Cuban Style Ground Beef with Raisins (Picadillo Cubano con Pasas)

This is one of my favorite dishes, because it is quick and easy to make and goes with any combination of rice and beans or just rice. Today I am going to combine it with yellow vegetable rice and fried sweet plantains.

As always my seasoning is pretty much the same, you all know I use, Mojo criollo ( Spanish Marinade to season the meat, also Badia brand Sazon Completa (Badia complete seasoning).
You can buy your meat already ground but I usually buy my meat whole, and i clean it well at home and grind it in my food processor.


1 pound of ground beef ( can substitute with ground turkey)
3/4 cup of raisings
1/2 a cup of stuffed olives
1 tbsp of badia complete seasoning
1/2 cup of Mojo criollo (spanish marinade)
1 small can of tomato sauce or paste
1 beef bullion cube
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 red onion
2 bay leaves
Salt to your taste

Directions

Pour the mojo criollo (spanish marinade) and the tbsp of complete seasoning in a bowl containing the ground beef or turkey. With your hands (wash them before ) mix everything well, kneading the ground beef to ensure that the seasoning is well distributed. Let it sit for an hour.

In a medium size frying pan or cast aluminum pot ( caldero), heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on high. Chop the onion and garlic, slice the red bell pepper, and saultee for a couple of minutes or until the onions are translucent but not brown. Mash the beef bullion cube and drop it in, then ad the beef. Cook the meat with the onions and peppers for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring, untill all the red is gone. Add the tomato sauce or paste (if paste, dilute with a bit of water), the raisins and olives, bay leaves and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water let the whole mix come to a boil and then lower the temperature to medium, add desired amount of salt and cover and let it cook until the liquid has reduced, but not dried up.

Yellow rice with mixed veggies

2 cups of rice
1 can of mixed veggies of your choice or you can use just corn or peas
2 packets of goya seasoning with zafram ( sazon goya con azafram) ( can be substituted with yellow food coloring)
2 tbsps of oil or butter
Salt to your taste
Directions

pour the rice in your rice maker, add the oil or butter, the two packets of goya seasoning with zafram, and the can of mixed veggies and salt to your taste. Stir well start the rice maker.

Fried sweet plantains

2 whole ripe plantains

Peel plantains, cut diagonally in about 1/2 inch slices, and fry in very hot oil untill brown.

Serve hot and enjoy another great Cuban dish!!!!

If Cuban products are not available in your city, you can purchase them by going to: http://www.cubanfoodmarket.com/