Stand Up And Be Counted!

I could hardly contain my excitement when I came across the new ‘stand ‘n’ stuff’ tortillas from Old El Paso. Such a wonderful portion-controlled size for bariatrics – just perfect for stuffing with a mouth-watering filling – and they fitted our Bariatric Bento Box perfectly. You would think they were made for it!

I know many bariatrics who say they can’t tolerate bread but can manage a wrap and these handy boat-shaped versions will make meal times just that little bit more convenient and add some variety. We tried them as you can see above stuffed with a Tex-Mex beef and bean mixture but they can be used for so much more – salad mixes, savoury bean alone combos, pulled pork offerings, grilled/broiled skewers or kebabs and other savoury tossed-together mixtures. We’ve tried them both hot and cold and can give them the thumbs up in all cases – and we’ve reheated them in our bariatric bento box for lunch al-desko and they were a real treat (and made a welcome change from the usual salad/sandwich lunchbox meal). In this recipe …

we’ve mixed extra lean beef with a small can of refried beans (but you can use coarsely mashed ordinary canned beans if you prefer) to fill the tortillas; first stuffed with some shredded lettuce and chopped tomato; then topped with just a little grated cheese, a spoonful of herby yogurt and guacamole; then served with a little tomato salsa on the side (perfectly stored in our bento saucepot). You can top with your own favourites (chopped or sliced avocado, some pepper/capsicum slices or jalapeno peppers for example). Our nutritional stats are for the basic tortilla without the toppings.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND BEAN STAND ‘N’ STUFF TORTILLAS

Ingredients

METRIC/US

400 g/14 oz extra lean beef mince/ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 x 35 g/11/2 oz packet roasted tomato and pepper fajita spice mix (or other favourite mild or spicy mix)

4 tbsp double concentrate tomato paste

1 beef gel stockpot or bouillon cube

6 tbsp water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

215 g/71/2 oz can spicy refried beans

1 x 193 g/7 oz packet of 8 stand ‘n’ stuff soft flour tortillas

shredded lettuce, grated cheese and chopped tomato to serve

herby yogurt, reduced-fat guacamole and tomato salsa to top (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 150 C, 300 F, gas 2.

2.. Cook the beef in a large non-stick, ovenproof pan until no longer pink. Add the onion, spice mix, tomato paste, stock/bouillon, water and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then transfer to the oven and cook for a further 25 minutes.

3. Stir in the refried beans and cook for a further 10 minutes until thick and flavoursome.

4. To serve, warm the tortillas according to the packet instructions (in the oven or microwave). Fill each with a little lettuce and tomato, top with the beef and bean mixture and sprinkle with a little grated cheese. If liked top with a spoonful of herby yogurt, guacamole and tomato salsa. Serve hot or allow to cool then store for packing into a lunch box for eating later.

MAKES 8

WLS SERVING: 1

CALORIES PER TORTILLA: 195

PROTEIN: 14.9g

CARBOHYDRATE: 23.5g

FAT: 4.3g