I went to Panama a few weeks ago and also noticed how much more expensive cashews are. Not only that, but I’ve been told there is a crisis with their trees. The future of those trees scare me and it breaks my heart. I encourage anyone who has the chance to taste the fruit where the seed grows from, to try it. It has an astringent taste due to its tannins, so yes, it’ll feel weird on your tongue and throat. But you must have it as a chicha and try baking with it! It also makes delicious marmalade.

The US, as far as I know, imports all of its cashews from different countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, and India. So as many things in this country that we are blessed with even though we don’t grow the fruit for commercial production, we still have access to good quality imported goods, like cashews and even cashew fruit (cashew apple).

If you find yourself a good deal price on cashews, splurge and enjoy! While I don’t eat cashews every month, I consume them more frequently than regular nuts, and my husband has joined me in enjoying this delicious treat.

What do you think about cashews? Where you live, can you purchase the fruit fresh or frozen? What’s your favourite way of trying cashews?

Burnt-Toasted Cashews
I grew up getting raw cashews and cashew fruit from my grandparents house in Rio Hato, in the province of Cocle. I remember something we’d gather cashew fruits and then twist the seed out and put them right on the fire. We did this quickly so that we wouldn’t burn with the shell’s acid. We’d set a small fire with wood to burn the cashews and then with a rock break them apart from the burnt skin. I don’t remember ever having more than 5 cashews at a time. They were precious like gold even if we were surrounded by those trees since I had many cousins and uncles and aunts to share with.

I was reading how for highly industrialised companies working with cashews they use strong steam which makes sense if you want to keep the cashew raw. I don’t recall ever using it raw because we always burn it to be able to get it and it ended up roasted.

Now I live in Maryland, I have no cashew trees around me, but I have access to cashews at almost any regular grocery store. They are pricey and that’s ok, as long as it’s because it’s the right thing for the lands who produce it.

I remembered how wonderful the pleasure of eating burnt-toasted cashews when I went to visit my parents in Panama a month ago. I brought a small bag of burnt-toasted cashews I cooked back in Maryland. Though I brought some other goods from the US, nothing brought such joy to my family than going over those cashews I had that were just a leftover snack from our flying trip.

Please do try the on-the-pan burnt-toasted cashew technique, test it with a tiny batch because if you didn’t grow up eating them like the way I mentioned I did during my childhood, I’m not sure you’re going to enjoy it. I’ve offered my cashews to friends and coworkers and they stared at the burnt looking cashews and kindly decline. Let me know what you think if you’ve never had it like this and try it for the first time. Maybe they’re not for you or maybe you unlock a new way to enjoy cashews!

Burnt-Toasted Cashews Recipe

Ingredients:
Raw unsalted cashews, at room temperature (enough to cover the bottom of your pan without crowding)
Timer (helps you stay nearby and prevents burning)
Stainless steel pan or any pan that can take heat without having to add oil to it

Directions:
– Heat a large pan over medium-low heat.
– Once hot, add the cashews. Stir occasionally to prevent pilling. Toast for 3 minutes.
– Reduce heat. Stir the cashews and toast for another 2 minutes. Repeat 2-3 times until they reach a very dark golden brown color. Some will look more burnt than others and that’s ok.
– If you have an electric stove, turn off the burner and leave the cashews in the pan for 2 more minutes. For gas stoves, set the heat to its lowest setting, stir, and leave for 1-2 more minutes.
– Let the cashews cool in the pan, away from heat, for 1-2 hours.
– Once cooled, transfer cashews to a container (jars or resealable bags work well).
– Cashews will stay fresh for several weeks, not in my house since we eat them in two days, but they last week.

NOTE: Start with a small batch if you’re new to toasting cashews. Watch the video for a bit of visual guide. Please let me know if you try this recipe!

I will have a Part 2 and maybe a Part 3 of my Cashew writing series. I’ll keep you posted! Part 2 would include how to use cashews for milk-replacement and Part 3 will be for creams and sauces.

¡a comer!

I published this podcast episode back at the end of April and I could tell you so many of the excuses I have for not having shared the recipe until now, but instead I’ll just keep it short and sweet and share the recipe.

