These shouldn't have worked but they did; they were fabulous! I added the Pancetta so as not to have to hear L.'s complaints about a lack of meat but, quite frankly, this is a fabulous vegetarian dish without them.
You could buy premade taco shells and use those; I just happened to have some tortillas in my freezer that I wanted gone. I wanted something crunchy in the dish so I brushed the tortillas on both sides with a bit of oil, folded them in half and stuck them in between the indentations of upside down muffin tins. 5 minutes at 400 and -- voilà ! -- taco shells. That was the hardest part of the dish...
10 taco shells (yes this is still a recipe for 4 people as per usual, but some people will eat 2, others 3, so I think 10 makes sense. Extras can be broken up into a lovely salad for lunch the next day)
1 cup lentils
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsps olive oil
1/2 head purple or Red Napa cabbage, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Lb Pancetta, cut by the butcher into thin rounds
Garnishes: Mixed grated Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, coriander leaves, sliced red onion, tomatoes, sliced avocado, radishes, sour cream, Cowboy candy hot sauce or your favorite hot sauce, limes for adding a little tang of juice -- whatever you usually put on tacos.
First start cooking your lentils by placing them in a large pan with the bay leaves and covering them generously with water. Cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, tasting them after 15 to check if they are done. You want lentils that are firm, but have no bite left. You do not want mushy lentils.
While the lentils are cooking, prepare your tacos as described above or remove your tacos from the packaging. Chop and prepare all of your garnishes.
Put the finely chopped cabbage in a large skillet along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted and cooked to your liking. Drain off any water that might be remaining and stir in some salt and the vinegar. Set aside.
I cook the Pancetta by layering them 2 by 2 on paper towel halves and forming one large package before microwaving them for 7 minutes until they are crispy. Since your microwave might be stronger than mine, start with 5 minutes and add the extra 2 minutes if needed.
By now the lentils should be ready. Drain them and pour them back into the pan, removing the bay leaf as you do. Salt liberally and stir in the olive oil.
Place a little bit of everything in one of the taco shells, eat, and repeat.
#pastariceandgrains #vegetarian (sans Pancetta)
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