Community Cocina: Canoas de Plátanos Maduros
On Thursday, February 28th, QLatinx's Community Cocina celebrated its renewal with the first dish of its new year: Canoas de Plátanos Maduros! This a traditional Dominican dish consisting of baked and stuffed plantains, filled with meat and vegetables and topped with cheese and garnished with cilantro. It's delicious whether you're on the go or sitting and drinking a cold glass of presidente!
Recipe can be found below:
Ingredients for Filling
1 lbs ground beef
1 onion, minced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp adobo
2 tsp oregano
2 tbs vinegar
1 envelope sazón
2 bay leaves
8 green stuffed olives, halved
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Recipe for Filling
Combine, beef, onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, adobo, oregano, vinegar and sazon. Mix well.
Heat a large skillet at medium-high heat with 2 Tbs of olive oil, add meat mixture.
Cook beef until brown and of the juices bubble up, add bay leaves, olives, raisins and tomato sauce. Mix and let simmer for 10 minutes, set aside.
Heat a large frying pan with about 2 inches of vegetable oil, just enough to cover the plantains. Fry plantains for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden and slightly crispy. Drain on a plate with paper towel, set aside.
Assembling Canoas
When the plantains are cool enough to handle, cut a slit down the inside curve of the plantain. Using your knife and a fork, gently pry the plantain open until it opens and resembles a canoe. Fill the plantain with some shredded cheese, stuff with meat mixture and top with more shredded cheese. Transfer the stuffed plantains to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
