Carribean vegetable casserole with plantain?

Question

A friend of a friend who is from the carribean once made a sort of vegetable casserole that she served with rice and plantian. I had never had this before (I thought it was a grilled banana) and from memory she cooked the plantain by cutting it lengthwise down the middle and cooking it under the grill (it was served with the skin still on). I would love to make this dinner again. I cant remember exactly what veg were in the casserole. It was mildly spicy and sooooo delicious. Also, can you cook plantain under the grill and if so - for how long? Any advice or recipes would be much appreciated as I have no way of contacting the person who originally cooked this dinner !

Answer 1

plantains taste sooo good wen cooked rite!!

fried plantains are really good an u can eat it wit bread or something for a quick meal..

u can grill it but i would advice u to boil them a little bit until its tender an den grill for colour an to hav it cooked throughly..

i would also suggest u season it as well for a great flavour...

ahh..my mouth is waterin jus thinkin about it..lol

Answer 2

4 plantain, peeled and boiled in water (about 10 minutes)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 avocado, cut into small chunks

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1Mash boiled plantains. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

2Heat large saute pan with the remainder of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm add onions, garlic, peppers, celery, and jalapeño to pan and cook for 5 minutes.

3Layer a gratin pan with 1/2 of the mashed plantains and 2/3 cup of the cheese. Then add the sauteed vegetables and another 2/3 cup of the cheese. Layer with the rest of the plantains and top with the rest of the cheese.

4Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm garnished with avocado.

Plantain Picadillo Pie With Cheese

Crust

1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil

4 large semi-ripe plantain, peeled and cut on a diagonal 2-3 inches long by 1/2 inch thick ovals (yellow-black)

Filling

1 cup finely chopped red onion

3 garlic clove, chopped

1 lb ground chuck (80% lean)

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/3 cup golden raisin, chopped

1/3 cup pimento stuffed olive, coarsely chopped, plus 3 tbsp brine from the jar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal

8 ounces queso fresco, crumbled and divided

4 pimento stuffed olive, drained and sliced

Directions

1For Crust: Heat oil in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add plantain slices and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer slices to sheet of foil. Pat plantains with paper towels and cool Reserve 2 tbsp of oil from skillet for the filling.

2Line a 9-inch glass pie dish with a single layer of cooled plantains. Reserve remaining for garnish. Using fingers, firmly press slices together to seal any gaps. Set crust aside.

3For Filling: Heat reserved 2 tbsp of oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add beef and sauté until brown, breaking into small pieces with back of fork, about 5 minutes.

4Add tomato paste, raisins, green olives, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, and allspice. Simmer stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes) until most liquid evaporates and filling is thick. Season to tasted with salt and pepper. Mix in cornmeal.

5Preheat oven to 450°F Crumble half of queso fresco over crust, then spoon in picadillo filling and press to compact. Sprinkle evenly with remaining queso fresco.

6Bake pie until cheese is melted and filling is heated through, about 25 minutes. Garnish center of pie with sliced olives and some plantain slices. Cool 10 minutes and serve.

7Note: Queso fresco, also known as queso blanco, is available at some supermarkets and Latin markets. A mild feta cheese can be substituted.