I am so excited about this recipe! This would have been the perfect Cinco de Mayo recipe, but I am a few days late. I was attempting crackers and loved the result, but realized they tasted like corn chips so I had to make another batch that looked like chips (bummer, I have to eat another batch).
I was once a tortilla chipaholic, it was bad! I think when going gluten free, that was the only thing I could have that was cracker like so I turned to that bag quite often. I have chosen to no longer eat corn as of a year ago, so to create a replacement that is grain free...gets me excited!
There are many reasons why I have chosen to give up corn, most importantly because it's a grain. Sorry folks, it is not a vegetable, it is a grain. A grain that is one of the number one GMO foods out there. It can cause intestinal distress much like gluten and cause silent inflammation just like gluten. That's all I need to hear to quite eating something. Now if only someone would tell me dark chocolate does the same thing!!! I need an intervention...but it's so darn good!
I have been into plantains for a while now and am waiting on the arrival of plantain flour!!! What the heck is a plantain, a big banana? Plantains tends to be firmer and lower in sugar than bananas. Bananas are almost always eaten raw, while plantains tend to be cooked either when green or unripe (starchy) or overripe (sweet). They are a good source of potassium, fiber and starchy carbohydrates (perfect for endurance athletes).
Plantains are a staple in tropical regions of the world, much the same way as potatoes are here. They have a pretty neutral flavor, the unripe fruit is typically cooked by steaming, boiling or frying. I buy or make plantain chips myself that are just sliced plantains that have been roasted or baked. They satisfy the crunch, but this recipe is even better and partners up well with guacamole or fresh salsa!
Recipe: Plantain Tortilla Chips
Ingredients- 3 unripe (green) plantains, peeled*
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- coarse sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions- Peel and slice the plantains into about 1/4 inch slices and lay flat on a cookie sheet for about an hour (this can be skipped if plantains don't seem very moist, wet on the fresh slice side)
- Add the plantains and oil to a food processor and combine until smooth
- Once all the lumps are gone, add the sea salt and quickly combine
- Place the mixture on a sheet of greased parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet
- If the dough is dry enough, place another piece of parchment over the top and with a rolling pin, roll out to about 1/8 inch thick rectangle. If the dough seems too wet, spread out evenly with a spatula (I have had dry and I have had wet plantains, not sure what contributes to that)
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into the shape and size of chip you prefer
- Sprinkle coarse sea salt or regular sea salt over the top of the dough and slide the paper onto a cookie sheet
- Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. You may need to remove some chips as you go that brown faster than the others. Make sure to cook them long enough or they will be chewy instead of crunchy
- Remove cookie sheet and let chips cool
- You may need to re-cut the chips or you can break them along the cut lines
- Store in an airtight container, glass is my favorite
Quick notes*The easiest way to peel a plantain is to first cut off the ends. Then with a knife, slice along the pronounced ridges (about 3 of them). Don't worry if you cut into the plantain, it won't matter. Peel one section at a time, it should come off pretty easily.
Unripe (green) plantains can be hard to find. I prefer the green for their no sugar content and they have less moisture in them. I have had the best luck going to Sprouts or Sunflower Market and asking if they have any unripe green plantains in the back, they usually do. Asian markets carry them as well and they are always green there since they go through so many of them. Whole Foods sells them but they tend to be very yellow and brown, it can be hit or miss there.
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