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mmmruby · 4 years

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Mozzarella-stuffed Plantain cakes with Mango-Avocado salad & Cuban Mojo

I’ve been dabbling in recipe creating lately, on a journey to find what my personal style may be. I have worked through so many different “diet” concepts – the bodybuilder diet, vegetarian, Juicing, raw vegan, even the junk food vegan (I’m playing hard in that category at the moment.) Two things I’ve learned about my preference is that I can’t stand monotony and I refuse to compromise flavor. What originally drew me to plant-based cuisine is the beauty of the presentation and creativity of flavor combinations.

For over 6 years now, I have immersed myself in the culinary world, falling into more of an obsession over time. I reflect my biggest inspirations, for they are the ones from whom I learned the fundamentals. From my ancestral roots – Cuba, Uruguay, Spain, Italy, Morocco – I am influenced through their food and culture. I admire the history of food, from cultivation and travel, to the cultural, economic, environmental, and sociological impacts. I love exotic spices, traditional recipes and a story behind it. Even though I was only four years old when I went to my mothers’ native country of Uruguay, I surprisingly remember it vividly. Parrots, Banana trees and my grandmothers Koi pond are some of my strongest visions from my memory. My mother is an excellent cook, whose signature dishes are Italian pastas and empanadas. When she had two work 2 jobs, there were lots of beans-n-rice days (a balanced and budget-friendly meal I appreciate even more after going vegan.) My father fled Cuba with his family in 1959 when he was 3 years old. I have always had a strong influence of the Cuban side of my family and spent much of my life in Miami growing up. I think Caribbean cuisine is especially beautiful, built on indigenous, French, Spanish, Italian, African, and Indian cultural staples. Tropical fruits and exotic spices. Being raised in the largely Latin-populated city of Houston, TX – I was also brought up heavily on Mexican, Salvadorian and Colombian food.

Through my burning fascination of all world cultures and my travels over the years, I have absorbed new perspectives, inspiration and acquired experiences that give me a different view point on the art of culinary cuisine.I’ve always yearned to build a stronger connection to my roots. Having been so young when I went to Uruguay and never having been to Cuba because of political complications, has always made me feel like I have unfinished business. Although I am heavily surrounded by many different Latin cultures, each country is beautifully very different – in dialect, history, tradition, and arts. Deep down, I’ve always felt out of place and searching for a community to relate to. I feel most connected to the motherland when I am listening to our music – Salsa, Guaguancó, Samba – and when I am eating our food. Avocado, Mango, Plantain, Yucca – that feels like home.

I made this dish because I wanted to do something for the culture. Making the Mojo from scratch made me feel like my Abuela would be proud. I’ve also been working on learning the art of picking the right plantain. This dish was originally inspired by Colombian aborrajados (deep-fried plantains stuffed with mozzarella cheese.) I was all over that. Give me a reason for CHEESE because I MISS IT! Keep in mind , this recipe is 100% vegan and I used vegan cheese! I decided to make plantain cakes and just layer the cheese inside so as to not have to deep fry it. I shredded a block of Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella shreds with the finest grater (the finer the cheese grate, the more it will met.) This vegan cheese is incredible – and I believe it is soy-free! The first few ingredients were coconut oil and potato starch. Genius.

Mojo is a sauce in Cuban cooking consisting of citrus juices, garlic, olive oil and other spices. The mojo I made was with my favorite oranges – Cara Cara. The sweetest I’ve ever tried. I used cornmeal for the plantain cakes and I think it was perfect. Regular flour would have been to fluffy and soft. I went ahead and made a jar of fresh coconut milk for the next few days so I could use it in the cakes. The denser cakes held up the salad and dressing nicely. I put a few tablespoons of olive oil on the pan and cooked each side about 4 min on medium high.

After I layered the plantain stacks and cheese and allowed it to melt. I topped them with a mix of spinach, arugula, collards and baby Romaine lettuce, sliced red onions, cubed avocado and mango, and drizzled it heavily in the Cuban Mojo. The dressing made it. The beautiful combination of the saltiness of the mozzarella with sweetness of the mango was a win-win. I felt such satisfaction upon completion of this dish. I think I may be on the path I was searching for..

Mozzarella-stuffed Plantain cakes with Mango-Avocado salad & Cuban Mojo

Cuban Mojo

makes about 1 cup

1 small head of garlic, peeled and separated

1 tsp. salt

1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice or 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice

4 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1⁄2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1⁄4 tsp. ground cumin

1 pinch dried oregano, crushed

Salt to taste

Crush together garlic cloves and salt with a mortar and pestle, and put into a medium bowl. Stir in fresh bitter orange juice or fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice, olive oil, chopped fresh oregano, cumin, crushed dried oregano, and salt to taste.

recipe via saveur.com

Plantain Cakes

Serves 2-4

2 large overly ripe plantains, peeled & grated

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tbsp coconut milk

1-2 cups shredded Follow Your Heart Mozzarella shreds (vegan)

Mash the plantains with a potato masher in a large bowl until you reach a pureed consistency. Add the cornmeal, milk, salt, garlic, and cayenne pepper to the mashed plantains. Heat a skillet with 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Use a medium sized ladle to pour the plantain batter into the skillet. Fry each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Fine grate shred the cheese in between stacks and let melt.

Mixed greens

1 mango cubed

1 avocado cubed

sliced red onions to taste

Top with mixed greens, cubed mango, avocado, sliced red onions, and drizzle mojo over stacks generously.

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