Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Picadillo (Cuban Stew, LCHF)

Prep chayote (or rutabaga) and precook. The entire chayote is edible (including the seeds), so how much you clean it is up to you. I found it easy to peel with a vegetable peeler. The folded shape of the chayote makes it hard to get all the skin from the crevices, but don’t worry about that. Cut in quarters and remove seed and core if you want to (like you would an apple). Then just chop the usable meat into about 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. Boil on the stovetop (or microwave) until just barely fork-tender, around 15 minutes. Drain and set aside until needed in the recipe. You can cook the hamburger mixture while the chayote boils.

Melt bacon grease in large skillet. Add ground beef and cook through, allowing meat to brown before stirring. Do not drain the grease off.

Add bell pepper and onion to the meat, stirring occasionally until peppers are partially softened and onions opaque. Add garlic and cook about 1 more minute, just for garlic to release its fragrance.

Add all seasonings, including bay leaf, and all remaining ingredients except the cilantro and chopped green olives. Simmer 30 minutes. In addition to melding all of the spice flavors, simmering will finish cooking the chayote and soften the soy black beans, so don’t omit this step.

Turn off heat. Stir in cilantro and chopped olives. Give it a taste test to see if you want to add any salt or pepper. The green olives and capers both are salty, so I did not add any salt to mine. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Serve with or without garnishes for a complete low carb meal. Optional toppings or garnish (not included in nutritional information) include sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped jalapenos .

Suggestion: Serve with high fat LCHF biscuit or roll, or 1/4 sliced avocado as a side to increase fats with this meal.

Note: It would work to use 80/20% ground beef if you can find it, and omit the bacon grease.

Nutrition estimates are per serving based on exact ingredients I used, calculated with a free online recipe analyzer. Calories 340, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Total Carbohydrate 10 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Net Carbs 7 g, Sodium 485mg, Potassium 110 mg, Sugars 3 g, Protein 24 g. Macros: 61% fat, 30% protein, 9% net carbs.

© July 21, 2016 Roxana Lopez for Aunt Rocky’s.

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