Chili Lime Lentil Tacos With Spicy Grilled Pineapple Salsa

  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the spicy grilled pineapple Salsa:

  • 1/2 pineapple, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, cut into big pieces
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1/2 red onion, quartered
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

For the Salsa:

  1. Get out 2 skewers. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak at least 30 minutes before grilling time.
  2. Heat up grill. Once hot place sliced pineapple on grill.
  3. Take your skewers and run them thru the onion quarters.
  4. Brush peppers and onion with a bit of olive oil and place on grill as well.
  5. Cover grill and cook about 3-5 minutes. Flip pineapples and vegetables over once you have a nice char on the outside and repeat on the other side. Please note grilling times will vary so keep an eye on these.
  6. Once done, remove and place on plate until cool enough to handle. Once cool, remove skin from peppers and dice up all vegetables. Place into a bowl and add in lemon juice. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator.
  7. If time permits, the longer it sits the better the salsa will become. Chill a couple of hours if you can.
For the Lentils:
  1. Add water to a medium saucepan and boil water. Add in dried lentils and cook roughly 20 minutes or until nice and soft. Remove from heat.
  2. In a small bowl, combine all spice together.
  3. Add spice mixture, lime zest, lime juice and tomato paste to lentils and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed.

NOTES

The amount of lime juice will depend on the size and juiciness of your limes, so adjust as needed.

VEGAN DIRTY MASALA CHAI AFFOGATO

http://thefirstmess.com/2016/04/27/vegan-dirty-masala-chai-affogato-recipe/
vegan-dirty-masala-chai-affogato-1pp_w745_h1036

SERVES: 6

2 very ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
1 1/3 cups unsweetened dairy-free creamer (1 full package of original unsweetened nutpods)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground cardamom
3 orange pekoe or other plain black tea bags
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup freshly brewed espresso, or other strong coffee that you love

First things first! Make sure your bananas are fully frozen and ready to go.

In a small saucepan, combine the creamer, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt, cloves, and cardamom. Place the pot over medium heat. Once the spiced creamer is at a simmer, drop in the tea bags and stir. Keep the creamer and tea simmering for 3 full minutes. Take the creamer off the heat, and remove the tea bags. Transfer the spiced creamer to a new bowl, and place it in the freezer to chill for 5-10 minutes.

Retrieve the spiced creamer mixture from the freezer and pour it into a food processor. To the food processor, add the sliced frozen bananas, maple syrup, vanilla, and olive oil. Run the motor on high until you have a creamy and thick consistency.

-making method 1: Transfer the masala chai ice cream base to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Ice cream-making method 2: Pour the masala chai ice cream base into clean ice cube molds (preferably small ice cubes). Then, freeze the ice cream solid in the molds. Once frozen, let the ice cream “cubes sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then, place the ice cream “cubes” back into the food processor and run the motor on high until you’ve “churned” the ice cream. It should look like soft serve at this point. Serve ice cream immediately or transfer the ice cream to a dish for a hard freeze.

Ice cream-making method 3: Place the masala chai ice cream base into a dish and transfer to the freezer. Set a timer for 1 hour. When the timer beeps, retrieve the ice cream and manually “churn” it up with a spatula, breaking up the hardened chunks at the edges. Return the ice cream to the freezer. Repeat this process 3-4 times. This method almost guarantees you a few ice crystals, but the mixture is still pretty creamy overall. Perfect for “low tech” types that may not be super fussy on texture 😉

To serve: portion the masala chai ice cream out into 6 serving bowls or glasses. Divide the hot coffee amongst the bowls of ice cream, carefully pouring it over top. Serve immediately.

NOTES: If I was serving this for a dinner, I’d pre-scoop the ice cream and lay the scoops out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, I’d slide the baking sheet into the freezer. When dessert time comes, just portion out the pre-made scoops into your serving vessels, brew the coffee, and voila! Also, I note some options in the recipe if you’re working without an ice cream maker. Last thing: start freezing some bananas now if you plan to make this recipe in the next day or two. If you already have some sliced ones in your freezer stash, you’ll need roughly 240 grams-worth.