Not long ago I was happy to see Kabocha squash among the produce at Sprouts. Glory be! And it spring not fall! I know right away this was going to be a grand experiment. I brought it home, pressure steamed it. and began to have some fun. Let me be frank. This is not refried beans. Not mock beans, not even almost beans. It is a dish unto itself, not just a cheap plate filler. I personally loved the flavorful bacon and spices added in. For those of you who are not huge fans of beans--no beaniness. For tried and true frijole fans, perhaps this will be a little too sweet for you.
Weirdest thing. When I eat this dish alone or with a fajita meat side, it does not taste sweet. I get the smoky pepper and cumin. Especially so after the first bite. But when I ate it in a taco salad, it seemed quite sweet. Must be some flavor hanky panky going on inside that salad. Still good, just a little surprising, that's all. The texture is perfect though, so it is up to you. Just stop trying to replace refried beans and think of something exotic and better.
This recipe is featured in this month's Diner News. It will be great along with the other recipes in there. Want a glimpse?
You have already seen one skillet meal, but how about this, like the El Jefe? Or some flavorful fajitas?
Or a nice salad?
My Mexicali Meatloaf?
An amazing method for making 3-5 lbs of Taco meat at one time...
Side dishes too...
and dessert?
Now onto that recipe as promised:
Better Than Frijoles
2 1/4 cups kabocha squash puree
6 strips bacon
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp jalapeno seasoning
Bake or steam squash until tender. Set aside to cool. Pan fry bacon.
When squash is cool, spoon the pulp into a saucepan. Add bacon drippings
and spices. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Add crumbled bacon to squash and serve.
Serves 4 at 134 calories 4 net carbs 9 g fat
If you would like to order a year of the Diner News, just head on over to our website. It is a new theme every month.
http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html
Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends
Order any of our great cookbooks at http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php
Proceeds from my book sales go entirely to support my educational program. Your purchase makes a difference to the teens I teach.
2 comments:
I've never been a fan of beans or refried beans, but every once in a while I see Frijole de la Olla and I remember my mom making big pots of beans and spooning some in a bowl for us kids with a spoonful of sour cream or cottage cheese and sometimes a spoonful of dill pickle juice and I want some soooo bad!
Luckily it doesn't happen often, but glad you found an alternative since you like them. Thanks for sharing!
I've never heard of Kabocha squash before but I've got to keep my eyes out for it now.
Post a Comment