Quinoa Beef Picadillo

Engrossed's Note:

From: "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way" by Lorna Sass. "Picadillo, a zesty ground beef stew of Spanish orgin, was welcomed enthusiastically into the kitchens of many Caribbean and Latin American cooks during the Colonial period. Variations abound, but I favor the ones that achieve a balance of sweet and salty by including raisins and pimento-stuffed olives. Though picadillo is traditionally served over rice, by mixing high-protein quinoa right into the stew, you can go easy on the meat and still have a very satisfying meal."

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion , diced
• 1 large green bell pepper , seeded and diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 lb lean ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey or 1 lb ground pork
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄8; teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies , with liquid
• 1⁄3; cup pimento stuffed olive , cut in thirds crosswise
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons capers , drained
• 3 cups cooked quinoa or 3 cups cooked pearl barley or 3 cups cooked brown rice
• fresh ground pepper , to taste
• lime wedge , to serve

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large, deep skillet.
2. Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cumin seeds and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the beef and salt. Break the meat up into bits. Continue cooking until the beef is brown and crumbly, 3 or 4 minutes. Pour off any rendered fat.
5. Stir in the oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, tomatoes, olives, raisins, and capers. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the mixture until the flavors have mingled, about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in the quinoa and adjust the seasonings, adding pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is hot, about 1 minute more.
7. Serve in large, shallow bowls.
8. Accompany with a bowl of lime wedges.
9. A dry grenache-based rose wine from Spain or southern France is a recommended to drink with this dish.

Reviews

[Gingernut]

The whole family loved this. I added some water and rinsed, uncooked quinoa rather than cooking the quinoa separately. Worked great!

[Chef #1432240]

I was originally intrigued with this recipe, but didn't know how all of the spices plus olives/capers plus raisins would be. I needn't have worried, because this is an amazing dish. It has become a favorite with my family. I generally serve it mixed with brown rice instead of quinoa, and have made it with both lean ground beef and ground turkey. Both versions are delicious!

[Fran6]

Glad I found this here so I don't have to type it in myself! We liked it a lot. I'm always looking for quinoa recipes. I used 3 10-oz. cans Rotel tomatoes and left out the raisins. Next time I'm going to add some cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash. I'll also make it spicier and use ground turkey as others suggested.