With Mother’s Day tomorrow I figured this is an appropriate dish to honor my mom and all that she taught me. Growing up in an Argentinian household, Pastel de papa was our version of comfort food. When asked what it is, I usually say..its our version of Sheppard pie. Don’t let the weird combo of ingredients fool you as everyone who tries it realizes it works with the savory of the meat, sweetness of the raisin, saltiness of of the olives it come together with an unique but great flavor.
I learned how to cook from my mom. She was always the best cook I knew. I can’t remember her ever making a bad dish. Now that she isn’t with us anymore I look back and wonder how she did it. She always had the house clean and a perfect meal on the table every night. Having two kids of my own, I realize how much work this takes but she seemed to make it look easy. Some of my favorite dishes I remember was her unbelievable tomato sauce, her empanadas and her pastel de papa just to name a few. But I do remember how my mom made her mashed potato with a lot of butter and even mayo. I have decided to make a healthier version for my family to enjoy. The great thing is this doesn’t taste too much different from her version. You can substitute the beef with ground turkey to even make it healthier, but the beef I use is from the grass feed organic steer I buy every year and is very lean (probably 90/10 or maybe even leaner). So I hope you have a great Mother’s Day and Mom, I will be thinking of you tomorrow.
