While I haven’t been blogging, I have been reading blogs. There are so many blogs about frugal food coming out of the US its crazy. Much of it is food I wouldn’t feed my dog but there are some great ideas, based on real food. This recipe for an inexpensive meat substitute for tacos is one that piqued my interest. Of course I had to wait until it was cool enough to try it.

First Born was hoping to make a chicken pilaf earlier this week but it was just too hot. The chicken was defrosted so I added it to the lentil and rice mixture to avoid wastage. Next time I will do without, it’s nice but not necessary.

I have converted the recipe to the thermomix, the original is cooked on the stove top and is just about as easy. I have also used real onions and garlic in place of the powders and home made stock. We served ours in corn tortillas with grated cheese and a salad of shredded rocket, diced tomato, diced avocado and yoghurt (because we have no sour cream).

Chicken, Rice and Lentils for tortillas or tacos.
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup puy lentils (or green/brown lentils)
3/4 cup brown or white rice
4 chicken thighs, diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or 4 teaspoons stock concentrate and 4 cups water)
4 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons cumin

  1. Peel and quarter onion. Add garlic cloves to thermomix. Chop on speed 8 for 3 – 5 seconds.
  2. Add lentils, rice, chicken, stock, chilli and cumin
  3. Cook at 100 degrees, reverse speed 1. If using white rice, 20 minutes, for brown rice, 30 minutes.

This is so tasty. Even a hardened carnivore would be happy to eat the non-chicken version. The flavours combine perfectly for a Mexican filling and the lentil with the rice pack a great protein punch for very little expense. No matter whether you cook it in the thermomix or on the stove top, it has the added beauty of being a one pot meal. Perfect for minimalist clean ups!

Sorry for the lack of pictures but I stil havent remembered to charge the cameras after our white Christmas.