Beef Carnitas

These may not be exactly light and low-calorie but they're easy to make and smell viciously good while they're braising.

Just don't make a pig of yourself and you'll be okay (yea, easy for me to say--I have no self-control when it comes to things wrapped in tortillas--maybe I should start wrapping my veggies in them).

2 pounds of lean beef, trimmed and cubed
1 4-ounce can of chopped chilies
1 cup finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup prepared adobo sauce (found in Latin section of supermarkets)
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
24 corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
guacamole
sour cream

Combine the chilies, onions, garlic, sauce, broth, salt and cumin in a large casserole dish and add the meat then let it set overnight to marinate. The next day preheat the oven to 300 and bake for 1-2 hours. I kind of "eyeball" it and cook it at a low temperature until the meat is soft, tender and falling apart and the sauce is thickened.

Serve over the tortillas (which are best lightly fried with non-stick spray in a skillet before serving) with the toppings of your choice--tomatoes, green onions, even lettuce would be good too. There are no rules when it comes to Tex-Mex.

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Here are a few posts on food-related topics I've seen lately:

* Got an Easy Bake Oven? Sandy and Kurt has make-it-yourself mixes.
* Why have regular cake when you can bake it in an eggshell? (via Delicious Days)
* Budget 101.com has a list of convenience mixes with directions for making them yourself.
* Sea Star Academy has a recipe for homemade yogurt using dried milk. Give it a go!

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And if you're looking for a good video rental--not an A+ thriller or anything, just a good solid B movie--try The Invisible. We watched it this weekend and I thought it was pretty good, the kind that kept you wondering where it was going until the end. A few cliches here and there but pretty clean and reasonably suspenseful. A good, solid B rental.

Technorati tags: main dishes, Mexican, beef, tortillas