Picadillo
Tamsey

I have found the crock pot to be a great tool in the kitchen.  I can put dinner on in the a.m. then be a chauffer in the p.m. and still have a hot dinner.  Here is one of our favorite crock pot recipes.  Picadillo is the Cuban version of sloppy joes.  It’s great on toasted buns or with rice.

2 cups diced onion
2 cups chopped green pepper
olive oil to sauté
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef
3 tomatoes, peeled, seed and chopped; or one
can diced tomatoes

 1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
½ cup chopped green olives
1/3 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil in large frying pan until softened, about 5 min.
2.  Add garlic and beef.  Mash onion and green pepper into meat and cook until meat it browned. 
3.  Put in crock pot set on low heat.
4.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.
5.  Cover and simmer on low heat for at least an hour.  The longer the better.
6.  Salt and pepper to taste
7.  Serve over rice or for a picadillo sandwich,  slice a loaf of Cuban or French bread in half and toast with butter.  Fill with picadillo and eat.