Chayotes cooked in Tomato Sauce

Here’s a quick little recipe for Chayote cooked in Tomato Sauce. It cooks up in very little time and is a nice healthy side for a Mexican meal. I cooked this along with two other recipes to make an easy three-course-meal, and to knock out a few recipes in my attempt to cook Diana Kennedy’s The Art of Mexican Cooking with some haste.
The recipe is right below, I am working on a bit more procedural photos, though working with chayotes is really quite similar to working with a potato. Don’t be scared!

Chayotes cooked in Tomato Sauce
2016-09-20 12:00:26

Simple preparation of a classic Mexican vegetable.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
538g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 368
Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 32g
48%
Saturated Fat 4g
18%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 21g
Cholesterol 9mg
3%
Sodium 291mg
12%
Total Carbohydrates 18g
6%
Dietary Fiber 4g
16%
Sugars 10g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A
51%
Vitamin C
262%
Calcium
21%
Iron
9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 1/2 kg chayotes (probably 2 fruits)
- 180 g tomatoes, broiled/roasted
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled, rough chop
- 2 tbsp light cooking oil
- 2 tbsp white onion, fine chop
- 2 chile de arbol (if you have to, substitute with japones)
- 200 ml water
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- 2 tbsp cilantro or epazote, rough chop
- 2 tbsp Mexican grating cheese
Instructions
- Peel your chayotes to expose the white "meat" and discard the green skin
- cut to about french fry size. Don't worry about the seed/pit inside, just cut the chayotes. Quarter inch or half a centimeter will do. Remove from cutting board.
- Blend your tomato and garlic to a smooth mixture.
- Heat your oil in a skillet or frying pan and sweat your onion and dry chiles for a few minutes without browning.
- Add tomato mixture and scrape to avoid sticking/burning. Cook for another few minutes.
- Finally, add your chayote to the mix along with water and a pinch of salt.
- Put a lid on it and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to avoid the dreaded burn.
- Stir in your chosen herb, cover again, cook for about 10 minutes more until the chayote is tender.
- Garnish and serve hot.
Notes
- Optional: Top with a good grating cheese like añejo or Cotija
Adapted from The Art of Mexican Cooking
Adapted from The Art of Mexican Cooking
The Smokey Sombrero https://smokeysombrero.com/