Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 lbs ground "beef" * (sold at stores like Trader Joes)
1 onion,minced
3 gloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp pepper
4 yellow (ripped) plantains, peeled
Evaporated milk (enough to smooth the plantains to mash)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
butter
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Directions: |
Directions:Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter square pan with 1 tbs of butter. Combine, soy beef, onion, pepper, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well. Heat a large skillet at medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, add "meat" mixture. Cook "beef." Let simmer for 10 minutes, set aside. Boil plantains in a pot (just like you would potatoes) until plantains are soft (not soggy). Mash plantains with butter and evaporated milk until you have a smooth consistency, add some cheese as you mash. To assemble pastelon: Take your prepared square pan, start with a layer of plantains, then "beef", then a fistful of cheese, repeat. You want to finish with cheese on top. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Eat like a pig, scarf it down, don't share with anyone.
* Other options for soy beef, of course regular ground beef (add tomato paste if you plan on using real beef). Ground turkey is also a good choice. If you rather not use soy based products, a vegetable medley works really well also (green/red peppers, spinach, broccoli seasoned to taste). |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: I grew up eating pastelon as a kid and it was by far my favorite Dominican inspired meal. After I decided I would no longer eat meat, I was upset that I could no longer eat my favorite Dominican meal. But grandma was here to save the day! She made me a vegetable pastelon and it was just as delicious. As I started learning more about veggie meals I came across ground soy beef and I was able to enjoy my usual looking, and tasting, pastelon.
I never learned to make it until I was about 15 and I hovered over my aunt who was the best at making pastelon in the family. In our small kitchen I watched and figured I knew all the ingredients until she started pouring something unusual to mash the plantains. I did not know what made her pastelon taste so much better than everyone else, but there she was using evaporated milk! Yes, sounds weird, probably not the healthiest, but it definitely change the texture (in a good way) AND gave it a nice sweet flavor that was not over powering and definitely complimented all the other ingredients; now I cannot imagine it made any other way!
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