Cuban Picadillo

1 lb. ground turkey (you can also use bison or beef)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, with juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Spanish (manzanilla) olives, sliced, with juice
1/4 cup raisins

Sauté the onion and garlic in oil
Add the meat (if you're using beef, brown it separately and drain the fat first)
Add the tomatoes, beans, and spices
Add the raisins & olives and simmer until the raisins are plump

Serve with rice

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Original version from Rebeca Marquez:

Picadillo

2 to 3 lbs of ground beef, turkey, pork or a mix
Olive oil 
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced (optional - Karen doesn't like)
4 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 - 2 teaspoons cumin
1 - 2 teaspoons oregano
handful green olives
handful raisins (about the amount of a snacksize box of raisins)
salt & pepper to taste


Brown the meat lightly and set it in a colander in the sink to drain fat. 
Sauté the onion, green pepper, & garlic in olive oil in
Teflon sauté pan. (onion first, green pepper 2nd, garlic last). 
Add the meat to the veggies as they continue to cook in the sauté pan. 
After 2 to 3 minutes, add the tomatoes, cumin, oregano, salt, & pepper. 
Simmer for ten minutes, breaking up the meat into smaller and
smaller bits.
Add the raisins & olives and once the raisins have plumped up, the dish is ready.

Serve with Cuban black beans and rice.

A couple of tips from my mom on this dish:
There is no such thing as too much onion, green pepper, raisins, olives, or
oregano. Go overboard with garlic or cumin, though, and you’ll regret it.