Latin American Treat: Plantains and Guacamole!
Oh, the joys of Latin American food. Last year, I went to Dominical, a sleepy beach town off the coast of Costa Rica. While there, I discovered a cafe that served local, organic food. All of the food there was delightful, but one dish was especially spectactular: Patacones con Guacamole, or as we call it here, Fried Plaintains with Guacamole. I ate it everyday while there!
A couple of days ago, feeling nostalgic about my beloved cafe, the favorite dish was recreated at home.
Ingredients:
Plantains (2 or 3)
Canola oil
Avocados (2)
Cilantro (1/2 cup or more, depending on your preference)
Tomatoes (2)
Scallions (1 sprig)
Lime (1)
Garlic (optional)
Note: Most supermarkets sell plantains. If you cannot find them there, try your local international market.
Fried Plantains:
Peel and slice plantains into diagonal slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil on medium temperature. Add plantains and fry both sides until golden, approximately 1 and 1/2 or 2 minutes. Place on paper towel to drain. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. (Cayenne pepper gives it an extra kick!)
Guacamole:
Peel, pit, and mash avocados. Add diced tomatoes, lime, cilantro, and scallions to the avocado. Add sea salt to taste and garlic (optional).
Felicitaciones! You have a delicious dish in less than 10 minutes. Buen provecho!
February 25th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
You know I have to make this now right? Thanks for a great recipe – I wish this was Smell O Blog!
My best, Lynn
February 25th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I have tried this dish at a local Mexican restaurant here in Jacksonville (Mossfire Grill)…It is such a tasty dish.. Will try the dish here at home.. Only substitution is that I’ll use coconut oil instead… Can’t wait to try it
February 26th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
@Lynn: Thanks! I have to try the hummus recipe on your blog too!
@Adria: Wow, I never thought about using coconut oil. Great suggestion!
February 26th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Yummmm! I love Patacones. I noticed that you didn’t make the distinction between Platano (green, unripened plantains) and Maduros (ripe, sweetened plantains). Which ones did you use in your recipe?
February 26th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Good question, Shelley. We used ripe plantains in this recipe. I think that when we travel abroad though, we eat platanos.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:02 am
What other dishes can you have w/the guacamole? I’m not a fan of bananas or plantains [sorry].
February 27th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Renee, the possibilities are endless. For a quick, inexpensive snack, you can slice cucumbers and add a little lemon juice to them. It’s really good. Or you can use celery or add it to spinach leaves for a salad.
Also, you can get purchase some tortilla chips (organic, non-GMO) or make your own. This website has a great recipe:
http://savvybrown.com/health/baked-tortilla-chips
February 27th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
cucumbers w/lemon juice? sounds interesting. I’ll try to make this soon! Thanks