Picadillo
Picadillo
Picadillo is a Cuban stew-like dish. It comes together really quickly but feels like it's been cooking for hours. Feel free to sub the ground chicken with beef, pork or turkey. Typically ground meat is used however for vegetarian, you could sub with black beans and it'll be delicious. This is a sweet and salty (but balanced) dish. The capers provide salinity while the raisins provide sweetness. If you've never had Castlevetrano olives, they are, in my opinion, the queen of olives. They are not salty and have a buttery texture. They are exclusively harvested in Sicily and are not cured, unlike most olives. Buy 'em and try 'em, you'll never want another olive again! The balsamic vinegar balances the dish out with some acidity. I do add sweet potato and bell pepper to add to the volume of the dish and they also have their own health benefits. If you don't like spicy, reduce or remove the cayenne pepper. The rice soaks up the sauce. It'll be "just right."
Equipment
- medium sauce pot
- large saute / skillet
- sieve
Ingredients
- 12 oz organic ground chicken
- 1/2 cup organic jasmine rice
- 1 large organic sweet potato
- 1/2 organic red bell pepper
- 1 white or yellow onion
- 1 cup organic crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbs organic tomato paste
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbs capers
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup Castlevetrano olives chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- kosher salt Diamond Crystal https://amzn.to/3ZRuGXG**
- fresh cracked black pepper
- organic olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the rice well. In a medium sauce pot, combine 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1 tbs of olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the water has evaporated. Keep the lid on after it's done cooking to keep it warm. Note, depending on what type of rice you use, the water to rice ratio and cooking time may vary. I use Trader Joe's organic Jasmine rice and it comes out perfectly with these instructions.
- Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking, cut the sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbs of olive oil. Add the sweet potato, a healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- Dice the bell pepper and onion, mince the garlic. To the pan with the sweet potato add the bell pepper and onion. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, onion powder, oregano, cayenne pepper and thyme. Mix to combine and let the tomato paste caramelize.
- Move the veggies to one side of the pan, add an additional tbs of olive oil, add the ground chicken, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the capers, chopped olives, raisins, bay leaf, crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water. Mix to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced.
- To plate, divide the rice evenly between the bowls and top with the picadillo.
Notes
** Amazon Affiliate- I may receive compensation. Â
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2 Comments
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Mamta Kaji
Love the option of using black beans to make this a vegetarian meal!😋
Zahavalox
Thank you! 🙂