Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos

This is probably the strangest use of cauliflower I have tried yet, but, it worked!

The cauliflower-lentil combo was surprisingly tasty. We all ended up making tortilla-less salad combos with it after eating a taco or two.

It easily replaced beef and refried beans and was more flavorful and oh so healthy! In addition the leftovers made a really nice lunch the next day, heated and topped with some lettuce and feta.

I was a little lazy. The original recipe called for processing the cauliflower in a food processor; I didn’t feel like pulling it out so I used the blender that was on my counter and just did it in batches. It worked fine, so you can actually do it either way. I like this picture, it kind of looks like abstract art…

Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos

Adapted from Jason Andrew Wrobel on Cookingchannel.com.

1 cup green or brown lentils
1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets (from Highland Orchards)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (from the garden)
4 cloves garlic, minced (from the garden)
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package hard or soft taco shells
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce, for topping
Guacamole, using your favorite recipe

Directions

Rinse the lentils and drain well. Combine the lentils and 3 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain of excess water and set the lentils aside.

Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor or blender until reduced to pieces the size of rice grains.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapenos and cook until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.Add the cauliflower, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of the coriander and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook until the cauliflower is tender, another 3 minutes. Add the cooked lentils to the cauliflower mixture. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon coriander. Stir in the salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes more to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.Scoop the taco filling into taco shells, top with some shredded romaine and a dollop of guacamole. Serve immediately and enjoy!Serves 6 – 8.