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                       Caboverdian Pastels          

Recipe Courtesy of: Domingos Fernandes      

(Makes roughly 40 pastels)          
Dough: Cabanita Brand(This brand is found at Spanish grocery
stores only; if you cannot find it, use frozen pastry bread or you can
make your own pastry bread.)          

Vegetables: 2 Green Bell Peppers; 1-2 Yellow Onions
(You can add other vegetables that you like)

Meat: 2 Pounds of Lean Ground Beef (Also, cubed chicken,
shredded pork or tuna fish may be used in place of beef)          

Spices: Meat tenderizer, Marjoram, Paprika, Garlic, Parsley Flakes
(You can use other spices as well; add to your liking;
Domingos cautions against adding too much spice)

Instructions:Cook down ground beef, be sure to get as much
grease out of the pan as possible; then add spices to taste;Sauté
the vegetables, cook down and remove most of the juices, but leave
a little in so the mixture will not be too dry;Mix ground beef and
vegetables together in large bowl,  set aside;
Remove Cabanita dough from package. Using a rolling pin,
flatten out the dough (i.e., rolling it out so that it is a little thinner
for the frying process);

Once dough is rolled out: Add meat mixture to center of dough,
and fold in half like a taco. Then, using a fork, press down hard to seal the two sides together.

Once the outside rim is sealed: Use a serrated knife and cut
pastel down the middle, and seal the cut sides. You should be making two pastels per shell;Once you have stuffed, cut and sealed your pastel, it is time to fry. Fry until a golden brown.

Taste better when warm.

Have a tasty day

                                           GUFONGUINHO


                                           4 cups water
                                           2 cups of yellow corn meal
                                           ¼ stick of margarine
                                           1 cup of sugar or as desired
                                           1 teaspoon of salt

Boil water, margarine, sugar and salt.  Remove from heat and add corn meal..
Mix until all the lumps are dissolved.  Return to heat and cook in very low heat
for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cool to handle, then add 2 teaspoons of baking power and all purpose flour 
3 to 4 cups or as needed for kneading, a little at a time until dough is easy to handle for kneading.

Roll into corn stick shape (dust hand with a little white flour to prevent sticking).

Fry in frying pan which is half filled with oil on a medium heat.  Turn until all sides are golden.

Serve warm with coffee.
Bon Appetit
                  Cozinha de Cabo-Verde

"Makes roughly 70 to 80 gufonguinho"