Seriously, here you go, this is the podcast episode and the recipe below, ¡a comer! (you’re welcome)
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1. Tener todos los ingredientes medidos o pesado (si no usan pesa en google solo asegúrense de convertir correctamente, no pesa lo mismo una taza de agua que de harina por ejemplo).

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2. Mezclar los ingredientes secos.

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3. Agregar el agua, si quieren hagan la mitad y luego poco a poco hasta que sientan la masa y el gluten desarrollándose.

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4. Mi masa se sentía un poco seca puede ser por el clima así­ que agregué 2 cucharadas más de agua al final, es bueno sentir la masa y entre más hagan hojaldres más desarrollarán su receta en base a su preferencia.

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5. Antes de agregar más agua, agregue la mantequilla a temperatura ambiente en pedacitos y ya sea incorporar con la batidora de pie o con mano (también he hecho esta receta a mano y funciona igual solo que me toca amasarla más tiempo). Batir a velocidad media hasta que la mantequilla se incorpore por completo.

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6. Te darás de cuenta qué tanto gluten la masa ha desarrollado y si está lista si pasa el windowpane test que es la prueba que te muestra si la masa está lista, la mía estaba casi lista en esta foto, para mi masa de hojaldre así­ está bien, fueron casi 5-7 minutos en la batidora, así­ que luego de batir 3-5 minutos prueben la masa cada 2 minutos extras hasta que se sienta un poco elástica y se pueda estirar sin reventarse.

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7. Si tienes un envase grande guárdalo allá­ tapadito a temperatura ambiente por lo menos 2-3 horas. Prueba si es tu primera vez y tu casa es muy caliente capaz en 30 minutos está listo así­ que sin temor calienta tu aceite y prueba friendo pedacitos del mismo grueso que estirarás tu hojaldre para medir bien la temperatura del aceite.

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8. A medida que los frían colocar en papel toalla para que se drene el aceite de las hojaldres y lo ideal es ir pasando las hojaldres de una vez para que no se enfríen jaja!

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La masa que te sobre al día siguiente se puede frei­r y a mí­ me encantan con huevo fritos y queso, o si preferís postre agregarle azúcar pulverizada, chocolate y canela. Con miel también queda muy deli la verdad.

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Espero pronto ya hagan su Hojaldre y a comer al estilo panameño y cómo es eso? Vas a tener que escuchar el Podcast para saber el cuento, suscríbete en YouTube, solo busca LITTLELADYCOOK y me cuentas qué tal te parece.

°¡a comer!

Nance tastes very tart and has a mushy texture.  I’ve found it around the US, frozen and in bottles, called ‘Yellow Cherries’ (spoiler alert: they do not taste anything like cherries, I don’t even like them that much by themselves).  I prefer making a nance juice, pesada, or to use it on dessert recipes.

Pesada is a cooked smooth cream, prepared with the fruit ‘nance’, with water, sugar, and cornstarch.  Those are the main components as far as I know, but when the nance is not tart enough, my mom likes to add pineapples or passion fruit juice.  It is served warm or cold with crumbled salty queso fresco on top.

Ingredients:

2 bottles of Nance (approximately 6-8 cups)
3 l of Water
1 cup of Cornstarch
3/4 cup of Sugar
Optional: pineapple chunks/juice, lime or passion fruit juice

Instructions

(Follow the Photo-Steps ^_^)

1. Add Nance with enough water to cover a little bit above the surface.

2. Blend for a few secs, 5-10, quick to avoid blendingç/breaking the seeds.

3. Use a colander to make sure you don’t get those seeds in your pot!

4.  Press the nance through the colander with your hands. That way it will be gentle and you will avoid getting seeds in your pesada.

5. Add a little extra water or juice and squeeze as much fruit as you can out of that Nance!

6. Taste the nance mixture, and if it’s too bland, blend a some mixture with a little bit of a sour fruit such as: pineapple, passion fruit or lime juice.  Blend the fruit and make sure you pass through a sieve to make sure your pesada stays smooth.

