Yummm! Picadillo

After a DELICIOUS trip to Aruba, we mosey on over to Cuba this week, where our recipe will be for Picadillo, which is a traditional dish in Cuba that is similar to hash. It is made with ground meat (usually beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute) and various seasonings.



Often accompanied with rice, the name comes from the Spanish word "picar," which means "to mince" or "to chop".

Picadillo

Recipe Courtesy of Recipe Island

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
450g lean minced beef
60ml sherry
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of ground chilli pepper
45g raisins
160g diced pineapple (fresh or tinned)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
50g red bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

Add a little oil to a large pan over medium heat and use to fry the minced beef, onion and garlic until the onion is tender and the meat is nicely browned (about 8 minutes). Drain off any excess fat then add the remaining ingredients (except the bell peppers). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Stir-through the peppers and allow to warm through (about 2 minutes). Serve immediately with rice.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Yummm! Pastechi Di Carni

This week, we're island-jumping from the Dominican Republic to Aruba... no passport needed!



A traditional favorite for breakfast in Aruba is pastechi. It's similar to an empanada or a turnover.

Pastechis are available at roadside snack trucks and huts as early as 6:30 a.m. Pastechis are even available at such fast food places as Burger King, McDonald's, and Wendy's during breakfast hours on Aruba. But pastechis aren't just for breakfast. They're popular throughout the day.

Varieties include seafood ['pastechi di pisca'], cheese ['pastechi di keshi'], or this week's recipe, ground beef with raisins ['pastechi di carni'].

Pastechi Di Carni

Recipe Courtesy of Visit Aruba

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour 1 tbs. of baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. vegetable shortening
2 tbs. margarine
1 egg beaten
1 cup of water

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a large bowl except water. Mix well. Add water, a little bit at a time to form dough. When the dough is pliable, knead it well.

Prepare the meat filling as follows:
1 lb. finely chopped beef without fat
1 tbs. margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green sweet pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbs. raisins
1 tbs. piccalilli Hot red pepper, finely chopped, to taste; preferably Madame Jeanette Soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, to taste

In large frying pan combine all ingredients except beef. Cook over medium heat, stirring till well combined and onion and celery are soft. Add beef and cook till well combined while stirring.

Roll the dough into a very thick sheet, then cut out circles about three inches in diameter. Place one tablespoon filling in the center of one pastry circle. Top it with a second circle. Lightly moisten edges and press the circles together. Fold or roll the edges over slightly and flute them as pie crust. Fry the pastechis in deep, hot vegetable oil until golden brown.
They may be prepared in advance and heated in the oven just before serving.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!