Begin by heating a medium Dutch oven over high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the ground beef; be sure to distribute it evenly throughout the pan. Allow to brown on the bottom without moving it for 5 minutes. As the meat begins to loose its red tint start mixing in onion, peppers, garlic, bay leaves and cumin. Let it cook for 7 minutes until the vegetables become translucent. Then add olives, almonds, raisins, tomato paste and parsley. Make sure to mix it thoroughly with a spoon so that the tomato paste is well incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.