James's
Mexican Beef
Stew
In
Pumpkin
Shell
2 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 (14 ounce) cans ready-to-serve beef broth
1 cup mild or medium prepared picante sauce Sauces Mexican
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cool water
2 small tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
1 (2 1/2 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1. In Dutch oven, heat oil over Medium heat until hot. Add beef, onions, and
garlic, one-half at a time. Brown beef evenly, stirring occasionally. Pour off
drippings, if necessary.
2. Stir broth and picante sauce into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat
to low, cover tightly and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add zucchini to stew. Cover and continue cooking 10 minutes or until beef and
zucchini are tender.
4. Stir conrstarch into the 1/4 cup water until smooth. Stir mixture into stew.
Bring to a boil over Medium heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.
5. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile prepare the pumpkin shell. Cut top off of the pumpkin. Scrape out
and discard fibers and seeds. Pour boiling water to fill the pumpkin shell at
least three-quarters full; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour water out of
pumpkin.
7. To serve, ladle stew into pumpkin shell.
To taste; picante or other sauce
Time is the most valuable thing one can spend.
- Theophrastus