Patacones or Tostones (Plantains)

Jason and I are always looking for fun, new things to cook because let's face it, healthy eating is not always yummy or fun--but, we are always looking and trying new things (most that are super delicious)! 

I've always wanted to cook (with) plantains--I had them when in Haiti and liked the simplicity of them. The good news for us was that they are in fact, paleo/primal approved (in moderation since they are starchy). I searched high and low on Pinterest to decide what exactly I wanted to do with this new "plantain territory" I was embarking on. I found some really amazing recipes for things using plantains such as--brownies, chips, cookies, apple fritters, bread, loaded nachos--need I go on? 

I decided though to start with the safe, simple recipe that I found here. 

Patacones or Tostones (Fried Plantains)

What you need:

2 green plantains (one of my plantains had ripened some already, so it was yellow (which means sweeter) and Jason said he actually liked the ripe ones better--the sweet/salty combination)

Oil for frying (I used coconut oil) the actual recipe calls for any oil that won't burn at high temperatures

Salt to taste 

Optional: garlic powder (what we used) or any other seasoning that your heart desires--part of the beauty of these...little banana looking beauties. 

What you do:

Peel the plantains, the easiest way to peel a green plantain is to make the lengthwise cut on one of the angles, the cut should be skin deep without touching the actual flesh of the plantain (I accidentally got into the "flesh" and all was well--so don't worry!), then use the knife to raise the skin and peel it off. This is actually a lot harder than you may think. All I can say is that you will see for yourself when you make these ;)

Cut the plantains into thick slices, you can make straight cuts or slightly diagonal cuts. I ended up getting 8-10 slices from each plantain. 

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan – use enough oil to almost cover the plantain slices--I didn't make the oil cover the slices, I just flipped them using tongs as I went. 

Fry the plantains until they start to get yellow, but not golden. As you can see, mine got a little on the golden side...once again, all was still well!

 remove the plantains and place on paper towels to drain the oil.

Use the bottom of a glass (or small bowl (I used a tervis tumbler)) to smash and flatten the plantains, do this gently to keep the slices from breaking, a few cracks is ok as long as the whole slice remains in one piece. It is best to do this when they are still warm.

Sprinkle the plantain slices with salt and other seasonings (garlic powder for us). 

 Reheat the oil and fry the plantains until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove from the oil, drain again on paper towels, and add additional seasoning if needed. I added a little more salt at this point--I was afraid they would be bland (they weren't!). 

Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer with dipping sauces.

They were SO GOOD and actually quite easy--they didn't last long, at all. 

If you're wondering what they taste like--think french fry/chip(ish) without the heavy gut feeling afterward!

Next on my list is figuring out what dipping sauces I want to use--I am thinking we will use them with guacamole next go around. 

YUM!