Chilli, the meal not the country, is normally a firm favourite in our house. In recent months my son Ted wanted to try tacos. Ted had heard a song called ‘Raining Tacos’ and he decided that it was the dinner for him. I’m not opposed to him trying different foods so decided to indulge him. Therefore my husband Howard and son Ted ate this meal in tacos.
In this recipe I decided to try a blended butternut squash sauce instead of tomatoes. The sauce seemed to work really well and no one noticed the difference. I’ve been meaning to try this for a while. I know a few people who have a slight allergy to night shade vegetables. Tomatoes are in this category so I thought this would be an excellent alternative.
The butternut squash sauce was as tasty as tinned tomatoes and it’s super easy to make as well. The preparation for this recipe does take a little bit longer than just opening a tin of tomatoes. Although the effort is worth the results. Do you have any alternatives to tomato sauces and if so what? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Baking tray
- Blender
- Vegetable peeler
- Teaspoon
- Tablespoon
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash x 1 large
- Olive oil x enough to cover the butternut squash
- Beef x 500g
- Bone broth or chicken stock x 300mls
- Onion x 1
- Carrots x 2
- Courgette x 2
- Red pepper x 1
- Green beans x 2 large handfuls
- Black beans x 1 400g tin
- Mild or hot chilli powder x 1 tsp
- Garlic granules x 1 tsp
- Ground cumin x 1 tsp
- Ground coriander x 1 tsp
- Ground ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground sweet cinnamon or ground cinnamon x 1/2 tsp
- Dried mixed herbs x 1 tsp
- Tamari or soy sauce x 2 tbsps
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Rice x 300g
- Coriander x 1 large handful
- Tacos
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas mark 6.
- Cut the top and bottom from the butternut squash
- Peel it with the vegetable peeler.
- Now cut the squash in half then cut the end with the seeds in half again.
- Scoop out the seeds with the spoon and discard.
- Next cut the squash into 2 centimetre pieces.
- Put these into the baking tray and drizzle with oil.
- Now put this into the oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until soft and slightly golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Once the butternut squash has cooled, put it into the blender and add the stock or broth.
- Blend these ingredient together until smooth.
- When the butternut squash is smooth, set aside.
- (Btw, this could be put into the freezer until you want to use it.)
- Cut the top and bottom from the onion and then peel it.
- Now slice and dice the onion.
- Peel the carrots and courgette.
- Next grate these two vegetables and put all these ingredients into the slow cooker pot.
- Remove the top and core from the red pepper.
- Slice the flesh and place into the slow cooker pot.
- Add the mince beef the to pot too.
- (You can cook the beef slightly before putting it into the pot but I find my slow cooker cooks it really well from raw)
- Drain and wash the black beans over the sink and put these into the pot as well.
- Next add in the green beans too.
- Sprinkle over the mild or hot chilli powder, garlic granules, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground sweet cinnamon, dried mixed herbs and salt and pepper.
- Pour in the soy sauce and add the tomato pure.
- Stir all of these ingredients together.
- Then add in the butternut squash sauce and stir the ingredients together again.
- Put the slow cooker on for 3 – 4 hours on high or 7 – 8 hours on low.
- Cook the rice as per the packet instructions before the end time on the slow cooker.
- Just before serving, add in the coriander and stir around.
- Once the rice is cooked, serve with guacamole and place into a taco and enjoy.
Slow Cooked Beef and Butternut Squash Chilli was a huge hit in our house. My husband Howard and Ted ate their chilli and rice in a taco or two. Howard had his with guacamole as well. Ted decided against the idea. He was keen when he first heard the song but when he discovered it was green he wasn’t interested. The great thing about this recipe is that you can make a big batch and freeze it for another occasion. However or whatever you decide to eat these tacos in is up to you but as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 