Early April we partnered with Chef Loghan Call of Planted Cuisine to hold cooking classes with the families at Courtade and Westwoods, focusing on ways to incorporate more vegetables onto the dinner plate! We made vegetable tacos with cajun black lentils, turmeric amaranth rice, roasted butternut sauce and pea shoots! We engaged the whole family by teaching students how to press their own tortillas while parents learned about how to prepare new ingredients with Loghan.
Here’s a recipe from Loghan for a great vegetarian taco base!
Cajun Black Lentils
Serves 4 (with some leftovers)
-2 cups black lentils
-5 cups water
-3 tablespoons cajun or taco seasoning
-2 large bell peppers diced (other peppers, including spicy ones are also great!)
-3 medium sweet onions diced
-4 cloves garlic
-1/4 cup olive oil or other type of fat
Directions:
1. Combine water and lentils with a couple pinches of sea salt in a medium to large pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a slow boil for around 35 minutes. You want the lentils to be soft without losing their form.
2. In a saute pan/skillet, add olive oil and garlic and bring to medium heat. Once you can smell the garlic cooking, add in the onions. Cook until the onions start to brown slightly and then add the peppers. Cook until they are tender. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the black lentils and pepper/onion mixture with the cajun/taco seasoning once both are done and while still warm/hot. You can serve at room temperature or heat when needed. Once cooled you can keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
