Meatless Pasteles En Hoja
Pasteles en Hoja are the gift that keeps on giving. As a holiday tradition you often find us fighting with siblings on how many Mami bought from the lady she knows who makes them, and whose getting what. This labor of love has its own love language. This holiday season was a bit different for me. I’m not big on announcing that I don’t eat meat. I guess because I’m still not sure how long this evolution will last, and I also don’t like those types of people…You know the one’s that always have to make it about them. But finding meatless pasteles is not easy! So I let the holidays pass, I gave up my share of pasteles and I got to cooking. Now I’m not saying this because I made them, but you really can’t tell the difference.
What you’ll need!
6 to 12 Plantain Leaves
Parchment Paper
Cooking Yarn
1 small Kabocha Peeled and cut
3 Plantains peeled and cut
1 tbsp. All Purpose Seasoning of choice
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Achiote (Annatto)
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
Let’s start prepping!
Pasteles are not a dish you eat immediately. Most of the steps are in preparation to make as many as you can to store and freeze. Think of them as Dominican Hot Pockets. While I appreciate traditions, I am not a fan of unnecessary labor. So in this version we will not sit a guallar. Instead, I add my Kabocha, Plantains and milk to a blender and created a creamy puree. While I like to start with 1/2 cup of evaporated milk, cooking is an intuitive experience, so add as needed. Don’t go breaking your blender, because I said 1/2 cup, and if you want to make these fully vegan, just swap the evaporated milk for some coconut milk or water.
Once your puree is done, add your all purpose seasoning and set to the side.
To a hot sauce pan, add your Olive oil and Achiote seeds. Cook this for about a minute or so and let the Achiote infuse into your oil. Strain and add the oil to the puree. This will give it a beautiful color, but also help preserve your pasteles longer.
The next step is all about layering. Place an 8x`11 sized piece of parchment paper on the counter and layer on top a similarly sized plantain leaf. These are rough estimates, and the goal is to have enough surface area to wrap around. Add 2 to 3 heaping table spoons of your plantain puree in the center, followed by 1 tablespoon of your vegan meat blend. If you want your pasteles to be larger, add more.
and then you begin to fold. Start by folding up and having your horizontal sides meet in the air.
and then bring it down flat, making sure to create a crease that compacts your pastel.
Roll up and wrap your paper until you have what looks like a rectangular log and then fold the sides.
If these instructions are not easy to follow, focus on the image below. This is ultimately what you want your pastel to look like before tying with your cooking yarn. Make sure you secure all corners and leave little room for water to get in while boiling.
Tie your Pasteles and freeze them until ready to eat. I’m not a food scientist, so I don’t know exactly how long you can store before they spoil. But I know I keep them for a few months. (f I don’t eat them first)
This recipe yields about 6 to 12 pasteles. There is an art to making pasteles. Take your time. Do it with family and friends, and if you mess up, just know that it takes years for an abuela to master her craft. Give these a try and let me know what you think. Remember its not a pastel without some hot sauce!