Picadillo (AIP, Paleo) is a dish from Latin America and the Philippines. Though it is usually full of nightshades, this recipe makes it AIP friendly!
Have you heard of picadillo? It is very versatile dish that has several iterations around the world, mostly in Latin America and the Philippines. You might have guessed that it has things in it that us AIPeople must avoid, and you might also have guessed that I would try to find a workaround. (Heh, heh, heh…)
Picadillo is traditionally ground beef with tomatoes, peppers, onions, raisins and olives. I’ve taken out the nightshades, and added an ingredient that, according to my research, is often added in the Philippines – chayote squash!
I’ll talk about the squash in a minute, but first, what are you supposed to do with picadillo? You can:
* Serve over cauliflower rice, or white rice, if successfully reintroduced.
* Serve over mashed white sweet potatoes.
*Serve inside the Gordita Tortillas (from last week’s blog) like a big ol’ Cuban/Filipino sloppy joe!
Now about that squash…
This adorable veg that looks like a grimacing PacMan is chayote squash, though it can be considered a fruit. It has one soft seed in the middle, and it tastes like a zucchini and a pear had a baby. To use it, I cut the bumpy mouth off so that I have a flat surface, then cut the skin away with a paring knife, like this:
Cut it in half from the top, and cut out the seed. Then, chop as you normally would.
If you’ve never tried this squash before, I encourage you to try! We need variety, so why not try something new?
Happy spring to all!!! 💐😊💐
💗,
Wendi
Picadillo (AIP, Paleo)
Course: MainCuisine: AIP, Paleo, Cuban, FilipinoDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutesPicadillo (AIP/Paleo) is a dish from Latin America and the Philippines. Though it is usually full of nightshades, this recipe makes it AIP friendly!
Ingredients
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup 1/2 pumpkin purée
1/2 cup 1/2 grated beet
1/2 cup 1/2 bone broth
1/2 cup 1/2 sliced green olives
1/2 cup 1/2 raisins
1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons 2 dried oregano
1/4 cup 1/4 apple cider vinegar
sea salt to taste, 1 to 1½ teaspoons
1 cup 1 chopped chayote squash
lime wedges for garnish
Directions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, brown the meat with the onions. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Turn heat to medium low. Add pumpkin, beets, broth, olives, raisins, cilantro, oregano and vinegar.
- TASTE. Add salt 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it suits you, maybe 1½ teaspoons.
- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chayote squash. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
- Serving suggestions: over cauliflower rice, white rice (if successfully reintroduced), mashed white sweet potatoes , or inside Gordita Tortillas like a sloppy joe!
Notes
- Peel the chayote squash, cut in half and remove the soft pit before chopping.
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That sounds delcious! I’ve got to try it.
It is unique – at least to me! I only recently learned about picadillo. What have I been missing??? 😩
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Another hit!! I feel like I’m going to dominate your comments. Lol! I love Picadillo & had a favorite recipe from almost 20 yrs ago. So happy to have a nightshade-free version now! This was delicious! I put it over butternut squash noodles. I never had chayote squash. What a great addition! Love your recipes!💕
Hi, Renee! I’m so grateful for your comments! Seriously. It keeps the wind in my sails to have people take time out of their day to tell me they liked a recipe. Thank you! 💗😊💗
If you can’t find chayote squash, any suggestions for a substitute? And can I just tell you how incredible the Gordita tortillas are!!! Finally!!! A decent AIP tortilla. I’m in heaven!
Hi, Leigh Ann! I’m thrilled about the tortillas! We like ’em here, too. If you can’t find chayote, just leave it out. I’m tempted to offer zucchini chunks as an option, but I fear they’d add too much water to the mix. They also don’t have the crunchy texture of chayote. You might find it, though! I must’ve walked past them a million times before I even knew what they were! Good luck, and thank you for writing! 🙂