Guest Post: Katy’s Semi-Sweet Tostones

Usually on Wednesday’s, we feature a new guest blogger that we have been digging recently, and let them share one of their favorite recipes on our site. However, did you guys know that our Paleo Parents Team is made up of some pretty great bloggers too? Last week, our team member Amelia of Amelia’s Healthy Life shared an awesome post about “safe starches” with a recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Quiche with Potatoes, Thyme and Zucchini. It turns out that recipes for paleo-friendly carbohydrates is exactly what you guys are clamoring for, and we can totally understand why. Although low-carb paleo can be popular for those who are interested in weight-loss, for some, it can be dangerous to be on a low-carb paleo diet for too long. Ask Stacy! She found out the hard way that a prolonged stint on low-carb paleo wasn’t great for her overall health. Especially for those training in the gym, carbohydrates are important for recovery. The girls on the Paleo Parents team are all pretty big fans of their paleo carbs, and our Assistant, Katy, is a big fan of plantains. Today she shares a quick and easy recipe for those in-between plantains that you find so often at the store.

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I think it is a common misconception that if you eat paleo, you also eat low carb. I’m not sure why people have become permanently attached to the idea that carbs are only found in bread and pasta, but it just simply isn’t true. There are carbs in tons of veggies, like sweet potatoes, carrots, red onions, white potatoes, yucca, and possibly my favorite source of paleo-friendly carbs: plantains.

Plantains are pretty cheap too! They usually carry them at most local grocery stores, but they also have big huge bags of plantains at Costco. I’ve bought a huge bag with 10 plantains for only $3. Yeah, that’s affordable! Now, lots of recipes either call for green plantains (un-ripe) or plantains that have completely ripened and turned black on the outside. But what if you just have to have plantains NOW, and all they have at the store are ones that are inbetween? Can you still cook them? Of COURSE!

plantains

There are plenty of paleo plantain recipes out there, but most just call for either green or fully ripe. Green plantains are less sweet and more starchy, and make a great, crispy plantain chips, like my Oven-Fried Plantain Chips and ripe plantains are great for sweet dishes, like these drool-icious Caramelized Plantain Pancakes with Sweet Cinnamon Plantain Maple Syrup on PaleOMG. But hardly ever do you see a recipe for those plantains that are in-between. That changes TODAY.

I give you…..drumroll please…. Semi-Sweet Tostones. Yes, this may or may not be earth shattering, BUT it has only 3 ingredients, and it is super quick-and-easy. You can of course make these with green plantains, but they will not be sweet, and be much more starchy. The beauty of the in-between plantains is that they still have enough starch to make tostones possible, but they are also slightly sweet…. and I definitely have a sweet tooth. These plantains are shallow-fried twice, and they are great for a side item OR as a not-too-sweet, sweetener-free dessert.

semi sweet tostones

Semi-Sweet Tostones

Ingredients

  • 5 in-between plantains (some brownish-black spots, some greenish-yellow areas), peeled and cut into 2 inch "logs"
  • 1/2-3/4 cup avocado oil for frying *
  • Sea Salt for sprinkling at the end

Instructions

  1. In a large cast iron skillet, pour in enough avocado oil to reach a 1/2 inch up on the pan, and heat over medium heat.
  2. When the oil is heated, fry the plantain logs, turning with tongs to cook evenly, until they are lightly browned on the outside. You will probably have to do this in batches.
  3. Drain on paper towels before the next step.
  4. Using a flat-bottomed ramekin, plate or glass, smash the plantain logs into flat rounds.
  5. Fry again until golden on all sides, using tongs to turn over a couple of times. You may need to add more oil to the pan if it gets too low.
  6. Salt immediately after they come out of the oil the second time.

Notes

*Before you ask, you can substitute avocado oil for many other paleo-fats, including coconut oil or lard and it won't really matter, but it will change the flavor slightly. Lard will make the tostones have a savory, porky flavor and coconut oil will make them slightly sweeter. I like avocado oil because it is a neutral tasting oil that is just slightly buttery.

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