils and return to saucepan. Add cooked onion and garlic, tomato sauce, tomatoes, mustard, Bragg's, and agave. Stir to combine. Add Real Salt to taste, if desired. Bring to a light simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and sauce begins to thicken.
Serve on hamburger buns or open faced over a slice of bread. Top with vegan cheese if desired.
Makes about 8 sandwiches.
Note: There are several types of lentils (green, brown, red, black, yellow, etc). The most commonly used in the United States are green, brown and red. Brown lentils are popular because of how well they hold their shape and are great for use in salads or soups. Green and red lentils will become a little mushier when cooked, so keep this in mind when selecting lentils. Additionally, green and red lentils will cook faster than brown, so keep that in mind when gauging cooking times. I used brown lentils in this recipe. Do not mix old and new lentils together, as they will not cook evenly.
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