Puerto Rican Tostones

tostones

My daughter Karen told me that a  friend from Puerto Rico loves  this common and delicious snack of salted ‘twice-fried’ Plantains. They are called “Tostones.” I thought I’d try it myself and I am glad I did.

Slicing Plantains can be a little tricky for those who expect to be pealing a version of a banana. The fact is that Plantains are often referred to as a vegetable and prepared in much a similar fashion. Plantains are roughly 97% carbohydrate, 2% protein and 1 % fat.

The ‘twice fried” Tostones is a simple process: 1) peal the plantain, 2) slice the plantain 3) fry the slices 4) remove the slices and mash them 5) fry again and 6) remove, place on a paper towel and salt!

Enjoy!

Roger

more recipes with Plantains

Carne Guisada of Puerto Rico is best

Carne Guisada in Puerto Rico is made with Cilantro that is 10 times stronger
Carne Guisada

One of my facebook friends and one of my daughter Karen’s good friends is from Puerto Rico and in their honor , I tried to produce one of their national dishes called ‘Carne Guisada.’ There is much that is unique to Puerto Rico and their cuisine. But , as is true in many lands,  much that has been gained through the fusion of the many cultures on the island. Spain, South America, Great Britain, Africa and the United States has all left an influence.

Some of the spices of the island of Puerto Rico are stronger than what many are familiar. For example, Cilantro from Puerto Rico is about 10 times more flavorful. Obviously, if you can find some , it is worth it!

Although I tried to stay true to the basic recipe, I wanted to make a slightly more extravagant version.  I started with my best ‘sofrito’, the best meat and a singularly delicious gravy crowned the meal complete. I hope you love it too.

Here is my version!

Like many ‘spicy’ recipes, I have included a way you can ‘save’ the dish if it gets away from you!

bon appetite! or “buen apetito”

Roger