Cuban Caesar Salad
Here is recipe I bet you haven't tried - unless you are from Cuba. The fried plantains add a delicious crunch and the dressing is so good and fresh on this salad. For those of you who don’t know, tostones are made from green plantains, which look deceptively like bananas but taste absolutely NOTHING like them.
Yield: 4-6 servingsPrep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| For the Dressing: | |
| 1/2 cup | orange juice |
| juice of 1 lime | |
| 3 tablespoons | mayonnaise |
| 5 cloves | garlic |
| 2 teaspoons | dijon mustard |
| 1 tablespoon | anchovy paste |
| 1 tablespoon | vinegar |
| 2 teaspoons | ground cumin |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon | black pepper |
| 1/2 cup | olive oil |
| 1/4 cup | grated manchego cheese |
| For the Tostones: | |
| 2 | green plantains, peeled and cut into 1" slices |
| oil, to fry | |
| salt, to taste | |
| For the Salad: | |
| 3 4 | 3-4 hearts of Romaine lettuce |
| 1 | avocado, diced and squeezed with juice of 1 lime |
| 2 ounces | manchego cheese, shaved |
Directions:
To make the dressing combine all of the dressing ingredients except the oil and manchego in a food processor or blender and process until well-combined. With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until smooth. Add in the cheese and pulse a few times. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.
Heat 1" of oil in a large, high walled, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once the oil bubbles, place the plantain pieces in the oil and fry until lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the plantains from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
On a cutting board or other flat surface, flatten the plantains, one at a time, by pressing a plate on top of the plantains. Return to the oil and fry until golden, about 1 minute per side.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels again to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle the tostones with salt and let cool.
Separate the leaves of the hearts of romaine and top with chopped avocado and manchego cheese. Crumble the tostones over the salad like croutons, and dress with the Cuban Caesar dressing.
Source: hostthetoast.com
