Ingredients:

15 green Bluefield or Chinese bananas
30 small ti leaves
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons Achiote Fat
2 Hawaiian red peppers, minced
3 3/4 cups Sofrito
15 pitted olives

Procedure

Soak bananas in hot water for 10 minutes. Wash ti leaves; blanch. Peel bananas and soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Cut bananas into 2-inch pieces. Put 4 teaspoons of the water into blender; add one third of the banana pieces and puree. Remove puree and place in bowl. Repeat process until all banana pieces are pureed. Stir salt and 1 tablespoon of the achiote fat into banana mixture. Place two ti leaves side by side and overlap edges lengthwise. With a spoon, spread remaining 4 tablespoons achiote fat on leaves. Spread banana mixture about 1/8 inch thick over fat. Mix peppers into sofrito mixture. Place 1/4 cup of the sofrito mixture in center of banana mixture. Place an olive in the center. Carefully fold the ti leaves lengthwise around filling, using the “drug store” wrap; secure with string. Repeat until all ti leaves are used. Steam for 45 minutes or until done. Makes 15 pasteles.