The Missoula Vacation Rental Project and Other Insanity . . .

You know that saying, "Be careful what you wish for . . . "?

It's true.  So true.

Last summer, I wished for this:

Cute, right?

It's a townhouse.  In Missoula, Montana.

We live in Arizona.  (Actually, we're moving to California in a couple of months, but THAT'S a completely different story!)

How is this going to work?

And . . . WHY???

Well, I just love Missoula.  My younger brother moved there about ten or eleven years ago.  The first time I visited him, I was hooked.  Since then, I've tried to visit at least once a year.  We float down the Blackfoot or the Clark Fork in an inner tube with a cooler full of beer, and life is the absolute best it can be.

I'm a pretty responsible person with a profession that requires commitment and dedication, but I do like to pretend I'm a free spirit every now and then.  So, I've been living vicariously through my brother.  Ha ha.

So, fast forward ten years . . . last summer, my OTHER younger brother, my sister-in-law, and my two nephews made a big break from the heat and insanity of Phoenix and headed for Missoula as well!  Yep - my brother got a job and they bailed!  Now he gets to fly fish after work.  Who could blame them?

I would be tempted to join them, but Missoula is not exactly a hot spot for what I do.  I suppose I could choose another line of work, but . . . I'd miss it.  No way.

So how can I have a little piece of Missoula to keep for myself?

There it is.  Look at that view!  And all that Big Sky!  It's the townhouse.  We bought it.  Interestingly, my husband has never seen it in person.  How did he even agree to this?!?!  I'm not sure, but it's ours now!!!  (Sorry, not sorry.)

From the beginning, I wanted to turn it into a vacation rental.  Maybe some people are rich enough to own a second home and just let it sit there, but us?  Yeah.  No.

We bought it this past October.  Since it would have been impossible to get it fully equipped during my academic year, we rented it out (unfurnished) for about seven months.  In one week and two days, we're hitting the road to claim it and make it our own.  Well, MY own, to be more exact.  This was definitely my idea, as I'm constantly reminded . . .

The wrench in this situation is that I just got a new job!  In California!  I'm so excited and happy about it, but that means we'll be dealing with an out-of-state move as well.  Wow.  I was hoping to spend most of the summer in Missoula, but that's just not happening this time around.  We're planning to spend about a month getting it set up.  Then, we'll need to high-tail it back to Arizona, pack up our house, uproot our lives, and head up to northern California.

I'm not going to lie - I'm a little nervous about how this will all work out.  What do we do?  Do we get a local property manager for our Missoula townhouse?  Do we go with an online service?  Do we do it ourselves?  Yikes.  This is serious.

It's happening, though.  And I've decided it's going to be awesome.  In my next post, I'll have to fill you all in on my design ideas for the place.  I want something, modern, eclectic, and artistic.  I'm going to call it The Little Blue House.  In Spanish, that would be La Casita Azul.  Can anyone guess where my inspiration will be coming from?

Please feel free to comment!  Do any of you vacation rental owners have some words of wisdom for me?  I'd appreciate it!  I want to make this place a success!

Stitch Fix #29 Review - January 2017

Stitch Fix #29 Review - January 2017

Note:  This point contains affiliate links to support my blogging addiction!  :)

Wow!  The first part of 2017 has just flown by!  I just barely got back on track with my blog and it's already time for another Stitch Fix review!  If you checked out my last one, I'm sure you noticed that I took about a 6-month hiatus.  I was receiving fixes during that time; I just wasn't reviewing them.

I've found that Stitch Fix is a fun experience to share, though.  I always enjoy trying everything on, attempting to find a spot in the backyard with decent light, and forcing my husband to take pictures of me.  Ha ha.

Seriously, though.  There's a certain satisfaction in sorting through the photos and assembling the experience into something that might help (or at least entertain) someone else!  :)

If you're reading this, you're probably familiar with Stitch Fix, but if not, read on for a brief description of my history with Stitch Fix and a short explanation of how the whole thing works:

I became a member of Stitch Fix in January of 2015, and I am definitely a fan!  The situation in my closet is definitely looking up.  In fact, if there any issue at all, it's that it's TOO FULL!  It's been really nice to receive clothing in the mail that I can try on at my convenience, especially since I'm not a fan of shopping!  (Well, I've been known to drink and Prime now and then, but that's a different story . . . )

To get started, you go to their website and fill out your style profile!  That gives you a chance to show your stylist your measurements, usual sizes, how you like things to fit, and the styles that generally appeal to you.  If you're interested in checking it out, please consider following my link to schedule your first fix!  (I am a member of Stitch Fix's affiliate program, which means I get a small commission for anyone who signs up using my link.  However, my opinions are always my own and I pay for all of my own fixes!)

