Ole! Veggie Tacos

Our family keeps a kosher style kitchen, which means that there are certain restrictions in our at-home diet, the two most prominent of which are no pork or shellfish and no mixing of milk and meat. In order to keep within these guidelines, I am constantly thinking of creative ways to substitute dairy or meat products in recipes that call for both.

Our family loves tacos, which traditionally include both meat and cheese. We have tried a variety of ways to substitute, such as using soy cheese or soy meat ... both of which we found unsatisfying. Tonight, I changed it up a little and instead of ground beef, used a mixture of lentils and a vegan soy meat mixture. The result was a delicious and healthy meal!

Lentil Tacos

1 onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 cup lentils, dry
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup salsa
1 package Fantastic World Food taco filling mix

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in a pan with olive oil until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the lentils and the spices and mix well, 1 minute. Add the stock and simmer, covered, on low for 20 minutes, adding additional liquid as needed.

While the lentil mixture is cooking, prepare the taco filling mix according to the package directions in a separate pan.

Uncover the lentil pan and cook for another 10 minutes to thicken up the mixture. Add the salsa and the taco filling mix. If needed, this can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated, and reheated when you are ready to eat dinner.

We ate the tacos with tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, avocados, and rice. It was a nutritious and yummy meal enjoyed by all!

Today's workout:
30 min run (4.0 mi)
60 min. yin yoga class
60 min. yoga @ home