Being on the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet during quarantine means we have to stock up on a lot of shelf-stable staples, like…sweet potatoes. I’ll admit, I was never much of a sweet potato gal before the AIP diet. Now, they’re my best friend. We buy them by the sackfuls because they’re so versatile and they keep so well.

Here’s one of my favorite sweet potato recipes. It’s called picadillo, a Filipino beef stew inspired by Cuban and Latin American flavors. It’s also known as Cubano in the Philippines. Think of it as a subtly sweet pot of chili. The traditional Filipino recipe includes a few items that are not allowed on AIP, such as pepper, peas, tomatoes and regular potatoes. I subbed a few ingredients to make this a completely AIP-friendly version.

I used my Instant Pot for this, but you can also make this on a stovetop. Just steam the cubed sweet potatoes separately before adding them to the cooked ground beef. You want to make sure the sweet potatoes are nice and soft.

Enjoy!

AIP Filipino-Style Picadillo (Cubano)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes eight servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 pound of organic, grass-fed ground beef

• 1/4 cup of brown coconut sugar

• 2 tablespoons of sea salt

• 3 tablespoons of garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon of turmeric

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (I used one purple sweet potato and three orange sweet potatoes for this batch I photographed)

• 1 cup of beef or chicken bone broth

• 1/2 cup of organic raisins

Optional toppings:

• Avocado

• Chopped arugula

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to your Instant Pot and turn the saute function on to low.

2. Add chopped onions to the pot and saute.

3. Once the onions are translucent, add the ground beef and use your spoon to break up the meat.

4. Add sea salt, coconut sugar, garlic powder and turmeric to the pot and stir occasionally as the ground beef browns.

5. While the meat is cooking, peel and cube your sweet potatoes.

6. Once the ground beef is fully cooked, add your sweet potatoes and bone broth to the pot. Stir to mix ingredients well.

7. Set your Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for seven minutes.

8. Let the Instant Pot naturally release steam for five minutes before using the quick-release valve.

9. Check your sweet potatoes. They should be fork tender.

10. Add the raisins and stir gently, taking care not to mash the sweet potatoes.

11. Using a slotted spoon, scoop your picadillo into bowls for serving. You can top the bowls with sliced avocado and shredded arugula.