Three weeks down! Only one and a half weeks of Vegan January left. I must say, as much as I've been enjoying the vegan meals I've been making, I'm kind of looking forward to February. I definitely don't think I'm cut out to be vegan long-term - respect to those who can do it!
Perhaps if I was allowed one non-vegan meal a week just to get my cheese fix, it would be a lot easier for me, because I am actually coming up with plenty of awesome vegan dinner ideas - like these lentil and black bean tacos. They're a simple mixture of lentils, black beans and spices, served in a tortilla with whatever other taco fillings you fancy - I went for salsa and some fresh coriander, but avocado, tomatoes, red onion, or (if you really want to make me jealous) some sour cream or grated cheese would be great too.
The lentil and black bean mixture in these tacos is great hot or cold, so they're also pretty good for taking to work for your lunch. Just beware that you might need a bib if you're likely to end up making as much of a mess as I did - you can't really fold in the end of a taco in the same way as you can with something bigger like a burrito, so everything inevitably slips slowly out of the open end. I'm sure there's some technique to eating these things neatly, but I've yet to find it. Maybe a knife and fork is the answer, but I think I would feel a little ridiculous doing that (and this from a girl who uses a knife and fork for pizza).
Perhaps we just need to embrace the fact that tacos are messy, but as long as they're delicious, it's okay. These were definitely worth it.
- 60g brown lentils
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained but not rinsed (240g when drained)
- ½tsp smoked paprika
- ½tsp hot chilli powder
- ¼tsp ground coriander
- Black pepper
- To serve: 4 mini flour tortillas or taco shells; taco toppings such as salsa, fresh coriander, avocado, tomato, cheese, sour cream
- Add the lentils, stock and black beans to a saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around ten minutes, until the liquid has begun to boil off. From this point onwards, you will probably need to stir more often to prevent the lentil and bean mixture from sticking to the pan. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and has no excess water. If the lentils are still not quite tender, add a dash more water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the spices and plenty of black pepper, and mix well.
- Serve in mini tortillas or taco shells with your favourite taco toppings.
Alison says
Hi Becca, these look fabulous! Could I make them with green lentils? What is the difference between the different colored lentils?
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Actually green lentils and brown lentils are pretty similar, so you could definitely try using green :) Red lentils, on the other hand, cook down a lot mushier than brown and green.
Alison LeCompte says
Ahhh! Thank you for the 101 on lentils! Although I have used them all I really never knew the difference, LOL. Thanks again Becca! I will be adding this to my menu if not tonight then this week for sure!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Enjoy! :)