When you order a fix, you pay $20.00 to have your own personal stylist look at your style profile and preferences (which can include a Pinterest board).  They will choose five clothing and/or accessory items specifically for you.  They are shipped right to your doorstep!  You have three days to try the items with other things in your own wardrobe and decide if you want to keep them.  The $20.00 styling fee is credited toward any items that you decide to purchase, and you receive a prepaid shipping envelope to return anything that you don't want.  If you happen to keep all five items, you receive a 25% discount on the whole box!  You can choose to receive fixes every month, every few weeks, or only once in a while.  Here are some links to my previous reviews, if you'd like to check them out:

December 2016 - #28
June/July 2016 - #22
May/June 2016 - #21 
April 2016 - #20
March 2016 - #19
February 2016 - #18
February 2016 - #17
January 2016 - #16
December 2015 - #15
November 2015 - #14
November 2015 - #13
October 2015 - #12
September 2015 - #11
Stitch Fix Keepers
September 2015 - #10
August 2015 - #9

I was pretty overwhelmed with the whole holiday and end-of-semester madness in December, so I did not manage to write my stylist a note or update my Pinterest board before my my last fix.  Luckily, Lauren still picked out some great things and I ended up adding a beautiful top to my closet!  This time, I did much better!  I wrote Lauren a note with some ideas and did a decent overhaul of my Pinterest board.  

She noticed!  Here's her note to me:

Wait . . . what red blazer?  Is that a thing?  Can I have one, please?  Ha ha.  :)

One of the nice things about Stitch Fix is that they send you a style card with ideas for each of the items that you receive.  If you're clueless about fashion (as I can be sometimes), it's nice to see a couple of different ways to wear a new style.  Here's the style care that came with this fix:

At first glance, I was excited about the halter top, the dress, and the split back blouse!

Well . . . here's how it all turned out!

1. Collective Concepts Krissa Keyhole Halter Blouse - $54.00

Sorry about the shadows!  The light was pretty weird when I these pictures were taken and it was hard to find a good spot.  Oh, well.  At least you can see the top!

I can see why Lauren picked this for me.  It's definitely my style.  I love bright colors, and this orange/red background with the beautiful (but not too-girly) flowers seemed right up my alley.

I probably could have figured out a much better way to style this.  Cute jeans?  Nicer shoes?  In all honesty, though . . . this is probably how I would wear it.  Denim shorts and Converse!

The fit was perfect.  I was also glad to see that it was polyester, not rayon, so I could count on it NOT shrinking!   

Here's a shot of the back that also contains a closer view of the pattern.

Lauren did suggest that I try this top with the cardigan.  However, I just knew I would never wear it like that.  To me, this is a spring and summer top.  The only bad thing about it is that it will probably just sit in my closet for a couple of months.  That's OK, though.  Those hot days will be here in no time!

This was an easy decision.

Verdict:  KEEP

2. Renee C Leida Split Back Blouse - $48.00

As you can see, I moved to a new spot.  The shadows got even crazier, so by the time I got to my second outfit, I had to switch things up!

I was really excited to try this split back top!  I knew it would be a perfect for either work or casual wear.  I love polka dots and I could already think of several items to pair it with.  I decided to go with the Liverpool Anita Skinny Pant that I received in my September 2015 fix.

The top did fit, for the most part.  Unfortunately, I felt that the split back came up a bit too high for me.

If I bent over at all, my back was exposed.  I wouldn't wear it to work like that, and I didn't want to have to wear something under it.  I knew that I might wear it as part of a casual outfit, but something about the fabric and pattern combination was just saying "work" to me.  It didn't work for work, so I decided to pass!

Verdict:  RETURN

3. Loveappella Leila Knit Dress - $58.00

I immediately liked this dress.  I prefer dresses without a defined waist.  I'm tall and I have a long torso, so I seem to have better luck with swing or straight style dresses.  I liked the pattern and the soft knit seemed comfortable but thick enough to provide some camouflage.  I hate knit dresses that cling to every lump and bump!

To style this dress, I decided to go with basic black tights and riding boots.  These boots make frequent appearances in my review photos - they're my favorite pair!  They're so comfortable and they fit my calves just perfectly - reasonably priced, too!  They're available here:

Here's a shot of the back of the dress.  I have to say - that pattern was pretty good at the whole camouflage thing, too.  There have been times when I've seen a shot of the back of a dress and thought, "Nope."  Ha ha.

