Spicy Lentil Crispy Tacos

I've been having a hard time lately following directions. It seems like every recipe I've made lately there has been at least one incidence of me not doing what the recipe calls for. Sometimes, this significantly changes the end product, making me sad, like the Fluff Filled Chocolate Madeleines I made last week that ended up dry, dry, dry because I didn't lower the oven temp like I needed to. Other times, I don't mind the mistakes because what is made comes out quite tasty. Such was the case with my spicy lentil crispy tacos.

Unfortunately, these were too spicy for my kids to eat. I bought bulk taco seasoning and ended up using 1/3rd the amount the recipe called for. The lentils still had more "kick" than M could handle. Curtis and I really liked them (as you can tell from Curtis's thumbs up). I topped the lentils with some grated cheddar, arugula, and store bought pico de gallo.

My cooking mishap? This recipe originally called for the sour cream/chipotles to be mixed together and served on the side. I somehow missed that and stirred the sour cream and chipotles right into the lentils. It turned out just fine, just a little runnier than I had hoped. I'll probably make it the same way next time, so I am including my way in the recipe. The arugula was great green to use because the flavor didn't get lost in the spiciness of the lentils.

Spicy Lentil Crispy Tacos
adapted from SELF magazine

1 T olive oil
1 c onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 t salt
1 c dried brown lentils, rinsed
1 pkg (2.25 oz) taco seasoning
2 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 c sour cream
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 t adobo sauce
8 taco shells

pico de gallo
cheddar, grated
arugula or lettuce

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion, garlic and salt until onion begins to soften, about 3- 4 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are fragrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender 25 - 30 minutes. (You can make this ahead and stop here. To finish, just heat up and continue with recipe). Stir in sour cream chipotle, and adobo sauce. Uncover lentil mixture and cook until mixture thickens slightly, 6-8 minutes. Mash with a rubber spatula or pastry blender, if desired (I didn't do this. I left the lentils whole). Spoon some lentil mixture into each taco shell, followed by cheddar, arugula, and pico de gallo.