Friday, February 24, 2012

Braised Mexican Beef with Crispy Corn Tortillas


So, I bought a new cook book "The Spark People Cookbook ~ Love your Food, Loose the Weight" and so far the recipes are delicious and satisfying! There's also a website you can checkout SparkPeople.com when you have a moment.

As part of our 2012 motto "eat fresh, eat local, eat better, eat less and live longer," I've begun cooking from 5 new cookbooks. This recipe looks like a lot of work, but it isn't. It really only took me 10 minutes to prepare, and I'd make it again in a snap! Without any further adieu, here's my delicious recipe! Enjoy!


Makes 4 servings - 1 heaping cup per serving

10 minutes to prepare - 1 hr., 15 minutes to cook

Ingredients
12 oz beef chuck roast (stew meat) excess fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large carrots, peeled and diced (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 tbsp no-salt added tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar or leftover red wine
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 fresh sprigs
6 corn tortillas, baked until crispy
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 banana pepper, diced
2 tbsp low-fat Greek yogurt

Directions
1. preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Place an oven proof, heavy-bottomed, lidded saucepan over moderate heat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel, then add to the saucepan to sear on all sides. Remove the meat from the saucepan and set aside.

3. While the pan is still hot, add the onions, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and continue to saute for 3 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and vinegar, then slowly add the stock, stirring with a wooden spoon to remove the browned bits at the bottom of the saucepan.

4. Add the chili powder and thyme, then return the meat tot he pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the preheated oven. Braise for 1 hour.

5. Place 2 of the baked tortillas in a sandwich bag and crush - using a rolling pin or a heavy bottomed pan - until they are crumbs.

6. Remove saucepan from the oven (remember the handles get hot!). Stir in the chickpeas and crushed tortillas. Replace the cover and return to the oven for 15 minutes more.

7. Place 1 heaping cup of stew onto a tortilla, top with the chopped cilantro, peppers, and one tablespoon of Greek yogurt. Serve warm!

Per Serving
338.4 calories, 7.2 g total fat, 55.3 mg cholesterol, 221.9 mg sodium, 45.9 g total carbs. 10.7 g dietary fiber, 25.2 g protein



P.S.  No endorsements from this cookbook were received - I just like it!

24 comments:

  1. This looks delicious and it even appears to be fairly gluten free. I will have to try it, thanks for the recipe, and have a great weekend!

    Kat :)

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  2. Chickpeas! I love them! By the way, in German they are called Kichererbsen, which literally means "giggle-peas" :-)

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  3. It looks like our kind of meal. will have to try it. thanks and have a good weekend!

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  4. Looks delicious! Sounds like a great book, easy and healthy recipes.

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  5. Wow...Good, fast and easy. My motto! Thanks so much!

    XO,
    Jane

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  6. It looks delicious. I will definitely have to make this, we love our Mexican food around here. This is something my daughter could make in the slow cooker at school.

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  7. What in the world is "leftover" wine??? (Just kidding!) Sounds like a wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I looks good to me I have a plan for a pot roast tonight.
    Cathy

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  9. This is a great sounding and looking dish.

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  10. Hi there thanks for leaving a comment today. I like your recipe it looks yummy. Yes, I would say, that life comes in and it is hard to not eat. I know I am a stress eater. I really wish with my whole heart I was a stress exerciser. :)
    Thanks for stopping by it is so nice to read you. I will be stopping by again. I love your photos.

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  11. Looks delicious, I might give it a try, perhaps over noodles or rice. My husband is a "meat and potatoes" type of guy! Hope you are enjoying your weekend, did you receive snow? Greetings, Julie.

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  12. I can tell it tasted yummy!
    I had a stew similar the other day, made by a Mexican friend. It is called Posole.

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  13. Wow, that sounds amazing. And only 338 calories. I'm going to check out the website.

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  14. oh yum!!! i need to suss out some corn tortillas here!

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  15. I like your 2012 motto and I like this recipe. NF Greek yogurt makes a wonderful substitute for sour cream, and there are plenty of veggies in this also.

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  16. I love Mexican and this one is low calorie too. So, that makes it double tempting!You have a beautiful collection of recipes in your blog!

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  17. Love the motto "eat less and live longer." We have adapted something similar this year and I'll have to say that when the food really tastes good, it's hard to eat less." (smile)

    Your beef tortillas would certainly take care of my Mexican food cravings I have from time to time.
    Sam

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  18. That sounds a great motto for the year!

    The recipe looks yummy, thanks for sharing this!

    Gill xx

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  19. I am not really used to making Mexican meals; this looks very tempting. Love that motto; going to check out their site; thank you.
    Rita

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  20. I do love slow-braised meat and the Mexican flavors sound delicious with the hearty corn tortillas.

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  21. Awesome! Love the dish and the saying "eat local, eat fresh, eat less, live longer" so very true.

    Velva

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  22. Congratulations, you are the winner of my Giveaway on my blog mykindofcooking.com! You won a copy of my cookbook "My Kind of Cooking" and a set of really cute kitchen towels. Please email me your address at mykindofcooking@gmail.com and I will put them in the mail.

    Thank you for following my blog!
    Linda

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  23. This looks fabulous and I love how it is low calorie! I'll have to look for this cookbook. I really have to learn better portion control.

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I'm thrilled you've stopped by and I always enjoy your comments! Thank you!