Wet, WEt, WET & Slow Cooker Lentil Taco Recipe

I woke up around 2 AM this morning, listening to heavily falling raindrops tap dancing across the roof above my head.

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Around 4 AM, the tap-dancing raindrops woke me again … and this time I took notice. I also decided to forego my foray to the West End, as I have been doing Friday afternoons. But when the ground gets saturated in the next County, landslides and flooding occurs: I did not want to get stuck in either situation.

Bob would have been able to read the signs; and instinctively know when to seek alternative routes before impending dangers erupted – but, I am not Bob.

All I have is my intuition. And this morning it was saying, “stay home!”

I cat napped off and on, waiting for an acceptable hour to contact my West End Friend to let her know I’d be holed up all day long, today … and would not be venturing that way again, until Spring 2023.

The KM slides; and the Graysriver floods.

This ‘Sleuth Sister’ – from my end – will have to wait until March or April 2023 to join the other three, in our armchair detective adventures 😉

Just as I was getting up to get the coffee perking, I got an incoming text: there would be no sisterhood gathering amongst anyone in the West End, today.

So, I grabbed a new read … it’s a perfect rainy day read; and settled into Bob’s comfy recliner, for some enjoyable reading, as I listened to the backbeat of raindrop tap dancing.

New Read.

Setting the story background ... I'm a sucker for a Genghis Khan story.

I like anything related to the Mongol war lord, Genghis Khan; the bold exploits fascinate me.

An hour later, I received another incoming text:

Local text from “up the road and around the bend”; this friend lives on a river bluff. I live on the flats, {in town}, surrounded by sloughs held back with earthen dikes.

Yes, it is a potential dicey situation.

Checking my FB Page, I saw a recipe that looked interesting: so, I put a pot on. I like lentils 😊

Brown Lentils for Lentil Tacos ...

Supper cooking.

==Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos

These vegan slow cooker lentil tacos are a super easy dinner! Flavorful, family-friendly, and beloved by all kinds of eaters, this is the perfect healthy dinner recipe to make again and again.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time8 hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: healthy tacos, slow cooker tacos, vegan tacos

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 133kcal equals 133,000 calories (1,000 calories will be written as 1,000kcals)

Author: Taesha Butler

Equipment

·         slow cooker

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 cups green or brown dry lentils, picked over and rinsed

·         3 cups vegetable broth

·         1/2 cup finely chopped onion

·         1 1/4 cup salsa

·         1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil

·         3 teaspoons ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1 teaspoon paprika

·         1 tablespoon dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh

·         1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

·         1 tablespoon coconut aminos or sub soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         8 medium tortillas

·         taco toppings

Instructions

1.           Combine ingredients in your slow cooker. Stir a few times and cover.

2.           Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours. Each slow cooker cooks a little differently, so exact time will depend on your unique slow cooker or crockpot. Cook until lentils are tender and most of the liquid has cooked off.

3.           Use a slotted spoon to portion out lentil taco filling into tortillas, over rice, greens or however you opt to enjoy this taco filling. Top with sliced avocado, extra red onion, cilantro or whatever your favorite taco toppings are.

4.           Let leftovers cool and store in air-tight container in fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes: To make in Instant Pot: Combine all ingredients, stir and place IP lid on, locking it in place. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come up to pressure. Once cooking is done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before carefully quick releasing the remaining pressure. 

Carefully lift lid off of your pressure cooker, stir and enjoy.

Nutrition:Serving: 1taco | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated |Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1181mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

And while Supper cooks, I checked in on my West End Friend:

And I noticed my Angel Wing has blossomed: I bought this plant nine years ago at a Grange Sale in Clatskanie, OR when Bob and I were out and about, dinking around on back roads. The original plant was taller, but it died of neglect in the first year of my widowhood – I managed to salvage two snippets and they took root; this one has blossomed, the other has not.

My  3-y.o. Angel Wing Begonia snippet has blossomed; I’ll repot it later on.

Life continues 😊