Picadillo on my plate

I don't know how I lived for 25 years without Picadillo on my plate! This traditional Cuban dish was introduced to me by my husband's family and seven years later, it is an almost weekly staple in our house. Even the kiddos love it!!!

There are so many different ways to make it, and throughout the years I feel like I have tried them all. Some versions I will add potatoes, others carrots and celery, sometimes I use wine, sometimes I use water, but today I am going to share with you the way that we enjoy this meal most often.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 lbs Lean Ground Beef (8% fat)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup of white wine (water or broth can be
substituted here)
1 5.75 oz jar of chopped green olives
1 bay leaf
Himalayan Salt & Black Pepper (A trick I learned to make sure you're meal is seasoned is to add a dash of s/p every time you add a new ingredient to the pan.)

1) In a large frying pan, sauté onions and peppers until soft (4-5 min). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).

2)To the pan add meat (breaking it up with spatula), spices, tomato sauce, tomatoes, wine. Then cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

3) Next, add olives and bay leaf. Cook on med-low, uncovered, until desired thickness. (For me, this is usually about 20-25 min) Stir occasionally.

4) Remove bay leaf and serve with a side of rice. (Brown Jasmati rice shown in picture)

**If you want to add potatoes, after step 2, add diced potatoes and cook, covered, for an additional 15 min.**