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The Food Goddess is in the Kitchen! I am delighted beyond words to present my friend, my pal, Kali Amanda Browne (daughter of the beauteous and talented Marie) aka The Food Goddess. Enjoy!

Pastelon: A Meat Pie with a Latin Flair

A pastelon is a big, meat pie. In the Caribbean there are a few varieties, but traditionally the filling is made of picadillo. Picadillo means chopped or minced. What makes the pastelon unique is a plantain crust.

In Puerto Rico, the "crust" is made of slices of ripe plantain fried to a golden crispness. In the Dominican Republic, the crust is made of extra ripe mashed plantains.

Pastelon can be made with chicken or shrimp and, it is rumored, there are vegetarian recipes floating about. While the pastelon is a meal in itself, it can be served with a simple tossed salad though some cannot deal with it without a small portion of rice. A fabulous presentation and a tasty alternative is to serve with slices of avocado (plain or with a sprinkle of olive oil and lemon juice). Macaroni salad is surprisingly good with it as well.

Picadillo

1 lb ground beef
2 tbs oil
1 small diced onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 small green pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
Black ground pepper

Heat oil in pan and sauté onion, garlic and pepper until softened. Add the meat and brown. Add tomato paste and herbs, season and mix. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat until meat is fully cooked.

To season you may use a dash of salt or a packet of sazón. As an alternative, you may also season the meat before cooking with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. You may add a third to a quarter cup of water (which you'll allow to evaporate). You may substitute with red wine vinegar or cooking wine. And, if your heart can take it, a dash or two of hot sauce can add another dimension to the taste. Instead of green peppers, you may substitute with sweet and hot chiles.

The picadillo can include any of the following, depending on your taste: raisins, diced green apples, salad olives with pimentos. You can also add about a cup of frozen peas, green beans or corn (or use mixed vegetables that come already diced for your convenience) -- add at the last minute of cooking to heat through and mix thoroughly.

Ultimately, what you want is moist but not saucy filling.

You can prepare the picadillo a few days ahead and refrigerate. This also allows all the flavors to marry.

Pastelon

6 ripe plantains (dark skin)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cut the ends off the plantains, cut in halves or thirds and split the skins (see the archived article on plantains for a more detailed explanation). Place in pot of salted water and boil for about 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain water and remove peels.

Mash plantains with a fork, add soft butter and incorporate into the mashed bananas.

Spray a baking dish (you may use a pie dish or even a lasagna pan, depending on what you have available). Spoon half the plantain mixture on the bottom and smooth out the layer, top with a third of the cheese and a layer of meat. Add cheese to top the meat. Spoon the rest of the plantain mixture and top with cheddar.

Place in oven, preheated to 350° F and heat through until cheese is melted and golden brown for about 30-40 minutes. Cooking time depends on whether the filling is already warm, of course.

The result is an enchanting combination of sweet and savory (and picante) flavors. The textures go from soft to crunchy. The bananas harden on the outside to literally create a crust, but the inside will remain soft. The important part is that you can always play around with the filling to meet your exact specifications. It's different and quite comforting. It yields about 6 portions and all told you can make this dish for less than $10!

You can email me at kali.templeofdoom@gmail.com.