Plantain Tostones with Meyer Lemon Cashew Crème
I’m excited to share this incredibly delicious and easy recipe with you! If you like bananas, then you’ll sure love plantains.
Plantains are extremely versatile and can be served savory or sweet. I first discovered them on my travels abroad to Central America. They are usually either served for breakfast (tipico)- sliced in long strips & deep fried, with a bed of gallo pinto (rice and beans mixed), eggs, fruit, and a side of crema (similar to sour cream), or they come served with lunch and dinner as tostones (always served with crema).
Being vegetarian while I was traveling abroad, these were definitely a life-saver. They are hearty, nutritious, and taste amazing. If you live somewhere tropical, or in a place where plantains are accessible, this recipe is definitely worth trying and I assure you, you’ll need to make plenty because they will go fast!
Here is my vegan version with a Cali-twist. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Plantains:
- 2-3 Medium Plantains (BEST when they are slightly green, almost all yellow in ripeness, NOT brown)
- Coconut oil
- Himalayan Pink Salt
Lemon Crème:
- 1/2 Meyer Lemon
- 1 cup of raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours)
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 Tbl Himalayan pink salt
- Water (to taste)
Method
Plantains:
- Peel the plantains and cut down into 2 inch thick pieces.
- In a sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of coconut oil on med-high heat. Sauté plantains on each side until light brown in color. Take them out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. They should be soft enough so that when you press down on them (I use the bottom of a measuring cup) to flatten them, it is easy.
- After flattening the pieces, add a little more coconut oil to the pan and sauté them again on each side until the color is slightly darker than before.
- Remove from pan when cooked and place on a paper towel to help absorb the extra oil. Sprinkle salt evenly over the top of them. Serve immediately with the crème.
Lemon Crème:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor until you get the consistency of a sour crème, adding water to make it more creamy and less chunky. You may need to add a bit more salt depending on how much water you put in. Dip the plantains in the crème for a mouth-watering delight!
Serves 4
