Turkey and Lentil Tacos

I'm in one of those places right now, where I have some of this, and some of that, but dinner still needs to be made. I only have 1/2 pound of ground turkey, but I had to figure out how to stretch that to make tacos. There are so many options to stretch a buck and fill out your meat, including shredded veggies or potatoes, and beans or legumes. I've always loved lentils, and that started because of their low calories, but I love the flavor that can be infused in them, much like rice. I'm also adding a layer of rice to the bottom, so this is a very cheap dinner. The goal here is to not tell anybody the "meat" filling, is not all meat. These are a wallet pleaser and a people pleaser all in one!

Turkey Lentil Tacos 

Meat mixture:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
3/4 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water
1/4 cup water

Lentils:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water (roughly)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo
1/2 tsp curry
Black pepper
1 beef bullion cube (or add 2 cups water and 1 cup beef stock)
1/4 to 1/2 cup your favorite jarred or homemade salsa

Heat a skillet to medium high heat and melt your butter. Add your turkey and cook for about 2 minutes before adding your garlic and onions. Cook for at least one minute before adding your seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Mix your cornstarch and add it to your mixture with your 1/4 cup water. Cover with a lid or foil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. You may want to check to see that your liquid doesn't cook out and your meat burns. You can continue to add a bit of water at a time to maintain the original consistency. 

For the lentils, add everything to a pot of water over high heat except for your salsa. After it boils, turn it to a simmer, put a lid on, and cook for about 45 minutes until very tender. Add your salsa, the amount depends on how wet you want your meat/lentil mixture and how much of the liquid cooked into your lentils. Add a heaping one cup of your lentils into your meat and stir together. Put together your tacos! I layered white rice seasoned with curry, but you can do beans and cheese, or just meat if you want. Some crunch is really great too, like some shredded cabbage or lettuce. You'll think it's all meat, its THAT good! And cheap......and healthy........I've outdone myself