Vegivore Eats | Crispy Spring Rolls (by Julia)

A day in the life of cooking special-diets meals for multiple individuals/families in the same day means that I'm drawn to recipes that are flexible. Considering the time constraints of working for only a few hours in someone else's kitchen, my clients' grocery budgets and food preferences (not to mention dietary guidelines), versatility and adaptability are a must. By buying larger quantities of fresh (and many local) ingredients, knowing I can easily suit everyone's needs by switching one thing out for another in semblances of the same recipe, I can make time and money go farther.

Enter the Thai appetizer "Po Pia Tod", or as we know them, Crispy Spring Rolls. Simple in concept but complicated in flavor, a "fried-and-true" classic of South/East Asian street food culture, they are crunchy little catch-alls, made traditionally with bits of produce and meat for a grab-it-and-nom-it snack, and served with a sweet and sour sauce.

In the world of true Thai cooking, there are no measurements. Food preparation is done by instinct and feel; years of family methods and experience. Thai chefs cook with their tongues...taste, taste, taste 'til it's right, then serve it. In their world, recipes are just suggestions. Thai food considers sweetness, sourness, creaminess and saltiness, then hot spiciness...as long as the dish is balanced you can get creative and truly can't go wrong.

Vegivore Eats | Lentil Tacos (by Julia)

I like a lot of things about lentils: the fact that I can buy them for cheap in bulk at the co-op, their adaptability, the ease with which they're cooked. The thing I like the most about lentils, though, is that when I eat them, I feel like I'm eating something good for me; like I'm doing right by myself.

While we often see lentils in Indian or Middle Eastern food, today I'd like to share them with you as Lentil Tacos. Without going all Alton Brown on you, I'll say they're high in insoluble fiber and protein (one cup is 28% of your daily protein requirements) and nearly completely fat-free. In this dish, lentils combine with rice (making up the two amino acids that lentils lack) in this vegetarian version of traditional ground beef tacos to form a complete meat-substituting protein -- without the post-meat coma.

You'll find this early Summer food (though the weather hastens to remind us that it's still technically late Spring) light, warming from the inside-out, and reminiscent of the real deal...even in texture.

As a special diets personal chef, my clients all have some sort of dietary restriction, but when it comes to this lentil taco filling -- it's not only naturally vegetarian, but also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and vegan. The bottom line? This is a fail-safe, metabolism-friendly, easy on the wallet, versatile and downright tasty Mexican-inspired dream of a meal.

Toasted corn shells stuffed with this lentil-rice filling, mixed greens from Kimball Fruit Farm (Pepperell, MA), corn kernels, garlic scapes and tomatoes from Dick's Market Garden (Lunenberg, MA) and topped with grated Asiago and Fontina cheeses as well as red onion rings.

LENTIL TACO FILLING

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely diced
• 2 big honkin' garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• pulverized dried Guajillo chile equalling 2 tsp (or substitute chile powder)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1c cooked short-grain brown rice
• 1c green lentils (or brown for a more "authentic" look, but they require pre-soaking), cooked with 1 dried bay leaf
• 4oz can chopped green chiles
• 1 TBS Cholula or your hot sauce of choice

1. First, get your spices mixed together and have them ready, along with a glass of water to splash in the hot pan and deglaze as necessary.
2. Heat the oil on medium-high, and saute the onion and garlic with a bit of salt for about 3 mins. They should be nicely browned. 
3. Add the spices and stir the mixture for about 30 seconds. (Don't forget, if the pan's bottom seems gunky -- and it should-- splash a little water in there and stir up those bits!)
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add your cooked rice and lentils, the hot sauce and chiles, as well as a splash of water.
5. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and spices, adjust as necessary.

Voila! Lentil taco filling. What'd I tell you, easy-peasy. Stuff corn shells like I did and add whatever toppings your heart desires, eat it hunched over the stove with a spoon, crown a salad with it. The possibilities are vast. And this stuff's even better the next day.

Enjoy!

PRO TIP: Rinse your lentils well, then slow-simmer 'em for 45 minutes vs. the normal-simmer 20 minutes it usually takes, to save yourself any -- ahem -- tummy rumbles. By cooking them slowly, you're breaking down the lentils' starch that typically is hard for your body to digest.