Ground Turkey Picadillo

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Big Kids Plate

Toddler Plate

Why we love it:

Picadillo is the type of dish I adore - it can be found in many different countries (usually Latin America and the Philippines) - and it’s really different depending on where you are. It’s also pretty humble and inexpensive to make, tastes delicious, and leftovers are perfect. You could add other veggies to this, use any type of meat you have, serve with tortilla chips or just enjoy with a fork.

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Ingredients

1 cup Basmati Rice (White)
2 cups Water (plus more to taste)
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons Kosher Salt (divided)
1 pound Green Beans
1 Yellow Onion
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1¹⁄₂ pounds Ground Turkey
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Green Olives, Pitted
¹⁄₄ cup Sunflower Seeds
¹⁄₄ cup Golden Raisins

Cooking Instructions

1. RICE

Combine the rice and water in a small pot with a fitted lid. Stir in a ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of rice (ex. 1 cup of rice and ½ teaspoon salt). Bring the water to a boil and stir it well, then turn to lowest possible heat. Cover and steam for 17 minutes. When time is up, stir and turn off the heat. Let the rice sit for another 5 minutes.
2. GREEN BEANS

Trim the stem end of the green beans. Place beans in a stovetop steamer basket and add an inch of water, cover and steam until they’re bright green and tender.

If you don’t have a steamer, you can use a large pot with a lid, and add the green beans plus 1 inch of water. Cover and boil for about 3 - 5 minutes or until the beans are tender, then drain.

You could also roast them on a baking sheet at 350 for about 6 - 7 minutes.
3. TURKEY

Mince the onion. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan then add the onion and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the turkey and use a spatula to break it up finely. When it’s mostly no longer pink, about 4 minutes, add the tomato paste and all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano). Add the remaining salt. Stir well and add about 1 - 3 Tablespoons of water to help the spices coat the turkey. Stir in the red wine vinegar and cook for 2 minutes.
4. OLIVES

Drain the olives and coarsely chop. Stir them into the pan with the sunflower seeds and raisins.
5. SERVING

Serve a mound of rice topped with the turkey picadillo. Green beans on the side can be seasoned with a pinch of salt and butter to taste.

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Substitutions

PALEO:

use cauliflower rice
TURKEY:

ground chicken, beef, pork
WHITE RICE:

use brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
OLIVES:

omit or add diced mushrooms or capers
SUNFLOWER SEEDS:

sliced almonds, pepitas, or sesame seeds all add color and crunch
SERVING:

great with warmed tortillas or tortilla chips

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate

Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

When browning the beef, reduce spices if that’s necessary. Separate out some cooked and sauced meat before adding the raisins, capers, olives
Serve with plain rice and green beans on the side
Offer some olives or raisins in a separate pile

For Toddlers

Mash some meat and rice together, even using a knife to mince it up - this makes a nice consistency
Trim green beans into small lengths
Offer chopped olive and raisins if they’re big enough
Serve with fruit and bread

For Choosy Eaters

Form some of the meat into a little patty or meatball if that’s a familiar shape, and sauté or roast
Serve with plain white rice, a vegetable that works for them and some fruit or bread