7.  Set the pot in medium high heat, add the sugar and cornstarch and keep stirring for 7-12 minutes, until the pesada thickens up.  If you’d like a thicker pesada, mix more cornstarch with a citrus juice, add to mixture and cook for a few more minutes.

8. Serve the Pesada de Nance with a lot of ‘Queso Blanco – Molido’ you could try with several types of cheeses, even cottage or feta, but traditionally queso blanco does it for us Panamanians!

¡a comer!

After so many delicious meals at Bangkok Golden thanks my sweet friend Chef Seng, I feel a bit of an expert in tasting Papaya and Mango salads.  Which one is the best? It will always be a matter of personal taste, some prefer Thai style, some others will prefer the Laotian flavours.  For me it all depends on my mood and what my palate feels like, and today is more like a semi sweet/sour with a kick, but not too spicy.

Depending on the season and your budget choose your ingredients, as long as they’re good quality and fresh I’m sure it will exquisite.  The whole point of this dish and the combination of flavors is to work with what you find at the market or grocery store, can’t find green mango? Get a green papaya! Can’t use fish sauce? Try it with soy sauce!

If you’re lucky like me, visit your fish market and get the freshest prawns available for this salad!

Green Mango Salad w/ Shrimps & Cashews

Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients for Salad:
1-3 Green Mangos (depending on the size), sliced into julienne strips
1 Mangotin (June Plum), sliced into julienne strips
1 Garlic clove, pureed
3 tbs of Raspadura (or dark brown sugar)
4 tbs Lime Juice
2 1/2 tbs Fish Sauce (I recommend Three Crabs or Golden Boy)
1/2 cup salted roasted Cashews, chopped and a few whole for serving
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, finely chopped
Avocado (1 small or 1/2 med/large size) (I used a buttery kind of avocado for this salad)
Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients for Prawns:
1-3 large prawns, deveined/cleaned
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbs of Olive Oil + 1 tbs of more oil or butter
Salt to taste

PRAWNS (if you prefer to eat them hot then cook them before finishing mixing the salad)
– In a bowl mix the prawns with the oil and salt.
– Heat up pan on high temperature.  Once it’s hot, add prawns with oil 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size of your prawns.  Once it starts getting orange/reddish flip them and lower the temperature.
– You could add more olive oil, or the butter and garlic, sauteed for another minute and reserve.

SALAD
– In a mixing bowl mix garlic and hot pepper, until fully combined then add the raspadura/sugar and mix until it has mixed and disolved.
– Add fish sauce and lemon juice and mix the dressing until fully brought together.
– Depending on how sweet your fruits are you can adjust the amount of lime juice/sugar for more or less acidity.
– Add pieces of avocado, mix in and break apart with a spoon.  Add into the bowl the tomatoes, mango and mangotin, mix all together, add chopped cashews, but be careful to not overmix, it could break apart your sliced fruits.

Serve salad with extra cashews, add prawns and add extra slices of limes for presentation (I love sour flavours so I always end up adding more lime juice to mine).

I could have used a mandoline, pestle and mortar for a much better finish and mix of flavors, but I know you all don’t usually have such tools at home, so a knife, chopping board, and a bowl will get the job done!

If you have any questions about this dish, tweet them my away!

¡a comer!

I don’t always find Panamanian ingredients in the US, luckily, yuca is one of those that you can even find at a Whole Foods.  To stay in budget, I usually get my yuca from Mexican supermarkets, sometimes I buy it fresh, but I always get a frozen package to keep extra in the freezer, you never know when the yuca cravings might come.

There are so many ways to serve this dish, by itself, or with slices of a melting salty cheese, queso fresco, and/or fried eggs.  Maybe chorizo, roasted chicken, or fried fish. I can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s pretty versatile.

