Signature Dish of the Day: Our signature dish of the day today is a new side dish known as
Tostones that I decided to try making after watching an episode of Guy's Grocery Games on the Food Network! Tostones are basically twice-fried plantains and are a common feature in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. They are definitely not something I would make everyday since they are fried, but they are super easy to cook and can make the perfect sweet side dish that can be paired with something savory to spice up your brunch, lunch, or even dinner meal from time to time. Plus, you only need 2 ingredients for this recipe - plantains and olive oil...yes, that's it! Of course, you can always sprinkle some salt if you prefer a salty palate. Although green plantains are usually the favorite for making tostones, I have a preference for yellow plantains as I find them more tasty and easier to work with compared to their green counterparts. For my recipe, I sliced up 3 ripe plantains into huge chunks (cut each plantain into 3 big slices). I then fried these chunks in about 1 cup of olive oil until they were golden-brown, then placed them on a paper towel to drain and cool down. Thereafter, I used a wooden cooking spoon to smash each of the pieces into flat shapes and re-fried each piece lightly until they became crispy, then took them put and let them cool and drain again on a paper towel. Serve warm as a snack or pair as a side dish with a savory component. Enjoy!
