Cuban Shepherd's Pie???

I've been meaning to make this for a while. It's difficult for me to make all the recipes I would like to  because of the likes/dislikes and food restrictions of my family. My daughter can't eat dairy... that eliminates a lot, no cheeses, no creamy sauces, no mashed potatoes! My mother can't eat eggs or red meat.... yeah, I know! My husband doesn't like olives, peppers or raisins... and here I am going to make a meat dish (which my mother can't eat) with olives, peppers and raisins (which my husband doesn't like) and mashed potatoes (which my daughter can't eat). The only ingredient that suits everyone on is the sweet fried plantains that lay on the bottom layer! Here we go.

First we are going to prepare our PICADILLO. I have posted this recipe before, but I will repeat it again here as I'm adjusting it slightly.

1 lb ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup Sherry
about a dozen pimento stuffed Spanish olives
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup water
1 carrot, sliced
salt to taste

Brown and strain the ground beef. Set aside. Warm olive oil on medium heat and saute onions, peppers, and garlic until limp. Add the bay leaf. Add the ground beef, tomato sauce, sherry, water, cumin and Sherry. Add the olives and carrots and salt. Cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes.

MASHED POTATOES...
You can used instant mashed for this if you like, prepare enough for about 8. Otherwise, while your picadillo cooks, peel 5 large red potatoes, slice and boil. Prepare your mashed as you normally would. I mash mine until creamy with milk, butter and salt.






MADUROS...
I cheated and bought a couple boxes of GOYA frozen sweet plantains that only require frying. It's difficult for me to find ripe plantains here, but if you have access to them you need to buy some that are turning black (if they are black they may be too soft and fall apart). You will need about 3 plantains.  Peel them and slice them diagonally about 1/2 inch thick and fry them in vegetable oil. (see picture) Let them sit on a paper-towel lined plate 'til ready to assemble.

THE ASSEMBLY...
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a rectangular baking pan place your plantains in a layer at the bottom. (I was a little short on plantains, it's best to have enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan). Next, using a slotted spoon (you don't want too much liquid) transfer your picadillo in a layer on top of your plaintains. Next comes the potatoes, smooth them out with a spoon to cover the picadillo completely and form a seal to the edges of the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. (I turned on the broiler for the last 5 to brown the potato top).

Platanos Maduros: Ripe Plantains

Okay, so I could have let my plantain ripen further 'til it was completely black (the riper the sweeter), but it kept tempting me every time I went into the kitchen. I just had to fry it last night. Whether they look like this or are completely black, this is how we slice and fry them.

Cut the ends of your plantains and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of the peel. Remove the peel. Cut the plantain diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces (wider for riper plantains as they tend to fall apart if too thin).  In a frying pan on medium high heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil and place the pieces in one at a time, reduce the heat if the plantains start to brown too quickly. Flip the plantains over until brown on each side. (riper fried plantains will turn a deep rich brown, almost black). Remove from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate. That's it.

Pintones: Fried Yellow Plantains

There are many recipes for plantains, but I make the simplest. Fried. When the plantain is green, the fried plantains are called tostones. When the plantain is yellow, the fried plantains are called pintones, and when the plantain is black and looks almost rotten, that's when it's the sweetest and these fried plantains are called maduros.

I was hoping to be able to explain and show you how to prepare the plantains in the different stages of ripeness. So far, up here, I have only been able to find them yellow; however, the process of making tostones and pintones is the same.  (Maduros are cut differently to fry. I have a plantain ripening, so hopefully I will be able to post that soon)

Cut the ends of your plantains and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of the peel. Remove the peel keeping it in one piece. Set aside. Cut the plantain into 1 inch chunks. In a frying pan heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil and place the pieces in one at a time, reduce the heat if the plantains start to brown too quickly. Flip the plantains over once and slightly brown. Remove from the pan. We have to press them. Place one piece of plantain on a cutting board cover with the peel, place an oven mitt above the peel and press firmly with the heel of your hand. We don't want them flattened like pancakes. (see picture). Return to heated oil and fry 'til golden brown on each side. That's it. They are ready to eat, or you could sprinkle with a little salt.