First, let me start by sincerely apologizing to my Latina friends. I was totally craving some amazing Picadillo - a simple, saucy ground meat dish full of incredibly complex flavors that is the perfect topping for rice or compliment for beans or filling for tacos or even empanadas. And I hope you'll forgive me for trying to cobble together my own version with ingredients I had on hand. The recipe you are about to read is not your mother's Picadillo, or your Abulea's, or your Tia's. It might not even be a "real" Picadillo at all. But it was delicious, and tasted great with my from-scratch yellow rice. To unlock the mystery of what makes Picadillo so scrumptious, I went online to research the many different types of Picadillo out there - the Cuban version with green olives and raisins, the slightly sweet Mexican version with potatoes and cloves, the Puerto Rican version with sofrito and annatto, and even the vegetarian Costa Rican Picadillo. I desperately wanted to make a Picadillo that would make you proud, but since I didn't have the ingredients to make any one single kind, I improvised and made this one that I hope borrowed the very best pieces of all of them.
This one is so good, it's going into regular rotation at our house
Most of the recipes I found included onions, some sort of peppers, tomato (paste, fresh, sauce or any combo) and ground meat. I had turkey, so I went with that. The seasonings varied from recipe to recipe, but I went with a blend I know and love - garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano and smoked paprika. I added green peas for my veggies and went to work. The result, although not traditional, was delicious and hit all the flavor notes I was craving. Flavorful without being spicy, we added a little Cholula on top to kick up the heat. The yellow rice was quick and easy to make with ingredients most of you probably have in your pantry. Give this a try if you want a light and healthy meal packed with Latin sabor.
Turkey Picadillo with Yellow Rice (makes 4 generous portions)
Ingredients (for the Picadillo):
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped peppers (I used a three color blend, but any would work. Poblanos would be great too and would add a little heat)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce (I used passata, but canned sauce or puree would work too)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup green peas
Method:
In a skillet, cook ground turkey in olive oil over medium high heat, breaking meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Add garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and smoked paprika while it cooks. When it's no longer pink but not yet browned, add onion, peppers and tomato sauce. When it is all combined and the meat is browned, add broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add peas. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for five minutes. Check seasoning and serve over rice.
Ingredients (for the rice):
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
2 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp better than bullion or 1 chicken bullion cube
1 tsp ground turmeric
Method:
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sautee garlic and green onions until soft but not browned. Add in rice and coat with oil, garlic and onion mixture. Add broth, bullion, salt, and turmeric. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes. When rice is done, turn heat off and let it steam with the lid on for 5 more minutes.
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