You can prepare yuca al mojo in many ways, I have friends who use orange juice, or lime juice, but this is one of my favorite ways to make it at home:

My Yuca Al Mojo Recipe

Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tbs Green Onions, chopped
2 tbs Garlic, chopped (4-5 garlic cloves)
1 Culantro leaf (if you can’t find, add more cilantro or parsley)
2 tbs Cilantro, sliced
Lemon Juice
2 lbs Yuca, boiled (If you’re using fresh yuca, instead of frozen, here is a video demonstrating how to peel it first).
Olive Oil
Butter 

Directions:
– While you’re boiling the yuca, prepare your ingredients.
– Sauté the garlic in olive oil at low heat (less than 2 minutes), add a bit of butter, chopped scallions, and pinch of salt, and remove before they go too brown (don’t let it burn or you’ll have to start again). (reserve the garlicky oil/butter).
–  On the same pan with olive oil (add extra if necessary), increase temperature to medium-high heat, crisp the boiled yuca, (I like mine crispy it on all sides).
–  Once the yuca is browned to your preference, add pinch of salt, 1 tbs of butter, stir, lower heat, add garlic, scallions and fresh herbs.
– Turn off the heat and add lemon juice to taste (I like mine a bit sour so I go with half a lemon).

The key to a good Yuca Al Mojo, imho, is about quality of ingredients, even if your yuca is fresh, if you end up using a crappy olive oil, non fresh herbs, etc, you will end up with a ‘meh’ dish.  I used frozen yuca #NoShame, boiled it in salty water, and cooked it with great oils + fresh herbs, it makes the whole difference in the world.

As you can see, my result is different from most recipes you’ll find around, I add A LOT of herbs, I fry the garlic, and I also add butter!

I suggest eating this dish right on the moment, if you have leftovers (which I doubt it’s going to happen), use them in soups or you can reheat them within two days in an oven, I like to keep my yuca crispy, if it becomes a bit dry after reheating, you can always make more mojo on the side ; )

¡a comer!

Other Blog Posts:

Carimañolas (stuffed yuca fritters)
How To Make Fried Green Plantains (Patacones / Tostones)

I asked my mum to write a few Panamanian recipes and she’s having a blast making all these dishes for my blog.  This time she shares her recipe for “Mondongo”, a favorite among my family.  I was never a big fan of Mondongo and it wasn’t only because of its texture (y’all know I’ve eaten all sorts of strange things), but I remember that it made me happy because I could see my family getting excited whenever my mum would announce in the morning that she was making Mondongo for dinner.

Panamanian Mondongo is different than other countries.  Different ingredients and we don’t have it as a soup, we make it more like a stew and serve it with white rice or rice with green pigeon peas.  There is also Mondongo “A La Culona” which literally means “Big Butt Woman’s Style”.  For this one you need to use pig’s trotters and tails. I’ve also read that instead of chickpeas you could use white beans and add Ají Chombo (habanero pepper) to make it very spicy.

I’ve asked my parents about the story behind the name “Mondongo” and the “A La Culona” version, and my dad promised he will find out on the next time he visits my grand parents in Coclé, Panamá.  Once he finds out I’ll share this update with all of you, I’m also excited to learn about this since it’s hard to come by accurate Panamanian Food History, just like many folkloric stories, it changes depending on the region and the family that shares the tale.

I’m sure this will be a delicacy for many, but for my family it is just as mainstream as for Americans to make Chili con Carne.

My Mum’s recipe:

Prepping time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours* (read the notes)
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs of Mondongo Stripes (beef tripe)
4 chorizos, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of pitted big green olives
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 cup tomato paste (my mum used Maggi’s)
4 bay leaves and/or dried oregano (this is for the boiling process’ odor)
2 cups of tomato sauce (my mum used Maggi’s)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil with annato seeds* or annato powder (read the notes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.  In a big pot of salted boiling water, cook the mondongo for 1:30-2 hours in high heat and add the bay leaves (my mum adds it because of the bad odor released when boiling the mondongo).
2.  Once the mondongo becomes softer, drain the water from the pot and rinse the mondongo with cold water.
3.  Rinse well for a few minutes removing the sebo with a knife and chop into smaller pieces (raw hard fat like on the picture below).
4.  Choose a big paila (frying pot) add the oil in medium high heat sautee the chorizo, after two minutes add the mondongo, carrots, onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Sautee for one more minute in high heat.
5.  Add tomato paste and sauce on medium high heat for two minutes.
6.  Add water making sure the liquid is one inch above the surface of the mondongo. Cook for one hour and add more water if it becomes too dry.
7.  15 minutes before turning it off add the cooked chickpeas.
8. Turn off the heat and add the olives.

