I have been away for too long and can’t wait to get back to blog about food and adventures. As my first recipes were plantain last year, I decided to do plantains this year. I did piononos or some may say mini-pastelones. I don’t mind what you call it as long as you try it. The recipe is below and hope you enjoy it as much as I do. These are the ramekins I use just in case. My love for plantains has no boundaries.
Washington, DC
Now for the catch-up part… I went to Washington, DC after Thanksgiving and was wonderful. We had the opportunity to tour the House of Representatives, the Library of Congress, some of the museums and the area. I love history, so this trip was very special regardless of the politicians that inhabit DC. The weather was relatively nice because it wasn’t as cold as we expected. It made walking everywhere much easier, including my toddler.
Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner
I also had the chance to peek inside the office of Jenniffer González Colón, who is Puerto Rico’s only representative in Congress. Our Resident Commissioner, as the official tittle goes, is a non-voting member of the House of Representatives. Her office was kind of small compared to my Texas representative, but it was nice to see her décor was all about Puerto Rico. She even has a 51-stars Old Glory… no comments! She wasn’t there because there was a voting going on and the delegation was leaving that night to Puerto Rico for the Holidays. It was nice and, regardless of political affiliations, I enjoyed visiting her office and talking with part of the delegation. They were very welcoming and that was important to me.
My Congressman
The office of Ted Poe was covered wall to wall with photos and portraits of Texans. I have also come to love the single-star flag of Texas, which was standing right by his door. His neighboring office congressman was equally nice and his intern was very kind to give us the tour. I suspect this was because the intern at Ted Poe’s office was wearing something not even remotely close to business casual. I even thought about writing to his office and let them know she should have just gone home. In the 15 minutes we were waiting there, we were provided with underwear flashes and I thought well at least she’s wearing some. I am pro-female 100%, but please dress accordingly. Yes, I am still shocked remembering the incident… enough said! We got the best tour and ended up with an amazing person, doing her masters in DC and who lived in Puerto Rico for few months. The trip overall was great. We found a Mexican restaurant near the Longworth Building that was delicious. Unfortunately, there were no Puerto Rican food spots to visit this time. I hope next time I can search and visit at least one.
Kudos to Disney World
The Holidays always feel too short once you are an adult. After Christmas, we went to Disney World and that will be a new post… kudos to Disney for all the Puerto Ricans they have working there. If a company handles diversity with high honors, it is Disney. I will share the trip and food next post. Bacalao Guisado and few other recipes are coming in the next few posts as well as my family’s visit for make-up Christmas and a road trip. I am happy to share with you all and hope to read some of your comments too.
Piononos
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil coconut, olive oil, or your preference
- 1/2-3/4 cup sofrito
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 envelop Coriander & Annatto Seasoning do not add for Whole30 use Adobo powder instead
- 4-6 yellow plantains halved and sliced
- 2 egg beaten
- 6 slices cheese do not add for Whole30 use Nutritional Yeast instead
- 3 tbsp oil coconut, olive oil, or your preference for frying the plantain slices
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Cook the ground beef in a skillet with 1 tsp of oil until no pink is seen.
- Drain the beef and set it to a side. Add the sofrito to the skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes then add the cooked meat again and sprinkle adobo or the envelop of seasoning. Cook for few more minutes until the season covers the meat and all looks cooked.
- On another skillet, add the 2-3 tbsp of coconut oil or your preference in medium heat. Once is hot enough (water makes it pop), add the sliced plantains and pan fry them until golden yellow.
- Using a roller pin, flatten the fried plantains and use them to cover the bottom and sides of 6 ramekins. Add the cooked ground beef to each ramekin and add 1-2 tbsp of the beaten egg mix.
- If you are using cheese then add the cheese on top. Place the ramekins in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 350F until the egg is cooked. Enjoy!
- For Whole30, use Nutritional Yeast instead of cheese and Adobo powder instead of coriander and annatto seasoning.
Ay Diossss ahora tengo antojo de piononos a esta hora! Se ven deliciosos!! 😍😍😍😍