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Lentil Tacos | alidaskitchen.com #WeekdaySupper

Lentil Tacos #WeekdaySupper

Lentil Tacos are a hearty, vegan dish made a little spicy and a lot delicious.  Even meat lovers will enjoy these high-protein, fiber-rich, vegetable-packed meatless tacos!

Lentil Tacos | alidaskitchen.com #WeekdaySupper

Lentils are one of my favorite ingredients to use in healthy, meatless recipes.  They are high in protein, fiber and are so versatile. Lentils are quick cooking, which makes them excellent for weeknight meals. We enjoy them in salads, pasta sauce, and here as Lentil Tacos.  

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Vegan Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce #SundaySupper

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce - heatlhy, vegan, delicious from Alida's Kitchen

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce is a protein-packed, thick and hearty pasta sauce, made vegan using lentils in place of meat. {vegetarian, vegan without cheese, sauce is gluten free}

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce a thick and hearty, like a meat sauce, using lentils instead of meat.  I love using lentils as a meat substitute in recipes.  They are very meat-like in that they are high in protein, take on flavors in a sauce (or salad) and are very versatile.  Unlike meat, lentils are high in fiber and easy on the budget.  They do not require soaking or long cooking times, making lentils a wonderful choice for quick, easy and healthy meatless meals.

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce is very easy to make and takes roughly an hour to get a thick, hearty meatless pasta sauce.  The first step is sauteing the onions and garlic.  The next step is to add the lentils and broth to cook the lentils.  The last step is to add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients to make the pasta sauce and let it simmer for about 40 minutes, letting the flavors come together.  The result is a healthy, protein-packed,  hearty meatless tomato pasta sauce made with lentils that is delicious, nutritious and suitable for a variety of dietary needs.  Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce makes a generous amount of sauce, and leftovers reheat nicely….

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Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

vegan mediterranean vegetable lentil salad with balsamic vinaigrette and feta cheese


Mediterranean Lentil Salad is a healthy, protein-packed, veggie-rich grain salad, mixed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.   There are so many delicious flavors at play here, with red onions, garlic, parsley and, of course, the balsamic vinaigrette.  This easy recipe is a great base recipe with lots of flexibility to customize it to your preference.  You could add spinach, change up the amounts of tomatoes, onions, etc.  Mediterranean Lentil Salad can also be vegan by simply omitting the feta cheese.

I really like using lentils because they are such a great source of lean protein and high fiber and iron too.  Per the bag I used, there are 12 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber…all with zero fat.   I find lentils to be a great meat substitute in recipes, such as tacos.  In fact, I am putting the final tweaks on a lentil taco recipe to share with you soon!

Mediterranean Lentil Salad
 
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped red onion, plus 1 1-inch thick slice (for cooking water)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus 3 parsley sprigs (for cooking water)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
  • 1 cup halved cherry (or grape) tomatoes
  • ½ cup diced cucumber
  • ½ cup feta cheese, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the balsamic vinaigrette:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
  1. COOK LENTILS: Add 2½ cups of water to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add onion, parsley sprigs and minced garlic and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered until lentils are tender (about 20-25 minutes). Drain and discard onion and parsley.
  2. MAKE VINAIGRETTE: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, water, vinegar, mustard and garlic until combined. Pour into a sauce pan (I just used the same pan used to cook the lentils) and heat on low until just warmed (do not boil).
  3. ASSEMBLE: Place warm lentils in a serving bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, chopped parsley, ¼ cup feta and warm vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup feta and serve.

It’s my favorite time of month again…the Eating with the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic!  This month we were to showcase a recipe using a fruit, vegetable or grain that begin with the letters K or L.  Lentils are the first that came to mind, and I had so much fun trying different, healthy recipes with them.  If you’re a blogger, why not join us!  It’s fun to come up with new, healthy recipes as well as see what other bloggers decide to make.   Brenda has more information and sign up details here.