Lentil Burritos and Banana Coconut Ice Cream Magic

Watch out Chipotle, there's a new burrito in town.

Today something magical happened. Today I reached a culinary milestone and made one of my favorite foods...from scratch (as "scratch" as it gets). Today I made BURRITOS.

For my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers reading: you guys have to try this. It's really not super difficult and yes, it can be done on carvao!

Here's the recipe:

Lentil taco "meat"
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 piri-piri pepper, chopped (carefully!)
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 C brown lentils
2 C water
1 1/2 Tbs taco seasoning
salt and black pepper, to taste

Flour tortillas
3 C flour
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 C water
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Other burrito fun:
Rice
chopped onion
chopped tomato
chopped lettuce
lime wedge
whatever you can get your hands on that tastes good... :)

How the magic happens:

1.  Make tortilla dough by first combining flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in vegetable oil until mix is crumbly. Stir in water well. Use large spoon to make baseball-sized balls. Roll with your hand and set on a plate with a thin, clean, dry towel (or a capulana scrap) over it. They should sit for about 30-45 minutes while you make the filling.
   
2. While tortillas are sitting, heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Once hot, add onion, garlic, piri-piri, and green pepper. Saute until onion is translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and give a good stir. Sprinkle in some S&P if you'd like.
4.  Throw in your lentils, give a good stir, and add taco seasoning. Stir well and then add water.
5.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. If using carvao, just put the top on and deixar for 15.
6. After 15 minutes, remove lid and cook until most of the water is evaporated. This should take another 15 minutes or so. Basically, cook until the lentils are done and there is minimal liquid in the pot. Remove from heat.
   
7.  By now, your tortillas should be ready to roll out. One at a time, sprinkle some flour on your rolling surface and star rolling your tortillas out until they are thin, but not too thin to pick up without tearing. You can use a rolling pin...but let's face it, an old wine bottle is just as fun. ;)
8.  After tortillas are all rolled out and waiting to be cooked, heat a large pan on high heat for a minute. Reduce heat to medium (again, if you're using carvao, just heat up your pan until it's hot). Lay tortilla on pan. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side, or until you see a bunch of little bubbles rising. They should be nice and golden brown but not burnt. Set cooked tortillas on a plate with a clean towel to keep them warm until you're ready to eat.
   
   
   
   
9.  Lay out your fresh tortilla, fill it with your lentil "meat" and toppings, roll up, and ENJOY!

This is my favorite thing that I've made so far. I made it the first time on carvao (we were out of cooking gas) and it worked just as well as it did the second time on my gas stove!


...room for desert?

Banana Ice Cream with Coconut

4 bananas, chopped and left in the freezer overnight
1 C fresh, full-fat coconut milk
1 C coconut shavings
cinnamon, to taste

1. In a bowl, combine frozen bananas and coconut milk.

2. Use immersion blender (or regular blender, or a very strong person with a fork) to blend bananas with coconut milk until creamy.

3. Fold in coconut shavings.
4. Put back into freezer. Stir well every 30 minutes until it has a more icecream-like texture.
5. Top with cinnamon and scoop into bowl, cup, or straight into your mouth ;)






As you can see, I've been eating well here in Moz and enjoying spending time in the kitchen. My last post was all about self care and so far this has been a really great way for me to decompress and get creative! If you happen to try either of these recipes, please let me know how they turn out!


"Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul." -Alice Walker

...I don't know about you, but I think burritos are pretty beautiful...





With love,


Emily