This past week at La Posada, we welcomed Yaha Aguilera and Barbara Ammirati from Save the Children, a humanitarian organization helping children in the US and around the World. Save the Children has been a generous and responsive partner to La Posada in our time of need.
 
After an informative shelter tour, La Posada Shelter Leader, Angel Torres Lopez expressed appreciation to Save the Children representatives by preparing a special Honduran treat – Pastelitos Hondureños. They are similar to empanadas; however, they are prepared with corn (masa) flour. They are stuffed with your filling of choice, e.g., shredded chicken/beef or mashed potatoes, and then deep-fried in vegetable oil. Angel says, traditionally, Pastelitos is Honduran street food, served warm, in a plastic bag and topped with red salsa, shredded cabbage, and/or queso fresco (a soft, moist cheese). The Pastelitos made for a perfect to-go snack as the Save the Children representatives were off to their next destination.
 
Later Yaha and Barbara sent word to us, saying, “Nos Devoramos las pastelitos, estaban deliciosas!” (We devoured the pastelitos, they were delicious!”)
 
The recipe is listed below so you too can enjoy this delicious Honduran favorite.

Ingredients

• Yellow corn flour (suggestions pictured below)

• Achiote Paste/ Powder
          Achiote is another name for annatto seeds, and achiote paste is the Mexican condiment that gets its main flavor from annatto seeds. (pictured below)

• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Filling of choice
• Shredded chicken/beef, mashed potatoes

Steps to Prepare Instant Yellow Corn Masa

• 2 cups corn flour
•  11/2 cups of water
• 1 TSP Achiote
• ¼ TSP SaltDivide dough into 12 equal balls
  Cover with a damp cloth to keep the dough moist
  Line a tortilla press with two sheets of thick plastic wrap or roll it out into a circle like a tortilla
  Place each ball between plastic and press until tortilla measures 5 to 6 inches in diameter
  Carefully peel off the plastic wrap
  Lay rounded dough on a flat surface and generously fill the dough with your choice of shredded chicken/beef or mashed potatoes
  After stuffed, fold the rounded dough in half, and press down on the outer edges of the dough to close
  Repeat with all dough balls
  Heat a pan for deep frying with vegetable oil on medium-high
  Deep fry each pastelito for 5-7 min on each side
  Remove from pan and allow excess oil to drip
  Top with your choice of red salsa, shredded cabbage, and/or queso fresco
   
  Enjoy!

Program Highlights

Clients assisted from July 1, 2020 – April 16, 2021 (Fiscal Year):
566

Clients assisted from April 1, 2021- April 16, 2021 
68

The following six (6) Countries of Origin represented in April:
Cuba
Guatemala  
Haiti
Honduras 
Nicaragua 
Pakistan

*Previously, we have reported on long-term clients staying at the shelter that week. Currently, we are processing many short-term clients. We will report the number of clients served for the month and the total clients served from the start of the fiscal year.