For my first destination, I chose Cuba.  Cuba has always been a bucket list destination for me, mostly because of the mystique surrounding American/Cuban relations, but now that Americans can visit Cuba, it has moved up quite a few spots on my list.  I dream about the brightly colored buildings and the old cars filling the busy streets of Havana.

Another reason that I picked Cuba for my first post is that I have been dying to try out a plantain sandwich recipe that I modified from Blue Apron.  I am a pescatarian (I only eat fish, no other meat), so sandwiches are just kind of bland for me.  But I am a sucker for a good, unique vegetarian sandwich, and plantains seem distinctive enough to make this recipe great.

Plantains are often thought of as a Caribbean fruit, but they did not originate there.  Many think they originated in Africa or India, and were brought over during the slave trade.  While it is a fruit, a cooked plantain often takes the role of a vegetable.  They are a relative of the banana, but have a starchy, potato-like flavor.

Plantain Torta

• 2 sandwich rolls
• 4 oz Queso Oaxaca
• 3 radishes
• 1 black plantain
• 1 Romaine heart
• 1/2 orange
• 2 grilled piquillo peppers
• 1 shallot
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

First, wash and dry all produce.  Next, halve the rolls, peel the shallot and thinly slice it, and peel the plantain.  You want to slice the plantain in 1/4 inch slices on a diagonal.  Then, cut the orange segments in half, thinly slice the cheese, and rough chop the romaine and the peppers.

The next step is to marinate the shallots.  In a small bowl, add the shallots, vinegar, sugar, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Set the bowl aside.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil, and once hot, add the sliced plantains.  Cook them for four to five minutes, or until golden-brown, and then flip the plantains.  The second side will brown more quickly, so keep an eye on them.  Once both sides are browned, remove the plantains from the heat, drain them on a paper-towel lined plate, and season with salt and pepper.  As you can see, my plantains became a few shades darker than golden-brown.

Once this is done, you are ready to assemble your sandwich, and you are almost ready to eat it!  On the bottom half of the roll, create a strata a cheese followed by plantains, peppers, and marinated shallots.  Do not discard the marinating liquid for the shallots as this will be your salad dressing.  Season with salt and pepper and close your sandwich.  Toss the torta into the hot pan you used to cook your plantains, and heat eat side for two to three minutes.

Before eating, assemble your side salad by combining your romaine, orange segments, and radish in a medium bowl, and tossing with the marinating liquid, salt, and pepper.

The plantains are crispy on the outside and starchy on the inside with just a hint of sweetness.  I now have another reason to move Cuba up on my travel list.  I can’t wait to visit in the future and become, as Cubans’ say, aplantando, or “plantainized”.