One way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is to dine the Hispanic way! I've decided to make Plantain & Cheese Turnovers, also known as Tortas de Plátano. Thanks to Global Table Adventure for the recipe!
I chose this recipe because I love cheese and I love fried foods. I'm new to plantains, and I didn't really know what they would taste like before I started this recipe. The first thing I learned is that they do not ripen quickly. In order to use them, you want them to be black. However, at my local Harris Teeter they were all green. The internet told me to put them in a paper bag to ripen them faster, so I did that hoping to speed up the process. It did not work. I tried softening them in the microwave, and it didn't work either. I'm wondering if I should have purchased my plantains somewhere other than Harris Teeter.
Ingredients:
4 large, ripe plantains 1/8-1/4 cup flour, as needed 8 Tbsp butter, softened 6 oz queso quesadilla, shredded salt pepper
First I brought a large pot of water to boil. I added the plantains, still in their skins, and cooked them for 10 minutes. Then I took them out of the water, let them cool enough that I could touch them, and then peeled off the skins, using a knife when necessary.
I put them in a food processor along with the butter (cube it first!), 1/8 cup of flour, salt, and pepper. I added more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough didn't feel greasy.
The next step it to take a golfball sized chunk of the dough, flatten it in your hands, add some cheese, and then fold it up, sealing the sides.
Then you coat them in flour, shake off the excess, and fry them until golden brown, about a minute on each side. Sprinkle them in salt, and they are ready to be eaten!
Who doesn't love anything friend and with cheese? They were so good, and super easy to make!
Comments