January 27, 2010: Lentil Tacos

this recipe away for speedy school-night shenanigans, together with I was happy to accept accuse of throwing it together. Lindyloo has provided us with many delicious recipes, together with thence I was a chip surprised to run into that this was basically a kit-taco assembled amongst lentils taking the house of mince. Still, the operate of slightly terrifying pre-mixed taco spices added speed together with simplicity to the whole deal, along amongst a distinct nostalgic flavour - dorsum inwards the twenty-four sixty minutes menses many a share-house repast was based on the powdery delights of the taco seasoning sachet.

The chipotle sour-cream sauce effortlessly trumped the watery salsa included inwards the taco pack, demonstrating the limits of pre-packaged condiments, together with a smattering of salad afterwards nosotros had ourselves or together with thence fine tacos. I tend to favour soft trounce Mexican goodness, primarily because I lack the basic coordination to swallow crunchy ones - but I had a smiling on my sauce-stained human face upwards after this meal. Outstanding.


Spiced lentil tacos
(courtesy of Yeah, That "Vegan" Shit)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 loving cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 loving cup dried chocolate-brown lentils, rinsed
1 packet taco seasoning (it came inwards our Mission taco kit!)
2.5 cups vegie stock
1/2 loving cup vegan sour cream
1-2 chipotles inwards adobo sauce, finely chopped (with equally much extra adobo equally you lot tin scrape out)
6-8 taco shells
Salad-y toppings (we had grated carrot, capsicum together with greens - although it looks similar Cindy skimped on her greens)

Heat the fossil oil inwards a frypan together with shaver the onion, garlic together with tabular array salt until soft.

Add the dry out lentils together with the seasoning together with stir through, cooking for almost a minute.

Pour inwards the stock together with select everything to the boil. Reduce the heat, comprehend together with simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils receive got softened. Uncover together with simmer for a few to a greater extent than minutes to thicken upwards the mixture.

While the sauce is thickening, laissez passer on the tacos 2-3 minutes inwards the oven, at almost 180 degrees.

Mix together the sour cream together with the chipotles.

Serve it upwards together with enjoy!

March 5, 2011: Leftover Makeover - Spiced Lentils On Toast (Breakfast Series Role V)

Lentil tacos accept been getting multiple runs inwards our kitchen lately - they're unfussy, flexible together with reasonably healthy.  Leftovers produce real nicely on toast too!  For breakfast on Sabbatum forenoon I layered our remaining grated carrot together with lentils on breadstuff together with popped them nether the grill to warm through, finishing them alongside the final quarter avocado together with a side drinking glass of orangish juice.

This would brand an splendid repast or snack at whatsoever fourth dimension of the day.  I flora that the lentils kept me satisfied for hours, something I'm e'er looking for together with especially inwards the morning.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Lord's Day black lentil-simmer is all you'd (I'd) request to relish this toast all calendar week long.

Catering For A Crew

January 3-14, 2012

Michael has already hinted, I've been away on an epic opportunity inward science. Over the past times few months, designing a champaign experiment has taken upward an increasing proportion of my fourth dimension too mental space. I barely took a intermission over Christmas; slinking off to a tranquillity corner alongside my laptop for hours at a fourth dimension (not overnice guest-like or host-like behaviour, too I was both), heading into a deserted component for a hateful solar daytime or two, writing listing upon listing upon list, too fifty-fifty mobilising friends to help.

It all culminated inward a ten-day trip to Falls Creek alongside to a greater extent than than a dozen of my colleagues, a talented squad of supervisors, co-workers, assistants, students too volunteers. And non exclusively was I supposed to gild them well-nigh the field, making observations too taking measurements: I needed to feed them.

This is what $600 worth of groceries 

(and the Moody Noodles' torsos) await like

My programme unfolded, thus:

1. Taking stock of dietary requirements. At our peak nosotros were xiv adults, alongside 2 pescetarians too 2 fully-fledged vegetarians; i gluten- too oat-avoider, i gluten- too onion-intolerant. I aimed by too large for this lowest mutual denominator, offering requirement-friendly adaptations on a few meals.

2. Starting alongside starches. On lila masala too a onion-free adaptation of this taco seasoning) through packages I know too honey (Maesri curry paste, gluten-free hoisin sauce, sambal oelek) to bottles I'd never unremarkably reckon buying (this cherry vino too garlic sauce).

On Midweek it snowed. No novel information for us.

Breakfasts too lunches were a mix of cereal too toast, fruit, sandwiches (with meaty too gluten-free options), tea, java too juice. I had enormous quantities of water, trail mix too jelly lollies on mitt to sustain people throughout the hateful solar daytime too a few chocolate blocks for evenings spent playing cards too Scrabble.

For dinners nosotros ate:

• lentil tacos (no onion, home-made seasoning, flour too corn-based tortillas)
• pan-fried haloumi alongside lemon-parsley potatoes too a garden salad
• char koay teow-inspired rice noodle stir-fry
• risotto alongside mushrooms, peas too white beans
• Thai cherry curry alongside rice too cashews
• broccoli pesto pasta (with a carve upward gluten-free batch)
• red vino lentils too sausages on polenta (with packet mix sauce, meaty too vege sausages)
• marinated mushrooms alongside Jos' famous white patato gratin too a garden salad
• spiced chickpeas on rice alongside lime pickle too mango chutney
• Mexi-style beans alongside leftover rice, baked polenta, tortillas, guacamole too to a greater extent than salad.

Restoring plots inward the frost early Th morning.

Other things that helped brand it happen:

• Michael, K & Toby generously helped me store too carry all the non-perishables a few days earlier departure.
• I bought exclusively the showtime few days of fresh materials to start with. Later-arriving squad members helped out alongside top-ups every bit the calendar week went on.
• On most mornings, I'd guide maintain 10 minutes to scrawl downward the dinner programme too laid the correct pantry ingredients on the bench. Usually the final i to larn inward dwelling from the field, I'd frequently uncovering several people already inward the kitchen chopping vegetables too selecting pots.
• A fleck of flexibility. While 80% of meals were served just every bit planned having garlic, stock cubes, canned tomatoes too cheese on mitt allowed for unopen to improvisation alongside the fresh materials that needed finishing, such every bit Jos' white patato gratin too Kate too Sacha's Mexi-bean mush.

Notice the pattern? Help, help, help. People are happy to pitch in, in i lawsuit given a dyad of pointers. What plant inward the champaign goes double inward the kitchen.

Friday was stunning, reminding us all why nosotros volunteered to live here.