Well, it wasn't bad.  I just wasn't super excited about it.  My husband called it a work dress.  Well, I don't actually wear dresses to work all that often.  And the fact that he called it a work dress kind of takes the excitement about wearing it as a date-night dress.  Oh, well.  Seriously - no one dresses up for anything in this town anyway, so my date-night outfits often look like the halter top/shorts/Converse combination that I wore in the first photo!  

Verdict:  RETURN

4. Staccato Caylie Textured Open Cardigan - $48.00

This cardigan was a pretty shade of blue.  It seemed rather thin to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in Arizona.  However, this was more of a throwaway, lower quality kind of thin.  I got the feeling it might fall apart if I threw it in the wash.

Once I put it on, I noticed that the sleeves were just a bit too short.  That sealed the deal for me.  I need long arms!  Too bad, though.  I liked it more than I thought it would.  Honestly, if I had loved the other four items, I might have kept it.

As you can see, I chose to wear my other favorite pair of riding boots - also Steve Madden.  I don't know what it is about that brand - maybe they work for me because I have rather narrow feet and calves.  If you're the same way, you might want to check them out.  Here they are on Amazon!



I also wore the Kut From the Kloth jeans that I received in my very first fix.  There are still working quite well for me!

Anyway, back to the cardigan.  Nah, not really working for me.  Oh, well.

Verdict:  RETURN

5. 41Hawthorn Liss Button Back Striped Pullover - $58.00

I do like stripes.  Lauren was right about that!  When I first saw this sweater, though, I just didn't go for it.  The combination of the mint pastel and light grey just seemed kind of . . . frumpy?  I don't know.  Either color is fine by itself.  I just didn't love them together, and I'm not sure why.  Hmmm.

The back had some cute button detail, which I also usually like.

This was a very thin sweater.  Again - not a bad thing in Arizona, but it was pretty see-through.  The flimsy fabric was super clingy.  Remember what I said about knits, and how they sometimes stick to every lump and bump?  Yeah.  

I just didn't feel good in this.  It wasn't awful, but I think there are many other striped sweaters that would look much better on me.  Someone else would love this; it just wasn't my cup of tea!

Verdict:  RETURN

So this fix was a 1/5 (which is still a win), and I'm super excited to wear my new top.  In March, maybe.  Ha ha.  No, really - it's perfect.  Around here, it's summer for 8 months out of the year, anyway!

I'm excited to see what Lauren will send my way next time!

By the way, if you'd like an easy way to see Stitch Fix items that other people have received, you can check out some other Stitch Fix reviews by clicking on the link below and visiting a great linkup.  It's hosted by Maria of Crazy Together.  I always enjoy seeing her fixes and joining in the fun with other Stitch Fix fans!  :)

http://crazytogether.com/athleisure-fix-january-stitch-fix-review/

Please comment!  Did I make the right calls?  Have you received any of these items?  What did you think?

Thanks again for reading!

Pistachio-Amaretto Cheesecake Bars

The other day, I ran across a recipe on Pinterest that immediately caught my eye. It was a cheesecake that featured the flavors of pistachio pudding and amaretto! I knew I had to check it out. I went to The Gold Lining Girl to take a closer look. Here's a link:

http://thegoldlininggirl.com/2016/04/amaretto-pistachio-cheesecake/

I have to say, I completely agreed with Sarah's assessment of pistachio pudding. It doesn't really taste like pistachios. It IS delicious, though. It's in a category all by itself!

I really wanted a piece of the cheesecake! However, I knew that if I made it, my husband and I would be dealing with a very large dessert that would hang around the house for days and days! I decided to see if I could downsize the recipe into a more manageable square pan of cheesecake bars. 

I made some changes to the ingredients.  I started by cutting the ingredients in half, but I didn't want use a half package of cream cheese or a half can of sweetened condensed milk.  I used only 2 packages of cream cheese, added an extra egg, and used sugar instead of the condensed milk.  

I also wanted to add a little bit more chocolate!  Why not, right?  I decided to use chocolate graham crackers for the crust.  I also noticed that we happened to have some Godiva chocolate liqueur in the liquor cabinet (probably leftover some random seasonal martini drink that I made for a party).  I chose to top the cheesecake bars with a boozy whipped cream.  You could use regular whipped cream if you want, or you could just spike it with more amaretto if you don't have any chocolate liqueur.  

