Tostones with Ground Turkey

Tostones are a classic South American Dish. They can be eaten on their own or as pictured here with toppings including ground turkey, guacamole, cheese, and much more. Growing up in Venezuela, these crunchy bites were a staple in my home. I remember coming home from school and smelling the delicious aroma of plantains. The memory of my grandmother squishing the fried plantain between two plates still brings a smile to my face. Green Plantains are hard and difficult to cook through. Therefore, it is a common technique to fry the plantains twice in order to soften them and flatten them into the desired round shape. Living on a sailboat, I knew I had to find a way to make these classics while at sea. While being so far away from home, it is a delicious memory that takes me right back home. I close my eyes as I take a bite and can still picture my grandmother in the kitchen making these.

Visual steps for cooking plantains as detailed in steps 1-10. When refrying the plantain chips, set heat to low and place plantains in fryer one at a time. Mixing water and oil will cause oil to pop so for safety, it is best to place the tostones in the oil while heat is low. While dipping the tostones in water prior to frying provides that extra crunch, it can be avoided all together by just frying the tostones directly in the oil.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Servings: 3

For Ground Turkey

1. In medium heat add 1 tbsp of oil to frying pan.

2. Mince garlic, dice onion/ peppers and add to frying pan

3. Sautee for approximately 5 minutes until onion is golden brown and peppers are soft.

4. Add ground turkey and stir occasionally to evenly cook.

5. Add cumin, oregano, paprika, cilantro and salt and pepper.

6. Stir occasionally and cook for 15 minutes or until turkey has browned thoroughly.

7. Set aside.

For Plantains

1. Cut both ends of the plantain and make 4 slices around the skin of plantain long ways (makes it easier to pull the skin off)

2. cut plantain into 3 quarter inch slides

3. Heat oil in skillet or deep bowl.

4. Place tostones and fry for 3 minutes a side.

5. Take tostones out of fryer and squish with flat surface. Tostones should be about a quarter inch thick. The thinner the crispier!

6. In a small bowl, mix water, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper.

7. Rapidly but CAREFULLY dip the tostones in the water mix and place back in the hot frying oil.

8. Fry the Tostones for approximately 1 minute of until golden brown.

9. Place tostones on a flat surface and add ground turkey and any other ingredients of your choice. They go well with guacamole and cheddar cheese on top.

10. Optional: Add a little kick and drizzle hot sauce over top.

11. Enjoy while hot :)

Steps for cooking the ground turkey as detailed in steps 1-7. Cooking time varies on your heat setting. Ensure that with sauteing vegetables they are browned and not charred to avoid bitter taste.

• 2 green plantains

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 sweet pepper

• 1/2 pound ground turkey

• 1/4 cup oil for frying

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp Oregano

• 1/2 tsp Cilantro (optional)

• 1 tsp Paprika

• dash Salt/ pepper to taste