NOTES:
–  The oil with annato seeds is just oil that has been previously heated with the seeds and it obtains that fragance and color.  If you can’t find the seeds try to use the paste or ground annato.
–  This dish goes perfectly with white rice and plantains in tempation just like my mum served it on that picture. (recipe for plantains –> https://www.cocinerita.com/platanos-en-tentacion-temptation-sweet-plantains/
–  Vegetarians/Vegans:  I believe this dish can easily be veganized because in the end is a matter of texture, if you find soy strips that can hold its shape, you can make a Vegan Mondongo. Also a soy chorizo.
–  If you have a pressure cooker you could reduce the cooking time by half at least.

¡a comer!

Yo le pedí a mi mami que compartiera recetas panameñas favoritas conmigo y ella se está diviertiendo haciendo y fotografiando estos platos para mi blog.  Esta vez escogió el “Mondongo”, un favorito de mis hermano.  Nunca me gustó mucho el mondongo, y no es solo por la textura (ustedes saben que yo he comido todo tipo de cosas), pero yo recuerdo que me hacía feliz comerlo ya que podía ver la cara de felicidad de mi familia cada vez que mi mamá anunciaba por las mañanas que serviría Mondongo para la cena.

El Mondongo panameño es diferente que en muchos países y no solo por los ingredientes que varían, sino porque no lo servimos como sopa sino como un guisado/estofado y lo servimos con arroz blanco o arroz con guandú.  –  Mondongo A La Culona es una variación que llega rabito y patitas de puerco.  También leí que en vez de garbanzos, lleva frijoles blancos y también lleva ají chombo (picante criollo). Esta versión es picante.

Le pregunté a mis papás acerca del nombre “Mondongo” y el de la versión “A La Culona”, y mi papá me prometió que me averiguará la próxima vez que visite a mis abuelos en Coclé.  Una vez él me cuente les escribo la actualización en esta publicación.  Yo estoy emocionada porque la verdad es que desconozco la procedencia ya que es difícil encontrar información verídica culinaria panameña, ya que como muchas historias folklóricas, los cuentos cambian dependiendo de la región y la familia que lo relate. 

Estoy segura que este plato será una esquisitez para muchos, pero para mi familia es tan convencional como para los Americanos cocinar Chici con Carne o los Puertorriqueños cocinar gandules.

Tiempo de Preparación: 30 minutos
Tiempo de cocción: 3 horas* (lea las notas)
Porciones: 8

Ingredientes:
2 1/2 libras mondongo en tiras (intestinos de res)
4 chorizos picado
4 dientes de ajo picados
1/2 taza de garbanzo cocido
1/2 taza de aceitunas (olivas) sin hueso
1/2 cebolla mediana picada
1 taza de pasta de tomate (mi mami usó Maggi)
4 hojas de laurel u orégano
2 tazas de salsa de tomate (mi mami usó Maggi)
1/4 taza de aceite vegetal en achiote* o en polvo/pasta (lea las notas)
Pimienta y sal al gusto

Preparación:
1. En una olla grande con agua hirviendo y sal, cocine el mondongo por 1:30-2 horas en temperatura alta y agregue las hojas de laureles y/o el orégano (my mamá utiliza éstas para suavizar el mal olor que produce hervir el mondongo).
2.  Una vez el mondongo se haya suavizado un poco, deshágase del agua y las hojas.  Enjuague el mondongo con agua fría.
3.  Enjuáguelo por unos minutos mas, luego remueva el sebo con un cuchillo como en la fotografía anterior y corte las tiras en pedazos más pequeños.
4.  Caliente en aceite en temperatura media-alta en una paila grande, sofrite (sautee) el chorizo, luego de dos minutos agregue el mondongo, zanahoria, cebolla, ajo, sal y pimienta.  Sofrite por un minuto en temperatura alta.
5.  Agregue la pasta y la salsa de tomate y cocine por dos minutos.
6.  Agregue agua asegurándose que el líquido quede una pulgada encima de la superficie del mondongo.  Cocine por una hora y agregue más agua si se empieza a secar.
7.  Agregue los garbanzos 15 minutos antes de apagar la estufa.
8.  Apague la llama y agregue las olivas.

