I went for tall, dark and handsome when I married my Cuban-born college sweetheart, Jose Ramon Matutes - his friends call him Ray. The commitment came with a promise to my lovely mother-in-law that I would do my best to teach our children about their Cuban heritage. Over the years his family has turned me into an honorary Cuban by sharing their love of their native cuisine. Cuban meals are often heavy on the starch and sometimes include fried items. But there is another lighter side to Cuban cuisine that pairs unusual ingredients and results in tasty and somewhat exotic fare. Here is one my families favorites, Picadillo (pronounced pick-a-dee-yoh)- and I promise a healthy and delicious meal in 15 minutes!
3 TBS. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 large bell pepper, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 clove garlic. minced
1 TBS dried oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 C. dried cherries or golden raisins (raisins are traditional)
15 large olives drained and sliced
2 TBS Fresh Cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onions and peppers till somewhat soft (about 2 minutes) add ground beef and continue to cook till almost completely browned (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and oregano and heat 2 more minutes. add remaining ingredients except cilantro, reduce heat to simmer to allow flavors to blend (5-7 minutes). top with fresh cilantro before serving.
To round out this meal I cook brown minute rice while the peppers and onions are sauteing and I also serve with peas and corn on the side (although once served it is traditionally all mixed together). I use frozen peas and corn and the whole meal comes together in 15 minutes!
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