Vegan Picadillo - Cuban Meat Hash
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 (14 ounce) tube vegan sausage (I use Gimme Lean Sausage Style)
1 (14 ounce) tube vegan ground beef (I use Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style)
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dark or golden raisins, optional
prepared white rice, to serve
prepared green beans, to serve
1. Make a sofrito by sautéing the garlic, onion, and pepper until soft and crispy at the edges. Add the vegan meats, crumbling or crushing with spoon or fork.
2. Add olives, and mix in the tomato paste. (This is not a sauce, but you might need to add a bit of water to make it 'creamy').
3. Add cumin, cinnamon, salt, and, pepper, to taste. For those who like a touch of sweetness, add raisins, a traditional touch to this dish.
4. Cook until the crumbles are as crispy on the edges as you like. Serve on a platter (or plate) by making a strip of white rice on one side, cooked green beans on the other, and the picadillo in the middle.
Dig in and enjoy!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I have been married to a Cuban for thiry years and this rocked the house here. I had to adjust the measurements because I did not have a full package of the Gimme Lean, but it still was delicious. I served yuuca along side and the picadillo over some brown jasmine rice.
I think I might have to post me yuuca sauce recipe. Mmmmm!
Yum! This was tasty. As usual, I made some changes: I used green instead of red bell pepper, used 6 cloves of garlic, added some shredded carrots, used kalamata olives instead of green, added chopped cilantro, and used extra of both the cumin and the cinnamon. I served it with brown rice and roasted green beans - probably not very traditional, but tasty and healthy. I would have loved to serve it with some fried plantains, but I was limited on time and space. I do think it would have been even better if I had used 2 tubes of the Gimme Lean sausage instead of one sausage and one hamburger - but that may be because I just LOVE their sausage!! :-) Thanks!
You forgot the cilantro and the fried ripe plantains on the side. I love picadillo and I'm glad you posted this recipe! Thanks!!! :)