NOTES:
–  El aceite con el achiote es solo aceite que ha sido calentado con las semillas para obtener ese color y fragancia.  Si no puede conseguir estas semillas, utilice pasta de achiote o polvo.
–  Este plato va perfecto con arroz blanco y plátanos en tentación, así como mi mamá lo sirvió (foto del inicio). Receta para plátanos en tentación –> https://www.cocinerita.com/platanos-en-tentacion-temptation-sweet-plantains/
–  Vegetarianos/Veganos: yo creo que este plato es fácil de veganizar porque al final es cuestión de conseguir la textura del mondongo y con tiras de soya que mantengan su forma, se puede hacer esta receta para un Mondongo Vegano. También se puede usar chorizo de soya.
–  Si tienes una olla de presión puedes reducir el tiempo de cocción por la mitad probablemente.

I can’t imagine a better drink to enjoy that is both refreshing and filling at the same time like Chicheme is.  When my mom makes Chicheme  she makes more than plenty but it never lasts more than one day in the fridge.  This recipe is very easy and versatile; every time I prepare it I make changes to it.  If you find evaporated milk too heavy, you can always try with almond or coconut milk.  I’m sure it should work wonderfully with any type of milk.

Cooking Time: 1 hour + refrigeration time
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of hominy (dried uncooked corn, preferrably the broken one “trillado”)
5 cups of water
3 cinnamon sticks
1.5 cups of evaporated milk
1.5 cup of almond Milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
Fresh ground nutmeg for serving

Instructions:
1.  Soak the corn overnight in the fridge.
2.  Cook the corn with the water (add the cinnamon sticks), and the salt until the corn starts breaking apart.  40 minutes to 1 hour. (you can add extra hot water if it dries up before the corn has soften up).
3.  Let it cool off a bit and add the sugar, milk and vanilla extract, stir until the sugar completely dissolves.  Refrigerate for a few hours.
4.  Serve cold with fresh ground nutmeg, add more milk if you prefer a thinner drink.

NOTE:
1. Original recipes usually use 1 full cup of sugar, so feel free to adjust as you stir in the sugar.
2. I blended half of my corn for a thicker chicheme and ate it with a spoon.

¡a comer!

Yo no me puedo imaginar una mejor bebida refrescante y satisfactoria como lo es el chicheme.  Cuando mi mama hace Chicheme ella prepara tanto y aún así no dura más de un día en el refrigerador.  Esta receta es muy versátil y cada vez que la preparo le hago cambios.  Si sientes que la leche evaporada es muy intensa, siempre puede probar leche de almendras o de coco.  Estoy segura que la receta debe funcionar exitosamente con cualquier tipo de leche.

Tiempo de Cocción: 1 hora + el tiempo de preparación
Porciones: 8

Ingredientes:
1/2 libra de maíz trillado
5 tazas de agua
3 rajas de canela
1.5 tazas de leche evaporada
1.5 taza de leche de almendras
1 cdta de extracto de vainilla
1/2 taza de azúcar
1/2 cdta de sal
Nuez Mozcada Molida

Instrucciones:
1.  Remojar el maíz de noche en el refrigerador.
2.  Cocinar el maíz con la canela en el agua y la sal hasta que el maíz se reviente un poco. 40 minutos a 1 hora. (Puede agregar agua caliente si el líquido comienza a secarse).
3.  Déjelo enfriar y agregue la azúcar, leche y extracto de vainilla, revuelva hasta que la azúcar se disuelva por completo.  Refrigere por horas.
4.  Sirva fría con nuez moscada molida. Agrgue más leche si desea un chicheme menos espeso.

