Our Veggie Kitchen

I felt adventurous last I made tacos, so I made a bunch of fillings so we could try a little of everything. I had black beans in the fridge, so I made some homemade refried beans. I read on "Yeah That Vegan Shit" about Spiced Lentils and I had to give that a try. And, I've been wanting to try some cheese flavored quinoa, so I gave that a go instead of Spanish rice.

The lentils were good. I added a jalapeno and a couple of tablespoons of taco seasonings with water. I cook so they were tender, but still had some tooth. They were good, and a nice change from my beloved refried beans.

I liked the quinoa too. I used some of the ingredients from my nacho sauce and added some salsa to the cooking liquid. They were cheezy, a bit spicy and were a great replacement for cheese in a taco. The only problem I had was that I got distracted and left them to boil instead of turning them to simmer. So, I added a little more water, probably too much. When they began to cool, they clumped. But that may have been user error.




Cheezy Quinoa
2 oz pimentos
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 cup quinoa

Blend together the pimentos, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and water. Add the salsa and set aside. Rinse the quinoa several times, then pour into a sauce pan. Fry the quinoa until it browns slightly, then add the liquid and salsa. Stir together and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, but still firm.

The flavor is strong and is meant as an accompaniment. It main be overpowering as a main course.

6 Servings: 129 cal (2 g fat, 24g carbs, 6g protein)