Plantains Two Ways, By Diane

This post is the second part of my Cuban adventure (the first part is the most recent post for Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew). I ADORE plantains, any way they come. I learned a lot about them in preparing for my Cuban feast last night, and decided to make them two different ways.

Plantains are like bananas in that they begin firmer and greener and end softer and brown. Green plantains have a more 'unripe' taste than the brown ones, which are sweeter. The brown ones usually get fried and are like a dessert item, called maduros (the 3rd photo down). The green ones usually get fried, then mashed and refried and sprinkled with salt to go with more savory items. These are called tostones (1st and 2nd photo). I've had maduros and tostones and love them both...so my kitchen adventure began.

There's no specific way to do either, you can't really mess them up. I chose to fry the maduros and rub them with brown sugar (or you can put them in some agave syrup but I didn't have any). For the tostones, I chose to bake them until they were crispy to make them a bit healthier. I mashed them into smaller pieces so that they could be like chips to go with the mango and black bean salsa I had as part of this meal, or they could be dipped into the stew. Enjoy!

Maduros:

Use plantains that are dark brown, the darker = the sweeter. Peel and slice them lengthwise, then cut into 2 inch long slices. Fry until both sides are brown and crispy. Rub with a little brown sugar until sugar melts and the maduros are coated. Serve warm.


Tostones:

Use plantains that are green. Peel and slice into 1/2 thick slices. Toss with 2 tsp. oil and 1 tbsp. salt (I used kosher salt). Place spaced out on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the plantains too, and bake for 10 minutes at 400 or until bottoms are slightly browned.

Remove plantains and mash with a flat surface (I used a drinking glass), then flip over (brown side up) and place back on baking sheet, making sure they are spaced out. Spray tops of the plantains lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with more salt, and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Remove plantains and sprinkle with more salt if needed. Serve cooled.

Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew, by Diane

One of the reasons Cheryl and I began this blog was to branch out and try new ingredients and styles of cooking, and I don't think a Jewish girl from DC could have branched any farther out than Cuban food. :) I love island food- in case you haven't noticed from my recent posts- and Cuban food is no exception. One of my favorite things about it is that it is so pleasing to the eye as well as the tastebuds- every bite is like a rainbow. I also love the simplicity of the ingredients, yet they all taste so good when combined together. Finally, Cuban food is like soul food that happens to actually be good for you, it's packed with lean proteins, fruits, and veggies.

So, last night I created an entire Cuban feast- beginning with this stew. I got the recipe from Weight Watchers actually, so it was super healthy. Not to mention easy- you throw the ingredients into a slow cooker and go about your day. I served the stew with two types of plantains (see the next post), a mango and black bean salsa, and of course, the obligatory rice and beans. All in all, this was a FANTASTIC meal and probably the one I am most proud of so far since it's so beyond my comfort zone! I went to bed full and happy! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound lean pork loin, cut into 1 inch pieces
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 c orange juice
2 medium scallions, chopped (green parts only)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. cilantro, freshly chopped

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except the last two into a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

2. Stir in remaining two ingredients and cook covered for 5 more minutes.