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Recipe created by: SOFTWAREJAG.COM
Recipe created: 04/14/2013
Origin country:
ECUADOR

Category:
APPETIZERS

Recipe name:0000000044
GREEN PLANTAIN EMPANADAS WITH CHEESE FILLING

Picture:
greenplantainempanadaswithcheesefilling.jpg



Ingredients:
- 4 green plantains
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs butter, room temperature
- 1 cup mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- Salt
- Canola oil



Yields / Serves:
0

Preparation time (min):


Approximate cost:
0.00

Recommended drink:


Rating:
3

Difficulty:
3

Preparation:
Wash and peel the green plantains, be careful as green plantains tend to stain clothes and cutting boards.
Cut three of the plantains in half. Bring salted water to boil in a large saucepan and add the 3 plantains. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the cooked plantains sit in the water they cooked in until they are cool enough to handle, if you remove from the water they will get too hard. Meanwhile grate the remaining raw plantain.

Mix the cooked plantains, the raw grated plantain, the egg and the butter in a food processor, blend until a smooth but sticky dough forms. Form the dough into a ball and let rest in a bowl at room temperature for a couple of hours. You can also save to use later and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but when you remove it from the refrigerator let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Mix the cheese and the onions together.

Roll the dough to flatten into a thin sheet using a rolling pin, the dough can be difficult to handle, use oil on your hands, dough and rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking.

Use a round cutter (or round bowl or cup) to cut out round disc shapes, the size of the empanadas is up to you, I usually make them medium or small sized if I’m serving them as appetizers or sides, or large if I’m serving them as a main meal. Place a spoonful of the cheese and onion filling in the middle on the empanada disc, fold and seal the empanada, to seal it correctly press the edges gently with your fingers.

Let the empanadas sit in the refrigerator for about an hour, this will help them seal better. It is possible to fry the empanadas immediately but they are more likely to open while frying. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

Add the empanadas, do not overcrowd the pan, and fry on each side until they begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Drain the oil from the empanadas by placing them on a paper towel.

Serve warm with aji criollo or tree tomato aji.