Puerto Rican Pastelon
Puerto Rican Pastelon is magical. Fried plantains layered between a rich and sort of “meaty” tomato sauce. For this I like to use a vegetable protein like TVP to replace the traditional ground beef.
There is also a bechamel involved and a ricotta cheese to help bind this together and with out the dairy.
I make this vegan version ever year for Christmas and honestly whenever I can. It is a bit time involved but it is so rewarding.
Growing up this one of the meals we would enjoy for family gatherings and I always lived for the pastelon, the arroz con grandules and flan at the end. Every holiday season someone would make and bring pastelon to a family gathering and no matter who made it - it turned out so good the dish would always been cleaned out.
Since going vegan, I naturally had to find ways to make my favorite foods because there is no way we are missing out on pastelon on Christmas.
Pastelon “Meat”
Serves about 4 people *Ingredients
1 cup - white onion diced
4 tbsp - minced garlic
4 big tomatoes seeded and chopped
1/4 cup - cilantro stems chopped
2 tbsp - tomato paste
1 cup - red wine
2 cups - textured vegetable protein - ( I used Bobs Red Mill - you could also use your favorite plant-based faux ground beef )
1 cup - vegetable stock
Seasonings
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 bay leafs
Bechamel Sauce - See Recipe
Vegan Ricotta Cheese - See recipe
Bechamel
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup flour
1 shallot, minced
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1 ½ cup veg stock and or white wine
2 cans full fat coconut milk
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp tapioca starch +¼ cup cold water
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, juiced
1 sprig fresh thyme - or dried is okay too
Instructions
Step 1 - Saute the base
Sautee your shallot, garlic in your butter. When golden brown add in your flour and mix to make your roux. Cook your roux for a few min.
Step 2 - Thin out the roux & whisk well
Slowly pour in your stock, whisking it in to break up any clumps. Allow to come up to a slow boil. Add in your canned coconut milk and allow sauce to combine.
Step 3 - Season & Taste
Add in your seasonings, lemon juice and slurry of cold water and tapioca starch and allow sauce to develop and thicken. If too thick just add some warm veg stock till desired texture. Once finished pour into a container and set to the side for later.
Cashew Ricotta
Ingredients
2 cups raw cashews, soaked and rinsed
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup tofu - firm,
1/2 cup plant based milk ( oat is the best )
Instructions
Step 1
Blend everything in a blender or nutribullet. When blending nuts, a vitamix or good quality blender really makes all the difference. You can add more water if you feel necessary.
Step 2
Pour your mixture into small jars or a container of your choosing and allow to set in the fridge for 4-6 hours. This recipe will stay fresh for 5-7 days.
Building the Pastelon
4 plantains - peeled and sliced long ways
Instructions
Step 1
Slice and fry your plantains and set aside for assembly towards the end. To slice the plantains, I recommend using a mandolin to get even slices. After slicing, add to a bowl or container of water to soak a bit. Once you have finished slicing all the plantains, pat them dry with some paper towel and set to the side.
Step 2
Sauté your onions, garlic and cilantro stems. Deglaze with red wine and allow to reduce.
Step 3
Once the wine has reduced, add in your tomatoes and allow sauce to develop and become one. Add your TVP ( or vegan protein of your choosing ) and season as you would ground beef. This is going to be your meaty red sauce.
Step 4
See recipe for Bechamel Sauce, prepare and set aside. I recommend having everything ready and laid out nicely to make the building part easier. Have the tomato sauce, bechamel, ricotta and fried plantains ready to go before starting to assemble.
Step 5
Spray a pan of your choosing, I used an 8 by 8 pan. Begin by layering the sliced plantains and spoon over the meaty red sauce covering the plantains. Spoon over or drizzle the bechamel and repeat the process of layering the plantains, red sauce and bechamel.
Step 6
Once all layers have been built, top your masterpiece with vegan ricotta. If you would like to make your own please see Cashew Ricotta recipe.
Step 7
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 min until bubbly and golden brown. Allow to firm up and cool on the counter until its ready to be cut into.
To serve, pastelon is commonly served with rice con grandules, or on its own with maybe some sprinkled cilantro over top. Enjoy and save the left over for about 5 days !
