Adapting meals to be plant-based episode 2 - Pastel de Choclo

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp from the inside.

Slice the squash into quarter-inch thick rounds.

Baste the squash with olive oil and add cayenne pepper if desired.

Bake the squash until soft and lightly browned, then remove from the oven and let cool.

Sauté half of an onion in a pan over medium heat until translucent.

Add diced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar, cooking until the mushrooms have reduced.

After four minutes, add rosemary leaves and balsamic vinegar.

Add canned or soaked and drained lentils and dissolve a bouillon cube in 3/4 cups of water, then add to the mixture.

Stir in the rest of the onion and add ground cumin, paprika, and additional salt and pepper to taste, cooking until the lentils are fully soft and the mixture is moist.

If using fresh corn, boil the corn cobs until al dente, then slice the corn from the husk.

In a large pot, heat and cook the corn until soft, then add coconut milk, basil, salt, pepper, and paprika, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

Blend the corn mixture with a hand mixer on pulse, leaving some chunkier parts.

Add cornmeal and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes until the consistency is firm, adjusting seasoning to taste.

In a baking dish, layer the veggie bottom evenly as a base, then add a layer of acorn squash on top.

Cover this layer with the corn mixture.

Sprinkle crushed walnuts over the top and bake until slightly brown.

Equipment Needed

Dietary

Allergens