Pastelon!

Last year for the Super Bowl I ended up testing out a recipe for work: Pastelon (Sweet Plantain "Lasagna"). The kids in a class that I was teaching wanted to make this traditional Puerto Rican dish and so, it was my job to find a way to make the recipe a bit healthier. My healthy Pastelon was an absolute hit at the Super Bowl party I attended (especially for the gluten-free party goers) and the kids in my class ended up enjoying my healthy modifications. Sure, as we began making the dish, their initial reaction was "this is NOT Pastelon"...but they were very pleasantly surprised by the end result. 

As I contemplated what to make for this evening's Super Bowl game, I decided to abandon creativity and instead remake last year's glorious Pastelon. Brendan had never tried the dish, so it would be a new experience for at least one of us. But despite a quick grocery store run to "get the ingredients", I ended up forgetting a few key components of the dish--this is what happens when you don't bring a shopping list to the store! I forgot the cilantro, green bell pepper, and corn. 

Having committed to making the dish, I succumbed to making even more modifications to the already altered 'healthy' Pastelon. It ended up being a new dish for me as well. And much to my surprise, the end result was even more delicious than last year's version. So here is my take on Pastelon (which proves that what is available in your cupboard is sometimes all that you need to make a good meal!): 

Pastelon (Plantain "Lasagna")
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
-4 ripe plantains, sliced lengthwise (plantains should be yellow with lots of black spots, or completely black--if you want a sweeter taste)
-1 onion, chopped (in lieu of the bell pepper/corn)
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 15oz can of hearts of palm, diced (the original recipe calls for 1 green bell pepper, diced, so if you remember to get the pepper then use it!)
-2 carrots, grated (a simple addition that gave the dish more color and flavor)
-1 pound ground turkey
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons dried oregano
-2 teaspoons coriander (or if you remember to buy fresh cilantro, use 1/2 cup chopped)
-1 8oz can tomato sauce
-1/3 cup raisins
-10 green olives, sliced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-cooking spray
-salt
-pepper
-1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and evenly line sliced plantains on the sheet (do not overlap). Spray tops of plantains with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes (until crispy and golden brown)
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onions & garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion starts to soften. 
4. Add hearts of palm and shredded carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes
5. Add ground turkey, mix well, and cook until browned (about 10 minutes). Add vinegar, oregano, and coriander, and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the raisins, olives, and tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

7. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Line half of the plantains on the bottom of the dish. Pour all the ground turkey & veggie mixture on top. Layer the remaining plantains on top of turkey mix. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes (until cheese is melted and bubbly). 
9. Serve hot!

*Tastes great with a side of hot peppers and a crisp salad (try radicchio, endive, chicory, sliced pear, salt, & pepper)

Recipes From the Pantry: Pasta With Homemade Tomato Sauce

Here's the first Recipe From the Pantry: Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Serving Size: 3 servings of sauce, but only 1 serving of pasta with the sauce. Use 1/3 of the sauce for this recipe and the rest for other meals! Store it in the fridge (good for 4-5 days) or freezer (good for 4-6 months).

Ingredients:

-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (you can use two 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, but I would add about 1 tablespoon of tomato paste)

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 cup of onions, chopped

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1/4 cup parsley, chopped

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon pepper 

-1/2 cup dry pasta (I recommend penne or bow-tie)

Optional: 

-1/2 cup canned white beans (such as cannellini or northern), rinsed & drained

-a little bit of grated Italian cheese (for on top of pasta)

**If you have any vegetables (ex: green pepper, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, frozen/fresh butternut squash), add about 1-2 cups of them to the sauce during step 3!

Directions: 

1. Bring saucepan to a boil

2. Heat sauté pan over medium heat --> add olive oil and onions 

3. Sauté onions (5 minutes) --> add garlic (1 additional minute) --> add canned tomatoes, salt, and pepper 

*if adding veggies, add them when you add the garlic**

4. Let tomato/onion/garlic mixture simmer in pan for about 5-10 minutes; at this point, add pasta to the boiling pot and cook according to package

5. Add pasta (and beans, if using) to 1/3 of tomato sauce in pan and heat for 3-5 minutes on low heat

NOTE: Before adding pasta (& beans) to saute pan with tomato sauce, pour 2/3 of tomato sauce into a heat-proof container

6. Sprinkle parsley and grated cheese on top of pasta --> serve in a bowl and enjoy :)