ERNEST HEMINGWAY LOVED CUBAN PICADILLO

Tired of serving the same old comfort foods like fried chicken and pot roast?  How about a change of pace with a Caribbean dish that’s super easy to fix, and adds a little variety to your life. The olives and raisins give it a special kick.

There are a ton of recipes on the net for picadillo.  I’ve fooled around with all of them, and have arrived at my own favorite. 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound super lean ground beef

½ chopped onion

Small red or green pepper, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

1/3 cup of raisins soaked an hour in ½ cup red wine

1/2 cup pimento stuffed olive slices & 2 Tablespoons of the brine

1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies (get in the ethnic foods section)

2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons oregano

or

 2  teaspoons of plain old taco seasoning is easy and just as tasty.

You can experiment with different spices to get the flavor you like best.

First, sauté the onion, garlic and red or green pepper in  olive oil until the onion looks soft. Then crumble up the ground beef and cook until brown. Throw in the rest of the ingredients, cover,  and simmer for about 45 minutes.  If it starts looking dry, add a little water or red wine.  Serves six.

That’s it.  You’re done.  Serve over cooked rice.  

Best of all, only 2 pans to wash.