Anyway, Here's what I came up with:

Pistachio-Amaretto Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

For the chocolate crust:

1/3 cup raw almonds
6 whole chocolate graham crackers
2 tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

For the pistachio-amaretto cheesecake filling:

Two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
One 3.4 oz. box of instant pistachio pudding mix
1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 tbsp. amaretto liqueur

For the chocolate whipped cream:

1 half-pint container of heavy whipping cream
A pinch or two of sugar
One to two tbsp. of chocolate liqueur (or another liqueur of your choice)

Mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x9 square baking pan. 

2.  Place the almonds in a food processor.  Process until they are the consistency of large crumbs.  Add the graham crackers and sugar.  Continue to process until the mixture is a uniform mix of fine crumbs with some larger crumbs.  Press into the bottom and sides of the baking pan.  The sides of my crust went up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the bottom.  Set aside.

3.  Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl.  Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until softened and uniform.  Add the pudding mix, sugar, almond extract, and amaretto.  Continue to mix until smooth.  (The mixture will be thick.)  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and carefully spread to cover the crust. 

4.  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until filling is puffy and mostly set.  Cool completely and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Mine browned a bit more than I wanted.  I took it out after 28  minutes.  The mixture is pretty solid from the get-go because of the pudding.  I think 20 to 25 minutes is the ticket.

5.  Make the whipped cream:  Place the cream in a medium bowl and add sugar and chocolate liqueur to taste.  Whip with a whisk until soft peaks form.  You can also use a hand mixer. 

6.  Cut the cheesecake into 8 bars.  Top with the whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.  Enjoy! 

There you have it!  My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed these.  I was a little worried as I was mixing the cheesecake mixture because it was SUPER thick, but it worked out just fine.  I was afraid that it would get thicker as it baked, but it stayed creamy and luscious.  It was definitely solid all the way through, but I found that to be a bonus.  It was easy to cut into nice pieces.

This is a great recipe to turn to on some random Tuesday when you just want a delicious taste of something sweet (with a modest amount of leftovers to enjoy).  However, next time I want a beautiful, large cheesecake with a much more refined presentation than these bars, I'll try Sarah's recipe at The Gold Lining Girl!

Feel free to comment on this recipe.  Did you try it?  What did you think?  Isn't the color of pistachio pudding just . . . unnatural?  Not like real pistachios at all.  Ha ha.  But it's so good . . . :)

Please consider subscribing if you'd like to follow my recipes, fashion mishaps, fitness adventures, and crafting craziness:

Subscribe to Arizona Renaissance Woman by Email

Thanks for reading!

79. Lamb Picadillo Tacos

This post contains affiliate links to support my blogging addiction!

I have a confession to make.  I came up with this taco recipe over the summer, right around the time my taco project temporarily crashed and burned!  We had a family get-together, and I figured I'd knock off three taco recipes in one day.  Well . . . I did.  I just didn't do a great job at documenting them.  Then I took a few months off of blogging.  By the time I got back to it, I didn't feel right posting the recipes I had made that day because it had been so long since I had made them that I wasn't sure I could adequately write about the experience!

I remembered that the lamb picadillo tacos were awesome, though!  I knew I needed a do-over.  I bought the ingredients for my months-old recipe, made it again, and decided to get a blog post up right away (as I usually do) while both the recipe and the cooking experience were still fresh in my mind.  I'm confident that what you're reading is an accurate representation of my original recipe!  I usually don't get to try them twice before posting (because this project is CRAZY), so it was kind of a bonus for me this time!

I got the inspiration for these tacos from a picadillo mollete recipe that I found in one of my many cookbooks: 



It was basically a sandwich - a picadillo filling stuffed in a roll and lightly fried. 

Picadillo is a kind of hash that can be found in many Latin cuisines - Mexican, Spanish, Cuban, etc.  It usually involves ground meat and potatoes, but can also include olives, raisins, and many other ingredients. 

Interestingly, the term "mollete" can also refer to different things, depending on the cuisine.  It can be a flatbread or a type of sandwich. 

So . . . what goes in a sandwich?  Cheese!  Pickles!  Lettuce! 

You can see how this happened.  I had an idea and took it down some crazy road that has quite possibly never been traveled before.  Ha ha.  This is probably the most unauthentic incarnation of picadillo that has ever been made, but it was pretty delicious.  If you're not a fan of lamb, it would work equally well with ground beef or ground turkey. 

