Plantain Arepas

 Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1 plantain

2 mini sweet peppers

1 shallot

10 oz firm tofu

1 tsp annatto seeds

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1/2 cup masa harina

1 roma tomato

1/4 oz fresh cilantro

1 lime

1 avocado

1 tbsp vegan butter

Directions: 

1. Peel the plantain and cut into 1/2 ich thick rounds. Add plantain rounds to a small saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and return plantain to saucepan, off heat.  Mash the boiled plantains with a fork. 

2. Trim, deseed, and thinly slice the mini sweet peppers.  Peel the shallot, slice in half, thinly slice one half, and dice the other half. Drain the tofu, pat dry with a clean towel, and crumble.  

3. Add 2 tbsp oil and annatto seeds to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the seeds sizzle, 2 to 3 mintues. Discard the seeds, leaving the oil, and add sliced mini sweet peppers and sliced shallot. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add crumbled tofu, nutritional yeast, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer the annatto tofu to a plate.  

4. add the mashed plantain, masa harina, and 1/4 tsp salt to a large bowl.  Add 1/4 cup water and mix dough with your hands. Divide arepa dough into 4 equal parts and shape into small, flat rounds about 1/2 inch thick.  Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium heat with 1 tbsp oil.  Once hot add plantain arepas and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.  

5. Dice the Roma tomato. roughly chop cilantro leaves and stems.  Halve the lime, juice one half and cut the other half into wedges. Halve the avocado, scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, and mash with a fork. Add diced shallot, diced Roma tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to the bowl.  Stir in the gaucamole. 

6. Halve the plantain arepas crosswise and butter each side. Add gaucamole and annato tofu to one half of each arepa. top with the remaining arepa half. Serve with lime wedges and any remaining annatto tofu and gaucamole.  

660 calories, 26g of fat, 81 carbs, 31 g protein.