Savory Pumpkin Lentil Tacos

The blog world has been bursting with all things Fall. Cozy outfits, running in the cool weather, making comforting foods, apple picking, and not to forget the ever popular pumpkin. Pumpkin seems to have a special place in everyone’s heart and it definitely does in mine as well. Talk is all about pumpkin lattes, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, roasted pumpkin, really everything just seems to be pumpkin flavored. But do many of these recipes popping up are sweet not savory. So I am breaking from tradition here and making a savory pumpkin dish to enjoy this Fall. I have also been weirdly craving “Mexican” style food, which is always really hard for me to fulfill since my stomach can’t handle all the tomatoes, peppers, and heat. But pumpkin seemed like a good tomato “substitute” for the recipe I wanted to make. Of course the ingredients I had bought for it (a slacker frozen pepper and onion mix and can of tomatoes) would no longer do. So out to the grocery I went for that beautiful can of pumpkin puree. I am glad to say it was worth it and I am just craving these savory pumpkin lentil tacos just typing this up. (And my stomach thanks me too!)

Savory Pumpkin Lentil Tacos

Ingredients: (Serves 2; 4 Tacos)

+ 1/2 Heaping Cup of Brown Lentils

+ 1/2 Cup + 2 TB of 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree

+ 1 Small Yellow Onion (Diced)

+ 2 Cups Roughly Chopped White Button Mushrooms

+ 3 Cups Spinach (Torn)

+ 1/2 TB Chili Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Cumin

+ 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper (more or less to you level of spiciness, a dash of Cayenne would be great as well!)

+ 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

+ 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika

+ 1/2 Tsp Dried Cilantro

+ 1 TB of Dried Parsley

+ 1  Small Lime

+ 4 Hard Corn Taco Shells ( I used Bearitos Organic Yellow Corn Taco Shells)

Directions:

+ Bring 1 1/2 cup of water to a boil, rinse the lentils and add to the pot. Boil for 3 minutes then reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, covered. When the water is mostly gone and lentils seem cooked, add the pumpkin and mix. Make sure the heat is now on simmer, you may need to ad an extra TB of water at this point. Mix around and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

+ In the mean time (while the lentils are cooking), chop dice the onion, chop the mushrooms, and add all the spices into a bowl and toss. Zest the lime and add to the mix as well.

+ Place a large saute pan on medium heat and let it heat for a few minutes. Then add your bowl of veggies. Dry saute for about 3 minutes on low, stirring constantly. Then add the spinach and juice the lime directly into the pan (this will allow the spices to be scraped off the bottom and get incorporated better). Stir around and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.

+ Now it is time to assemble! Take a taco shell, spoon in some of the lentil mixture, then top with the mushroom saute. That’s it, Enjoy!

After I finished cooking these babies up, I was a bad blogger and just dug right in. I could not delay eating them any longer and didn’t feel like taking my camera out for pictures. But thankfully I had leftovers for my self the next. Thus the photo shoot took place then. I do not get how bloggers take photos while they are cooking either. Like my hands are messy and I can’t touch my camera, I am rushing to get things in the pan, after I touch my camera I don’t want to touch the food until I wash my hands, and it just dons;t work out. Then when I am done cooking, I am usually starving and do not want to eat cold food, so taking pictures is such a hassle. I guess that;s why I am not an official food/ recipe blogger. I don’t do multiple recipe trials and development. I just cook the recipe in my head and eat…then sometimes remember to take pictures for the blog post that day. I have however been getting into the habit of actually writing down the ingredients and what I do while I am cooking so I can remember and give you accurate measurements!

And remember its WIAW! Link up with Jen’s beautiful blog!

My recipe is also shared and featured on Healthy Vegan Friday!

So tell me:

What is your favorite savory pumpkin recipe? Link up in the comments!

Do you like Mexican food? O how I wish I could eat endless quantities of tomatoes, peppers, salsa, and spiciness.