These are so good it is a temptation to eat them. If you cannot find plantains at your grocery store, you can substitute large firm bananas that are not too ripe.
3 large ripe plantains
1 tablespoon each oil and butter
1 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups water dash of cinnamon
Hit the plantains on all sides with a wooden spoon to soften. Peel and cut into five pieces each.
In a large skillet, melt butter and heat it and the oil to high. Add the plantains. Fry until brown.
Combine sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large measuring cup. Reduce heat to low and pour in pan over the plantains. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens, about 15 minutes.
CARIMAÑOLAS (Approx. 20)
2 pounds cassava (yucca)
1 pound ground meat
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 medium sized tomato, chopped
1 hard boiled egg
2 tablespoons oil
salt, pepper, hot sauce and coriander to taste
Cook the meat, bell pepper, onion, tomato, salt, pepper, hot sauce and coriander for about 20 minutes. Add the egg diced. Peal the cassava, wash it and boil it in salted water until it tenders. Drain it and grind it; knead it with the oil.
Make balls with the dough and stretch them round. Fill them with a tablespoon of meat and close them. Deep fry them in hot oil until golden brown.
Patacones
(Fried Green Plantain)
Ingredients:
3 green plantains
1 teaspoon salt
Oil
Seasoning to taste (garlic salt, ground pepper, ground oregano)
Procedure:
Peel plantains and cut into ½ inch round slices.
Fry in a deep pan in hot oil over medium to medium-high heat until the pieces begin to turn crisp. It's best to fry a few pieces at a time.
Place on cutting board and mash the slices with a glass bottle or rolling pin.
Sprinkle with seasonings and return to pan to fry again.
Return to the frying pan and continue to fry until they look quite crisp. Remove excess frying oil by setting them on paper towels.
Serve immediately.
Use as a side dish to substitute for French fries.
You can freeze the plantain pieces before the second frying. They will last for months in the freezer! Careful, though: "for months" doesn't mean "forever"
Baked Sweet Plantain
An authentic taste, easy to make for us gringos.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. unsalted white sherry wine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure plantains are black and tender before using!
Peel them and slice them lengthwise in half and crosswise in thirds.
In large pan, heat oil to medium.
Add plantain slices sauté them until lightly browned on both sides.
Place them in a large baking dish and sprinkle with sugar.
Add cinnamon and cover with the wine.
Bake for 30 minutes or until they are reddish brown. Serves 4.
Rice with Guandu
Ingredients:
2 cups Coconut milk
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup guandu (shelled or can) Salt to taste
Prepare the coconut milk from a large coconut, You will need 1 quart of the milk,
In a large, heavy saucepan or paila, heat the coconut milk to boiling.
Add the guandu and the rice; stir well.
Add salt to taste and again stir well.
Bring to a boil and allow to boil for about 2 minutes.
Cover tightly; turn heat to simmer and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and carefully lift rice and mound it up in the pot.
If the rice is too sticky, let it cook a little longer with the lid off.
If the rice is not done and no more liquid remains, add a little water, cover and allow to finish cooking.
