VeganMoFo – Picadillo

We eat a lot of Mexican food here. Earlier this week I saw a recipe in Eating Well for Apple Turkey Picadillo. The only thing I liked about the recipe was the apple. Since it is apple season, I decided to come up with my own vegan and more authentic version. Don’t let the ingredients scare you. It’s delicious. You can use it as a filling in peppers or eat it as a stew along with some brown rice.

Quick Picadillo with Apples

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. cumin
1 t. Mexican oregano
½ t. salt
½ t. black pepper
½ t. crushed red pepper
¼ t. allspice
2 T. cider vinegar
1 medium green apple, cored and chopped
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup slivered almonds

Directions:

Saute the onions and garlic in broth or oil until soft. Stir in beans, spices, and vinegar and mix well. Stir in the apple, tomatoes, and raisins. Simmer over medium heat until the liquid has reduced. Serve garnished with almonds.

The tomatoes I used had some pretty hot Hatch chilies in them. I made myself a cool cucumber and tomato salad, topped with some pink ginger finishing salt, to go with the spicy Picadillo.

In Austin, Picadillo is always made with raisins and almonds. If you enjoy another version, I would love to see your recipe!