NOTA:
1.  Las recetas originales usualmente llevan una taza entera de azúcar y así cuando prepare el chicheme pruebe y ajuste la dulzura a su gusto.
2.  Yo licué la mitad de mi chicheme para tener una bebida más espesa.

My mom baked this pie back in Panama a few days ago and wrote the recipe for me to share with all of you.  I might try a mushroom version of this recipe on Thanksgiving and will update with some pictures!

My Mom’s Recipe

Ingredients

6 Yellow Plantains
2 Cups of cheese, shredded (provolone, pressed queso fresco or cheddar, a cheese that melts easily and that has a good touch of salt)
6 eggs
1/2 Cup of light cream
3 tbs of butter, at room temperature
2 lbs of carne molida guisada (ground beef or tofu cooked in tomato and garlic sauce)**
**You can cook the guisado as if you made chili but without beans, just choose the spices you would like to try on your dish. I suggest paprika, cumin, onions, peppers, (honey or ketchup for a touch of sweetness), tomato paste to thicken it up and broth). This could be cooked a day or two in advance, warm it up when starting to make the pie.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Boil the yellow plantains with the skin on, once it softens up 15-20 mins. (I’ve also cooked them in the microwave, look at the plantain picture, you should slice it like that for either microwave or cooking in the pot with water).
3. Mash the plantains, mix with the butter, cream and eggs, until fully incorporated.
4. Start layering up your pie in your glass container.  Start with the plantain masa, then the cheese, then the guisado.  Keep layering until the top where you can seal with plantain masa.
5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

NOTE: If you want to cook your plantains in the microwave please read instructions on the below picture.  I also suggest placing a small cup of water inside the microwave when cooking and no more than 2-3 plantains at a time.  The cup of water will help to retain the moisture.

If you’re cooking the plantains in the pot with boiling water just do the middle slice (length wise), but if you’re cooking them in the microwave, also cut off the tips and cook 2-3 mins (if the plantains were already at room temperature before you started cooking them).
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El plátano debería cortarse solo en el medio si lo cocinará en la olla con agua, si lo hará en el microondas puede cortarle las puntas y cocinar 2-3 minutos (si el plátano ya estaba a temperatura ambiente desde el inicio).

Mi mamá hizo este pastel en Panamá hace unos días atrás y me envió la receta para compartir con todos ustedes en el blog.  Yo creo que probaré esta receta pero con hongos en Cena de Acción de Gracias y agregaré algunas fotografías nuevas. 

Receta de Mi Mamá

Ingredientes
6 plátanos bien maduros
2 tazas de queso rallado (provolone, prensado fresco, cheddar, cualquier queso que se derrita fácilmente y tenga un buen punto de sal).
6 huevos (batir antes de incorporar al puré)
1/2 de taza de leche de crema
3 cdas de mantequilla
2 lbs de carne molida guisada y cocida en salsa roja. (tofu molido para receta vegetariana).**
**Este guisado en salsa roja puede ser como cuando cocinas chili con carne, pero sin los frijoles.  Yo sugiero paprika, comino, cebolla,  pimentones, )miel o ketchup para un toque de dulzura=, pasta de tomate para espesar la el guisado y caldo de vegetales o pollo).  Puedes cocinar el guisado de uno a dos días anticipadamente, recaliente el guisado antes de preparar el pastel.

Instrucciones:
1.  Caliente el horno a 200C
2.  Hervir en una olla los platanos con todo y cascara, cuando este blando les quita la cascara y se echa en un bol.
3.  Así calientitos haga el puré y le incorpora la mantequilla, leche y los huevos batidos.
4.  En un molde de vidrio como el que muestra la fotografía, empiece su primera capa con la masa de plátano, luego el queso y luego la carne, siga haciendo capas hasta llegar arriba y selle con la masa de plátano. (Parecido a la lasagna).
5.  Hornée por 10 minutos.

NOTA: Si usted decide cocinar los plátanos en el microondas, por favor lea las instrucciones en la imagen de arriba.  sugiero que coloquen un vasito con agua cuando cocine los plátanos en el microondas, ayudará a retener su humedad.  No cocine más de 2-3 plátanos a la vez.

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¡a comer!