It’s Friday and Fruity Fridays are back…I will either update some earlier ones from a couple ago or it will be a new fruit that I have discovered…

The plantain is a member of the banana family but unless it is very ripe should not be eaten raw…Boiled it is similar to the potato…Raw they have a bitter taste but ripe they are full of flavour …

A good source of fibre and Vitamins A and C with most of its calories coming from carbohydrates.

Not so sweet as a banana the plantain is a staple food in tropical countries a non-seasonal crop it is available year-round.

Plantains can be simmered in soup or turned into mash, but their subtle taste is maximised by roasting or frying. They act as a foil to rich flavours such as spicy meat or bean stews. Salted fried plantain chips are a popular snack in the Caribbean.

Spoiler Alert: These recipes are quite calorific but as a very occasional treat…Very nice…

Very popular in West African baked with eggs and peppers they make a lovely breakfast frittata. Fried the onions and pepper before adding it to the egg mixture to give it added flavour. Together with garlic, scotch bonnet pepper or hot sauce, smoked paprika, and thyme.  You may add other additional spices to make it more flavorful. Also lovely with some added sausage or bacon or just fried as a lovely side…

If you have some really ripe plantains then blitz one or two in your food processor and add to your pancake batter it will take the humble pancake to another level.

Serve with a Coconut sauce and you will never want to eat pancakes any other way… To make the sauce take a can or 14 fl ounces of coconut milk add a cup of brown sugar bring it to a slow rolling boil then stirring cook until the mixture thickens and had reduced by half you know have a beautiful coconut sauce which is lovely over the pancakes or any other sweet dessert.

This lovely dry spice mix goes well with the plantain.

• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tbsp ground cloves

Measure and mix the spices together and store in a small container with a lid.

Spiced Plantain chips…

• 1 heaped tbsp of the spice mix
• 1 sm red onion, grated
• 2 in piece of fresh ginger grated
• A pinch of sea salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4-6 plantains peeled and sliced
• A handful of roasted peanuts, crushed.

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl add the plantain and mix gently to coat ( hands are good) and marinade for at least 20 minutes.

Heat the oil to 180 degrees and fry the plantain chips in batches. When golden and they have floated to the surface remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Serve sprinkled with the crushed nuts.

Here’s a little extra treat for you…I f you haven’t got plantain but do have some ripe bananas then these are rather good…They are really easy to make and taste very moreish…

Fried Banana Balls…

Ingredients:

• 300 gm of ripe bananas
• 50 gm of rice flour
• 50 gm of all-purpose flour
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• I tbsp sugar
• Enough oil to deep fry depending on the size of your pan.

Let’s cook!

Mash your bananas and add all the dry ingredients apart from the sugar. Mix well.

Heat your oil…When hot enough to fry then add the sugar this helps to keep the balls crispy.

Using two spoons drop balls of the banana mix into the hot oil…I cooked mine in two batches. Cook until golden brown.

Approx 4-5 minutes.

Enjoy! We ate ours hot from the pan but they are also nice eaten with ice cream…

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and well being.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…Then, I will be happy!

Please stay safe and well and follow your governments safety guidelines remember we are all in this together xxx