Picadillo

Picadillo is a classic Cuban dish and has probably been around more than a hundred years. There are as many recipes for it as there are cooks on the island. But, they all have some of the same ingredients in common; ground pork, ground beef, onions, peppers and tomatoes. They are all piquant in taste blending sweet and tangy together. Many of  the original recipes have dried fruit like raisins included but of course I did omit that because of the excess of carbohydrates. My version leaves room for you to express yourself as well. I have used simple spices like oregano and cumin and the classic combinations of flavors from vinegar, capers and green olives. The influences from Spain are apparent in this dish though its history is not clear. This is a very quick and simple dish to prepare, low in carbs and big on taste that the whole family will love and to me is the Cuban version of a Sloppy Joe. Shown served over steamed cauliflower that has been pulsed in a food processor to a course, rice-like consistency in place of rice. I hope you enjoy.  

Picadillo

Ingredients:

1 cup onions, sliced thin

1 cup green bell peppers, diced

1 tbsp. garlic, minced

1 - 14.5 ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes

1 lb. lean ground pork

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup red wine (low sodium beef stock is fine if you cannot use wine)

1 tsp. molasses

1 Tbsp. Splenda

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed

2 ounces green olives, sliced

salt and pepper

vegetable spray

Coat a large saute pan with vegetable spray and saute the onions, bell pepper and garlic on medium high heat until translucent and tender. Add the tomatoes, ground beef and pork. Blend together well, breaking up the ground meats and cook until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the capers and green olives. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove the lid and add the capers and olives and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 358.5
Total Fat 22.5 g
Saturated Fat 8.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 10.2 g
Cholesterol 92.3 mg
Sodium 232.9 mg
Potassium 483.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7.6 g
Dietary Fiber 1.7 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 26.2 g

Note ~ For a reduced fat version try making this with lean ground turkey or chicken.