Before moving to California, Puerto Rico was my second home. As we celebrate the holiday season, the traditional foods of the Island of Enchantment remain at the forefront of my memory all these years later. One traditional food that is popular during the holidays is pastelón, which is basically a well-seasoned beef lasagna wherein the pasta is replaced by sweet fried plantains.
I never actually got to try pastelón, since it is traditionally made with beef. However, I recently decided to try making a vegetarian version of this sweet and savory island delicacy. This version of pastelón uses lentils in the place of beef, which provide not only a healthy dose of protein but also lots of fiber, and steamed plantains instead of fried plantains, which greatly reduces the oil content of the dish.
For today’s spotlight, I will focus on a key ingredient of pastelón - plantains.
Ingredient spotlight: Plantains
Plantains are a staple food in the Caribbean, and growing up on St. Croix, we would use both the plantains and the plantain leaves to prepare traditional foods like ducana and pasteles.
However, plantains are a food of concern for people with type 2 diabetes due to their high starch content relative to other fruits and vegetables. People with type 2 diabetes are often told to avoid starchy foods such as this one in order to prevent dangerous spikes in blood glucose. However, imposing dietary restrictions that are grossly misaligned with a person’s standard meal patterns may lead to poor compliance and ultimately poor glycemic control.
A 2019 publication in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association by authors from Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Senegal, Cameroon, and India discusses this very issue and provides suggestions for how people with diabetes can safely consume plantains. The authors suggest that in order to make plantains “gluco-friendly,” we must focus on reducing three things: the glycemic load, the glycemic index, and the total caloric load. Glycemic load can be attenuated by preparing smaller portion sizes; glycemic index can be lowered by consuming plantains after or along with leafy greens and/or legumes; caloric load can be reduced by steaming instead of frying and eating slowly. Exercise helps to offset both the glycemic load and the caloric intake as well.
Ideally, being diagnosed with diabetes should not mean that you can never eat your favorite foods again. The key is to learn how to modify your eating habits and listen to your body. As always, please consult with your personal dietitian or physician before making any changes to your diet if you have diabetes or any other chronic conditions.
Now, on to the recipe!
This recipe makes 8 servings.
Ingredients:
3/4 lb dry lentils
2 cups marinara sauce
7-8 large sweet plantains
3 cups mozzarella cheese
½ medium yellow onion
½ of one red and one green bell pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 roma tomatoes
1 serrano pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro (+1/2 cup to top the dish after cooking)
4 tbsp olive oil for sauteing (+1 tbsp for steaming the plantains in the first baking dish, +2 tbsp for coating the second baking dish)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp each: dried oregano, dried basil
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and put the lentils to boil.
Next, prepare the plantains by peeling and slicing them into long layers. Do this by slicing from top to bottom at the diagonal that creates the longest slices possible. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat your first baking dish, then place the plantains inside, cover tightly with foil, and steam for 25 minutes.
Then, slice the onion and peppers. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and sautée the onions and peppers along with the cilantro, garlic, salt, and other seasonings until the onions become soft.
Next, add the marinara sauce and allow everything to simmer on low heat.
Once the lentils are soft, mix in the marinara sauce with the sautéed veggies.
Now it’s time to bring all of the ingredients together!
Coat the bottom of the second baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Create a flat layer of plantains by laying each slice down one next to the other in rows until the entire bottom is covered. Next, add half of the lentil mixture, and cover that with 1½ cups of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process for the next layer - plantains, lentils, then cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the veggie pastelón from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Top with the remaining cilantro, and enjoy!
Prep time:
20 minutes
Cook time:
1 hour
Cool time:
15 minutes
Total time:
1 hour and 35 minutes
Enjoy today.
~Recipe by Michelle Adams @YellowCedarNutrition~
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