Platanos Frito - Comfort Food Edition

One of my childhood favorites is a very simple dish, platanos fritos. Platanos or plantains are wonderfully sweet caramelized dish. It perfect for anytime of day. My mom would make this on weekends. It's a typical Salvadoran dish. A side of eggs, refried beans, queso fresco and crema would complete the meal. I have fond memories of this dish and it always brings back warm thoughts. Anytime I eat this meal I feel like a kid again. It's one of the few dish I can make like mom does.

Platanos fritos are ripe plantain fried in a pan with a bit of oil. You can deep fry them but I prefer to them pan fried. Though it's a simple dish its doesn't always come out the way you like. The platano has natural sugars so if you're not careful they will burn. I have had the first few come out beautifully golden brown while the others burnt. Personally, I like them a little burnt because I like it crispy & crunchy. When I would help Mom make this dish I would burn a few on purpose, so I could have them. : ) Shh, that's our little secret.

If you are making this for a family I would use 4-6 platanos, depending on your families' appetite.


To get started I add 1Tbsp oil to the pan on medium heat so it's waiting for me and not the other way around. I cut the platano in half. Then I cut the ends off. Then I carefully peel the skin off. The skin is thick so I use a paring knife to put a slit through the skin then peel. Keep the skin, they will be our "foil" to keep the cooked platanos warm while the rest cook.

The next step is the hard part. You would cut the half into 3 or 4 pieces lengthwise. I take the half in my hand and slice the platanos, with a paring knife, along the lines they naturally have. The slices should be about 1/4 inch or so. Now the platanos are slippery so for beginners I would recommend you use a cutting board and carefully slice lengthwise.

Once they are all cut, add them to the oil, carfeul not to crowd the pan. Check every 2 to 4 minutes to see if ready. You're looking for it to be golden brown. Once the first side is brown, flip and wait 2-4 minutes until it's golden brown. When ready, transfer to a plate and cover with the skins to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest. You can serve the platanos with a side of refried beans, cream (sour cream) eggs and/or queso fresco. For some easy beans, just buy Ducal Black refried beans. They are the best packaged beans I've had. I add a little diced onion into my beans when I cook them it gives them an extra pop of flavor.

If you want something sweeter you can add sugar to the platanos as they cook. You can even take those "candied" platanos add a little cinnamon and make them an ice cream topping. It's unusual but delicious. 

Platanos make me so happy. They fill my belly and my heart. Pure comfort food.

Buen Provecho!

You want nice black plantanos, they're sweeter!

With a paring knife cut off ends.

Split down the middle, careful not to cut through the platanos

Peel skin and cut in half.

I cut holding it but for beginners lay it on the cutting board.

Halfway

Look at those beauties.

Cover with peel to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve with refried beans, sour cream, queso fresco or egg or all the above!

Delicious caramelized goodness!!!

Fresh Strawberry Pie - Pie Edition

Strawberries. Those delicate red berries that brighten both your tongue and eyes. They are so radiant and so sweet. So glad it's the season for strawberries!

My husband is a pie man. Even for his birthday he prefers a pie. One of his favorites is strawberry pie. One of the best strawberry pies I've ever had is from Nation's Giant Hamburgers. Their pies are delicious, especially their strawberry! The pie has a beautiful balance of sweet and tart. The strawberries are all different sizes & textures, some mashed, some sliced and others whole. The crust is buttery & flaky. It's the best summer treat. 

So I'm attempting my rift of this pie. I'm making a buttery flaky dough, which you can make a couple of days ahead, filling it with an ooey gooey strawberry filling and topping it off with fresh whipped cream. Yum!! 

Have a fabulous strawberry season! 

Buen Provecho!

Place all dough ingredients in processor. Make sure butter is stone cold.

Process until it's a sandy texture. Continue processing and add 1 Tbsp of ice water at a time until dough forms.

Knead dough until dough is smooth and soft.

Divide into 2 disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a floured surface.

Place dough in pan, crimp and prick bottom of crust with a fork.

Place a piece of foil and weighed down with dried beans.

Golden Brown. Not the best crimper but it still tastes good! Cool completely.

Cook and mash 2 cups of strawberries, corn starch, lime, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Add thicken mixture to the remaining strawberries. Cool mixture completely.

Pour cooled mixture into cooled crust.

Place in fridge for 3 hours to set.

A bit of fresh whipped cream and we're ready to eat!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Pie Dough - yields 2 crusts

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 sticks of butter, cubed, chilled
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 Tsp salt
4-6 Tbsp of iced water

1 egg & water- egg wash

Side note: It is very important that the butter be stone cold and the water iced to ensure a good flaky dough. 

Road Map:
 
1. Place flour, butter, sugar and salt into food processor. Process until it has a sandy texture.

2.Continue to run the processor and through the tunnel on top pour 1 Tbsp of ice water at a time until the dough forms a balls.

3. Dust work surface. Remove dough from and form dough into a ball. Divide into 2 pieces. I use a scale to get equal pieces. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

4.  Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough and place in a pie dish.

5. For blind baking (the method we're using for the strawberry pie) prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, this helps from bubbles forming in the crust while it bakes. Put foil or parchment on top of dough and weigh down with some dry beans or weights. Bake for 20-25 minutes, remove the beans/foil/parchment in the last few minutes, give the crust an egg wash and place back into the oven for 3- 5 minutes until golden. Cool pie crust completely then fill.

6. For 2 crust pies (apple, blueberry,etc...) Once dough is in dish, trim the edges and crimp. Fill the crust with filling and cover with 2nd crust.  Give the crust an egg wash. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.   



 Strawberry Filling:

Ingredients:

5 cups strawberries, quartered

1/2 - 1 cup of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the strawberries
1/4 cup corn starch
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lime juice & zest
pinch of Salt

Road Map:

1. In a small pot on medium heat, add 2 cups of strawberries, sugar, corn starch, vanilla, lime juice, zest and salt. Let mixture come to a simmer.

2. Mash strawberries and stir occasionally to prevent burning. Continue to cook until mixture thickens to a shiny glaze filling, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining strawberries.

3. Allow mixture to cool completely.

4. Pour cool filling into cooled crust and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or until it sets.

5. Once set it's ready to cut. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

6. Enjoy!

Whipped Cream  Yields- 1 1/2 to 2 cups whipped cream

Ingredients:

2-4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Road Map:

1. Place the sugar into the mixing bowl and add the whipping cream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.

2.Store any unused portion in an airtight container for up to 10 hours.
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