Okay, no idea where I found this recipe originally; Web searches for the title and key parts of the text come up empty. There is a reference to "healthified" tortillas in the original recipe but that term shows up often on the Web and those sites don't show this dish either. If someone knows, I'm happy to credit the original creator. Member etherea properly identified the recipe creator as Maria Emmerich of the Keto Adapted Web site.
I've had this recipe hanging around my hard drive for a few years and the stars aligned sufficiently to try it. I figured either it was going to be surprisingly good or I would choke it down knowing I had used up lots of stuff that was overstaying its welcome in the freezer. It was surprisingly good. Real beans it's not, but the texture is not that far from what I remember. Beans probably are the one food I really miss while eating low-carb.
There is a vegetarian option to this recipe but it's involved and I don't think most people here care. If you do, post here and I'll give you what the original recipe had written.
"HEALTHIFIED" REFRIED "BEANS"
1 eggplant (about 4 cups cubed) or zucchini <-- I used eggplant
4 slices raw bacon <-- use good bacon, not the cheap stuff
1 cup chopped yellow onions <-- I used frozen onions I found in the freezer and squeezed them kinda dry
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS minced, seeded jalapeño
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch cayenne
1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano <-- I used a 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated queso blanco or cheddar cheese (optional) <-- I had mozzarella to use up; it worked
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, garnish (optional)
Peel and cube the eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the bacon into a few pieces. Place cubes and bacon in a large heavy frying pan. Stir fry until the bacon is fried and eggplant is very very soft (about 10-15 minutes). Remove the eggplant and bacon but keep the bacon fat in the pan.
Place the eggplant and bacon in a food processor and puree until smooth. In the frying pan, heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until it's fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the eggplant puree and the oregano and stir to combine. Cook, stirring with a heavy non-metallic spoon, until the mixture forms a thick paste, 5 to 10 minutes, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to keep it from getting dry (I probably added about 3 tablespoons total to mine). Sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro, and serve. Makes 8 servings.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving)
93 calories, 5.6g fat, 5.7g protein, 5.8g carbs, 2.6g fiber (3.2 net carbs)
