Recipe of the Day: Chipotle-Inspired Barbacoa Burrito Bowl

Chipotle. Just typing the restaraunt's name makes my mouth water. The juicy seasoned meats, melty cheese, creamy guacamole, and flavorful cilantro-lime rice is a combination that always seems worth the calories. I thought there might be paleo-friendly options, but lo and behold, Chipotle has a secret ingredient: soybean oil. Thats how the meats taste so deliciously moist and fatty. Soybean oil, like canola or vegetable oil, has been known to be a horror for the human body, as all Paleo-fanatics claim, because it is overprocessed and could cause you to gain weight. I have stolen and tweaked a few of the recipes for their barbacoa, salsa, and cilantro rice, and changed a few things to make a calorie-friendly burrito bowl. And those online Chipotle calculators totally lie...they claim that the Barbacoa has only 170 cal per 4 oz...that is just talking about the beef, not including any spices, oil, etc. Same with the rice...they don't account for all that oil/butter being included..luckily I found an accurate source to get nutritional info from! In any case, my recipe is healthier and paleo friendly. Enjoy! 

Guilt Free Barbacoa Burrito Bowl 

Chipotle Barbacoa Burrito Bowl (rice, lettuce, cheese, salsa, guacamole, barbacoa):

Cal. 820; Fat 48g; Carbs 53g; Fiber 6g; Protein 48g

Sayd's Barbacoa Burrito Bowl

Cal. 370; Fat 25g; Carbs 14g; Fiber 4g; Protein 23g

For the Bowl: 

Ingredients:

4 oz. Barbacoa (see below)

1/4 c. Daiya Cheddar "Cheese"

2 tbls. Salsa (see below)

1/5 c. Lettuce

2 tbls. Reduced-fat Guacamole 

1 c. Chipotle "Rice" (see below)

Directions

Layer Chipotle Rice down and top with barbacoa, "cheese", salsa, lettuce, and guacamole. 

Barbacoa:

• 1 lb Lean Beef Chuck
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
• 1/2 tsp Allspice, Ground
• 1 tsp Oregano, Dried
• 1 tsp Thyme, Fresh
• 1/6 medium Spanish Onion
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Anise Seed
• 1 Guajillo Chile
• Bay leaves

Toast chile, cover with boiling water in a  bowl and set aside for 20 minutes. Grind cumin, cloves, allspice, and oregano in coffee grinder.  Drain soaked chile, puree in blender the chile, ground spices, thyme, garlic, onion, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water.  Process until smooth.  Push mixture through a sieve, season beef with salt and pepper.  Rub paste all over the meat. Arrange in a bowl and allow to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  In a deep roaster pan, scatter bay leaves on the bottom, place meat on top and scatter more leaves over the meat. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Cook the beef up to 4 hours or until meat is falling off the bone. Makes 4 servings. 

Cal 179; Fat 9g; Carbs 2g; Fiber 0g; Protein 22g

Medium-Salsa: 

• 1/2 pound Tomatillo, cut into strips
• 2 teaspoons Chipotle chiles, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for atleast one hour. Serving size = 1/4 c

Cal. 20; Fat 0g; Carbs 4g; Fiber 1g; Protein 2g

Chipotle Rice

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped fine
• 1/2 Lime
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cups of Miracle Rice

Lightly boil rice with garlic salt for one minute, remove from heat. Mix salt and juice of key lime together until salt is dissolved. Pour it over rice, fluff with a fork. Sprinkle in cilantro, and toss well to evenly coat with cilantro and lime mixture. Makes one serving. 

Cal. 124; Fat 13 g; Carbs <1g;Fiber 0g; Protein 0g