So . . . here's what I did:

Lamb Picadillo Tacos 

Serves 4 (about 12 tacos)

Ingredients:

For the lamb filling:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 lb. ground lamb
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup peeled and diced russet potato (about 1/4 inch dice)
1/2 small plum tomato, diced (also 1/4 inch)

2 tbsp. dried currants (or raisins)
1/4 cup pimiento stuffed green olives, chopped
2 tbsp. dry sherry
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. white wine
1 and 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground pepper to taste

I know - it's got a lot of ingredients.  However, you might have most of these in your pantry already!

12 high-quality crunchy taco shells (freshly made, if you can get them)

Garnish as desired with:

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Kosher dill sandwich slices, sliced in half lengthwise

Finely shredded provolone cheese

Cholula (or another hot sauce of your choice)

Instructions:

1.  Make the lamb filling:  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and red pepper, lower the heat a bit, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute, or until fragrant.  Add the cumin, oregano, lamb and salt and raise the heat back to medium.  Cook and stir, breaking up the lamb into small pieces, for about 10 minutes or until the lamb is fully cooked.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.  Lower the heat and gently simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potato is tender and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Keep warm.

2.  Heat the shells:  Toast briefly (a minute or two) in a 350 degree oven until hot and fragrant.  Watch them - they can go from toasty to burned pretty quickly!

3.  Assemble the tacos:  For each taco, place a taco shell on a plate.  (If you have nifty little taco holders like the ones below, use them!  They make things easier!)  :)



Place one of the pickle slices inside.  Fill with some of the lamb mixture.  Top with lettuce, cheese, and Cholula.  Enjoy! 

There you have it.  Lamb picadillo tacos!  We both loved them, though we had different opinions about some of the ingredients.

I love pickles, olives, vinegar, and all things sour and briny.  I thought the olives in the filling, the vinegar in the Cholula, and the slice of pickle in the shell really went well together.  Steve thought the pickle was overkill.  He preferred just the meat, cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce.

If you're like me and you love pickles, I would recommend including the pickle slices.  If you would rather not, you'll still have some delicious tacos!

Three tacos seemed to be a good serving size for this recipe.  We got one dinner and one lunch out of this recipe, and we enjoyed it just as much the second time! 

If you've followed my recipes, you probably know that I don't worry too much about a little extra fat.  That being said, it is true that ground lamb can contain a little bit more fat than some people prefer.  If you wanted to brown the lamb separately, drain it, and then add it to the pepper and onion mixture, I'm sure that would work!  As for me, I didn't stress about it!  :)

This was a good one!  I will definitely make these again.  I can even see myself using the picadillo filling for other purposes.  It's so flavorful and delicious! 

If you'd like to follow along as I finish my taco project (and I will finish), please consider subscribing to my blog by clicking the link below:

Subscribe to Arizona Renaissance Woman by Email

Please comment:  What do you think of this idea?  Did you make the tacos?  How did they turn out?  Until next time . . . Thanks for reading!

78. Lentil Tacos with Roasted Root Vegetables, Lightly Dressed Spinach, and Feta-Yogurt Sauce

This post contains affiliate links to support my blogging addiction!

OK.  It's time.  I'm finally going to get back on the horse with The Taco Project.  If you've followed my blog at all, you may have noticed that I took on a personal challenge to create one hundred unique taco recipes in a year's time.  Well . . . that didn't quite happen.  I got a bit overwhelmed.  I actually do have a job.  I love my job, but it does NOT involve making tacos.  It was tricky to balance it all. 

So, I hit a wall.  I needed a break.  I took a few months off from blogging.  I was disappointed in myself for missing my deadline (which would have been this past August 2nd), but I still felt like I had accomplished so much and I wanted to finish the project when I was ready.

Sigh.  I think I'm ready.  Twenty-two more recipes! 

This latest creation came on the heels of a fantastic trip to New Orleans.  I went there for a jazz conference, which was amazing in itself.  I brought Steve along, so (naturally) we did some sightseeing as well.  When I say sightseeing, I mostly mean EATING!  And drinking.

Shrimp and grits.  Roast duck.  Blackened redfish.  Red beans and rice.  Fried chicken.  Bread pudding.  Oysters.  More bread pudding.  More oysters.  More shrimp.  Beer.  Bourbon.  Repeat. 

O.O

I brought my running shoes.  They rested comfortably in my suitcase for the whole trip.  Ha ha.

