This Mexican beef salsa pot recipe makes for a quick, low-cal dinner – weighing in at just 200 calories. Perfect if you’re on the 5:2, we reckon.
In this delicious variation on a traditional chilli con carne, the hot salsa is stirred into the stew. Check the labels carefully when buying ready-made salsa – different brands vary enormously in their calorie and fat content, so look for the lowest available.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Spray oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small red (bell) pepper, deseeded and chopped
200g/7oz lean minced (ground) beef (max 5% fat)
1tsp chilli powder
1 200g/7oz can chopped tomatoes
100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup beef stock
100g/3½oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
50g/1¾oz reduced-fat hot salsa
Freshly ground black pepper
Few fresh coriander sprigs, chopped
2tbsp virtually fat-free fromage frais
Method:
Lightly spray a large pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until browned.
Stir in the chilli powder, tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the kidney beans and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the beef is cooked. Stir in the salsa and season to taste with pepper.
Ladle into bowls and serve immediately sprinkled with chopped coriander and topped with a dollop of fromage frais.
Or try this…
This becomes a very satisfying 300-calorie supper if you serve each portion with 75g/2¾oz/scant ½ cup boiled brown rice (30g/1oz/scant ¼ cup dry weight).
Per serving: 200 kcals; Fat: 5.5g; Fibre: 5.5g
Taken from Quick & Easy Low Calorie Cookbook, by Heather Thomas, published by Pavilion. Recipe photography by Clare Winfield.
