Picadillo

Lately I have been in a Cuban kick. A couple of weeks ago it was Cuban sandwiches. Then I made the Fricase de Pollo. Black beans are my new love, and I use to hate beans! Well, the other night I made Picadillo for the first time and it was DINE-O-MIGHT!! Like any good soup or stew (this is neither of those, more of a very meaty pasta sauce), it got better and better over time. Today I had some for lunch, then finished the rest off for an afternoon snack. Thank god I have my own office, because I was licking the plate clean...don't judge me, lol.

The recipe I followed was a bit bland, so I kicked it up a notch using other items I had in my kitchen. I'm glad that I did, because the finished product was what? DINE-O-MIGHT! I am really enjoying cooking new recipes and trying out different ethnic foods. My friend is going to send me some Ethiopian recipes, and I am pretty stoked to read what those are about. Know what else was DINE-O-MIGHT about this recipe? It was only 6 WW points a serving! Got to love that!

Picadillo

• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 12oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup mojo 
• 1 tsp oregeno
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

1. Over medium heat, cook onions and peppers in olive oil until tender, but not browned.
2. Add beef, mashing it with onions and peppers until cooked. About 5 minutes.
3. Add spices and stir together nicely.
4. Add tomatoes, wine, tomato sauce, and mojo. Stir until blended.
5. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add raisins and cook until plump, about 3 minutes.

Tips and Tricks

• If you don't like the size the raisins get when the plump, chop them up before you add them.
• Don't use cooking wine, it doesn't have enough pop to it. A cheap red wine, like a Merlot or Cab Sauv will work lovely.
• If you have time, make this a day in advance. The flavors really party over night making this dish even better the day after.