Cheese Filled Plantain Fritters Piononos Recipes

PIONONOS

Steps:

• For the picadillo: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, adobo, sazón and tomato sauce until combined. Season with salt and pepper and cook, continuing to break up the meat until it is browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Finally, add the cilantro and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• For the plantains: Pour 1 inch of oil into a large saute pan or deep large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Using a sharp knife, trim off both ends of a plantain. Slit a thin line down the plantain, cutting just through the skin, and peel back the skin to remove it. Repeat with the remaining plantains. Slice each plantain lengthwise into 5 to 6 strips.
• Fry the plantains 2 or 3 strips at a time until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining strips.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan. Line the sides of the muffin cups with the longer plantain strips, then use trimmed pieces to cover the bottoms of the muffin cups.
• Spoon the picadillo into the plantain-lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Top each with a spoonful of the beaten eggs to help them hold together.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges before removing the piononos from the muffin cups. Serve hot or warm.

FRIED PLANTAINS WITH SPICED BEEF: PIONONOS

Steps:

• In a saute pan, melt butter and oil and saute plantains until golden brown. Remove and place on absorbent paper and season with salt and pepper
• Add more oil, if needed, to saute pan and when it is hot, add onions, peppers, and garlic, and saute until onions become translucent.
• Add meat and saute until meat crumbles and browns.
• Add tomatoes and season lightly. Cook until meat is tender or about 10 more minutes. If meat releases too much moisture, dust with flour and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove from stove, add the olives and capers, and season with vinegar Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Heat a 6-inch non-stick omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil. When hot, add 3 to 4 ounces of meat mixture to pan and heat thoroughly.
• Pour about 6 ounces (2 beaten eggs) over meat mixture in the pan to make a sort of omelet. Reduce heat to low-medium to allow egg to cook evenly. When "omelet" is firm, flip it over and let cook until firm on the other side.
• Remove pan from heat and slide "omelet" out of pan onto a clean cutting board. Using a 6-inch round metal cutter, cut a neat circle out of the cooked egg. Using an offset metal spatula, place any scrap pieces cut from the egg onto the center of a heated dinner plate. Carefully place the circle of egg on top. Make a criss-cross of fried plantains on top of egg. Continue making "omelets" until all the mixture and eggs are used. Serve immediately.

TITALE (GHANA SPICY PLANTAIN FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Blend onions, ginger and scotch bonnet chilies into a paste, peel plantains and blend together with spicy paste.
• Add salt and flour and mix well, If mixture is too soft, add a tablespoon or two of flour; the mixture must fall off a wooden spoon slowly.
• Heat oil in a frying pan.
• Using a large wooden spoon, put mixture in the oil, one spoonful at a time. Don't overfill the frying pan as the mixture rises and spreads. Leave a space between each spoonful.
• Fry for 5 minutes on each side or until golden.
• Drain on kitchen towel and serve warm.
• Serve with peanuts as a snack or as a side to African Stew.

PINEAPPLE-PLANTAIN FRITTERS

Steps:

• Place plantain in medium saucepan; pour water over to cover. Boil plantains for 10 minutes. Drain well; transfer plantains to paper towels to absorb moisture.
• Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, in medium bowl. Whisk together milk and egg; add to flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Stir in plantain and pineapple until blended.
• Pour oil into deep saucepan or skillet to depth of 1-1/2 inches. Heat to 375ºF.
• Drop batter by tablespoonfuls, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry fritters for about 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once with slotted spoon.
• Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle powdered sugar over them, if desired. Serve warm.

PLANTAIN FRITTERS

Steps:

• Place plantains in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the flour, onion, salt and pepper; cover and process until blended (batter will be moist). , In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 1/4 in. of oil to 375°. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter, a few at a time, into hot oil. Cook until golden brown, 1 minute on each side. Drain on paper towels.

PIONONOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut ends from plantains and peel fruit. Cut each plantain lengthwise into 4 slices. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté slices in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side (use 2 spatulas to turn slices). With a spatula transfer plantains as sautéed to brown paper to drain. When plantains are cool enough to handle, shape each slice into a ring, with ends overlapping by about 1 inch, and secure ends with a wooden pick. Arrange rings, without touching, in a large baking dish and fill centers with black beans.
• Bake rolls in middle of oven until beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Mound Monterey Jack on top of beans and bake until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.