Dirty Plantain Samich

I recently found out that I freaking LOVE plantains... the first time I had them was about 6 months ago. The plantation my husband works for has some Cubans that come up from Tampa to help out with maintenance around the place every couple of months, and boy can they cook!!

Dirty rice, pulled pork, guava jelly, and the wondrous fried plantain! Now, the fried plantain isn't coated with any flour, it's just cut up into chunks and pan fried in oil, it's delicious and heaven in my mouth.

It's only until recently that I myself started playing around with cooking plantains. I made my own healthy version of the Cubans dish, aka minus the rice:-) Here is the recipe I followed Easy Shredded Pork over Caramelized Plantains and now I'm hooked on these yummy funny looking bananas.

Did you know plantains are actually very good for you? Some people call them a fruit, some a vegetable. Whatever the case, they are a great addition to those who follow a low carb diet or healthy lifestyle low in grains and potatoes. The possibilities are endless. They can be used in place of potatoes in stews, mashed up, or pan fried and sprinkled with a little honey and cinnamon making an amazing desert. OR you can make chips out of them! Which is exactly what I did today!

First things first, here are some of the health benefits of plantains:

• High Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Niacin
• Vitamin B
• Calcium 
• Potassium

I follow a fellow blogger and fitness advocate named Neghar Fonooni, I'm sure you've seen me re post some of her other recipes before. She was my inspiration to write this blog and make the plantain chips. But, I went one step further with making some homemade ice cream to stuff into the middle of the chips:-) First things first:

The Plantain Chip:

What you need:

• (makes about 2 servings)
• 1 green plantain
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• Sea salt

What you gotta do:

•  Slice plantain very thinly (a mandolin is best for this)
•  Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium high heat
•  Add plantains to the skillet in a single layer, and flip with tongs after a minute or so
•  Once fried, place on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with sea salt
•  Serve as soon as possible as they do have a tendency to get soft

The Ice Cream:

1 over ripe and frozen banana

1/4 c Unsweetened Almond Milk

4 drops Liquid Stevia

2 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa

1 TBS Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1 TBS Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 TBS Sunflower Butter

Put all the ingredients in your food processor/blender/ninja etc.. I used my NutriBullet, and blend! Transport the ice cream into a container and put in freezer for at least an hour. I honestly eye balled and made up this recipe, so be creative and create a flavor you will enjoy:-)

Dirty Plantain Samich:

Now take the ice cream out of the freezer, let it melt just slightly so it's easy to scoop. Take two plantain chips, and scoop a small amount of ice cream and smoosh it in between the two chips... CONSUME!!! Ok, how much do you love it?? 

I think I just ate ten chips.... amazing!! ENJOY!