Or If I Ever Need A Reason To Smile

My sister said this is called Guisado, which I see is stew.  It is a stew but not the kind I'm accustomed to making.  This is my homage to one of my mom's home dishes that I cook to feel close to her or just get a little pick me up. Without a recipe, I only have my memory to recreate, which usually only gets me to 60% accuracy. So I either invent something new or still enjoy just how close I made it to my heavenly recollection. I made this with ground beef and potatoes. The potatoes soak up the spicy sauce and absorb many of the flavors.  They should still hold their shape but not be too firm. I used Yukon Gold but they are not capable of taking in as much as Russet.  I thought Yukon might have more nutrients but turns out it's not the case.  About the same.  Of course mom served hers with homemade tortillas to die for but I'll have no such delicacy.

For the side I made a cucumber herb salad with red wine vinegar.  Finally got the right amount of tart versus sweet going on in that dressing.  The juice from the cut tomatoes also contributes to the citrus taste.