I have no regrets, but I knew it would be time to get it together when we got home.  School starts next week!  There's more to life than bread pudding and bourbon!  :)

The initial idea for these tacos came from a lentil filling for a vegetarian moussaka from the Cafe Flora cookbook.  You can find it here:



Random, I know!  Great cookbook.  Great moussaka.  These tacos don't take like the moussaka at all.  I was just craving something vegetarian and relatively healthy.  The idea evolved from there, and these  

tacos ended up fitting the bill quite nicely. 

Here's the recipe:

Lentil Tacos with Roasted Root Vegetables, Lightly Dressed Spinach, and Feta-Yogurt Sauce

Serves 3 to 4 (about 8 filling tacos)

Ingredients:

For the feta-yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika

For the lentils:

1 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup green lentils

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt, divided

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika

2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the roasted vegetables:

2 medium parsnips (about 7 to 8 oz.), diced into small 1/4" to 1/2" pieces

2 medium carrots (about 7 to 8 oz.), diced into small 1/4" to 1/2" pieces

1 medium rutabaga (about 7 to 8 oz.), diced into small 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the spinach:

2 heaping cups chopped spinach
1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 tbsp. walnut oil (or olive oil)
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 to 16 corn tortillas, depending on whether you double them up

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped, for garnish

Instructions:

1.  Make the feta-yogurt sauce:  Place the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup with high sides .  (I used a 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup, not the shallow bowl pictured below.)  Blend with a hand blender until the consistency is thick and relatively smooth.  Alternately, you could use a small food processor if you have one.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.  Set aside.

2.  Prepare the lentils:  Heat 1/2 tbsp. of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, lower the heat a bit, and cook until soft and slightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the lentils, water, bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp. of the salt. 

Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are just done, about 20 minutes.  Drain the water thoroughly.  Season the lentils with the remaining 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, oregano, smoked paprika, parsley, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.  Keep warm. 

3.  While the lentils are cooking, roast the vegetables:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, toss the diced vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a shallow baking pan and spread out into a single layer. 

Roast the vegetables for about 15 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. 

4.  While the lentils and vegetables are cooking (Yay for multi-tasking!), prepare the tortillas to your liking:  I prefer to heat mine in a dry cast iron skillet over medium high heat for about 30 seconds to a minute on each side.  After each one is done, I place it on the foil and immediately start the next one.  I stack them on top of one another as I work.  When I'm done with the whole batch, I wrap them completely in the foil.  You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven if you wish!

5.  After the lentils, vegetables, and tortillas are ready, toss the spinach:  Place the chopped spinach in a medium bowl.  Add the sherry vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.

6.  Assemble the tacos:  For each taco, place one or two tortillas on a plate.  (If your tortillas are thin, double them up.)  Spoon on a small amount of the lentil mixture.  Top with some of the spinach and roasted vegetables.  Add a generous amount of the feta-yogurt sauce (we ended up adding more than pictured) and sprinkle with walnuts.  You can also add a little sprinkle of the hot smoked paprika if you wish.  Enjoy! 

After four days of indulgence, I have to admit that I was a little nervous about how these would go over.  Steve asked me what kind of tacos we were having and I just said they were vegetarian.  I didn't mention the lentils.  Or the rutabaga.  Ha ha.

Well . . . we both liked them!  The subtle spice from the hot paprika was great!  I loved the different textures from the lentils, roasted vegetables, and crunchy walnuts.  The yogurt and feta added a salty tanginess that was the perfect topping!  Steve put Cholula on his.  I did NOT.  I love Cholula, but I didn't think these needed hot sauce.  If you think it needs some extra kick, though, go for it!

I'm not sure that corn tortillas were the best choice for these tacos.  Corn might have been one flavor too many, though it certainly wasn't a bad thing.  Next time, I might use flour tortillas.  It would certainly work with either!

The sauce was very thick, but I didn't mind.  I didn't want to dilute the flavor by adding liquid.  I put it in a little plastic bag, snipped off the end, and piped it onto the tacos.  I thought it worked pretty well. 

Steve admitted that these weren't his favorite tacos ever, but he liked them.  He said they were very "vegetarian".  Ha ha.  To me, that's a good thing, but it may not be a good thing for everyone.  Take that as you will.  :)

If you're feeling overindulgent/guilty and you want something very tasty that also feels a bit on the healthy side, these tacos are for you!  They came together pretty fast, though there was some multitasking involved. 

Feel free to comment on this recipe!  Did you try them?  What did you think?  

Thanks for reading!