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
Bariatric Bento Box (for UK) see here
Essentials Box (for UK, Europe and World) see here
Images copyright Bariatric Cookery (UK) Ltd
Nancy Nelson says
I’m so going to look for these. Thank you for sharing this.