Building a Better Burger

OK. So here I sit again, telling you all about a craving I've had that just wouldn't go away. This time, it was the almighty hamburger that has been calling my name. Perhaps it's due to the gazillion burger commercials on TV. I don't know the reason, but I'll admit that a good burger is one of those dishes that I miss. There are few meals as satisfying as a nice, juicy burger - I don't even need the fries with it. A good burger is satisfaction on a plate, in my book.

So ... what's a Paleo kitchen supposed to do with such a craving? I have tried my hand at several Paleo breads, but none have been truly satisfying.

But then inspiration hit! And I decided to "super size" one of my favorite plantain treats to serve as the "bun" of my Paleo burger. And let me just say now for the record ... this has been one of my better ideas! Check it out!


This burger is only a quarter pound patty, but it was so filling and satisfying that I could only eat about half of it (yay for yummy left overs!). And while, in the future, I may downsize to slider-size, this was an AWESOME Sunday night special supper.

Paleo Burger on Tostones:

Stuff You Need:

• 2 green plantains
• 1 cup coconut oil
• sea salt (for sprinkling)
• ½ lb extra lean ground beef
• 2 oz. chorizo
• ½ cup crushed plantain chips (any other "paleo" chips would work as well)
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp agave ketchup

What To Do:

1. First, we make the plantain "buns". To do that, peel your plantains and slice them in half crosswise.
2. In a deep frying pan over medium heat, melt your coconut oil.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the plantain stalks into the oil standing on one end.
4. Fry until one side is golden brown, flip, and fry the other side until golden brown as well.
5. Remove from the heat and place on plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
6. One at a time, place your plantain chunks between sheets of parchment paper and smash with a plate to about a ¼ inch thick.
7. Add the flattened plantain patties back to the oil and fry until crispy and golden brown. Keep an eye on them as this happens pretty quick.
8. Remove from the oil and place on towel-lined plate to drain.
9. Sprinkle them with sea salt and set aside while you prepare your burger.
10. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl, divide in half, and shape into quarter pound patties.
11. Brown both sides in a well-oiled pan. Cook until no pink remains.
12. Place your burger on one of your plantain patties, add burger fixings (like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions), and top with a second plantain patty.

And that's it folks!

Please note ... this is a very calorie dense meal. Usually, when I prepare tostones, I will get at least 3 servings out of a single plantain. Sometimes, I can even get 4 servings. In this recipe, you get only 2 per plantain. So unless your have very small plantains, this will double the number of calories consumed.

With that in mind, we don't serve these with any side dishes.

Regardless, this was truly satisfying and my burger craving is no longer tickling my tongue to be naughty!

Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)

As you know from my previous post, I have a pretty long standing love affair with fried plantains. Wonder Dad and his family introduced them to me while we were still dating and I have looked for ways to include them in our meals ever since.

So I was seriously psyched when I ran across a post over at Everyday Paleo that featured plantains in a way I had never tried before: Tostones!

Usually, when I am frying up a batch of plantains, I go looking for a nice, ripe (brown) plantain. But this recipe calls for the GREEN variety.

With this preparation, you slice up the plantains, fry 'em just a bit to soften up, flatten them, and then fry them again to crisp everything up.

Like the folks over at Everyday Paleo, we topped ours with carnitas - like little tostadas - and they were down right AMAZING! I had found a new way to love plantains!

In fact, I was so enamored, I have served them at 3 more mealtimes just for good measure (and to enjoy this treat before my plantains ripen any further)!

These are super easy and beyond tasty! Here's how you prepare them ...

Tostones (Fried Green Plantains):

Stuff You Need:

• 2 green plantains
• 1 cup coconut oil
• sea salt (for sprinkling)

What To Do:

1. Peel plantains and slice into 2 inch chunks.
2. In a deep frying pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the plantain slices into the oil standing on one end.
4. Fry until one side is golden brown, flip, and fry the other side until golden brown as well.
5. Remove from the heat and place on plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
6. One at a time, place between sheets of parchment paper and smash with a plate to about a ¼ inch thick.
7. Add the flattened plantain patties back to the oil
8. Sprinkle sea salt, top 'em up, and devour!

We enjoyed these topped with carnitas and salsa, but they also work great just dipped in salsa or guacamole!

I am looking forward to trying all kinds of new toppings for these - I get the feeling that the sky is the limit!

Fried Ripe Plantains (Maduros Fritos)

I was introduced to this sweet treat not long after I met Wonder Dad. His folks are from Ecuador and this was a staple in their kitchen. I have to admit, it was love at first bite.

Not long after we were married, I tried my own hand at this dish and just failed miserably! It took quite a few sub-par attempts before I found out the key to sweet success ... you need BROWN plantains. In fact, it when the plantains start to look like they are going bad (at least compared to a banana, which was my only frame of reference) that they are indeed ripe and ready to fry up!

So here's the down low on this simple yet tasty treat ...

Fried Plantains (Maduros Fritos):

Stuff You Need:

• 2 very ripe plantains
  (put them in a brown bag and wait a few days if you can only find the ripe ones at your grocery store)
• 3 Tbs coconut oil
• cinnamon (for sprinkling)
• sea salt (for sprinkling)

What To Do:

1. Peel plantains and slice on the bias (diagonal). I like for mine to be about 1 ½ inches long and ½ inch thick.
2. Heat skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil.
3. Place plantains in skillet and fry about 2-3 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn them.
4. Remove from the heat and place on plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sea salt and ENJOY!

These plantains pair well with chicken, beef, and pork alike! I've even chopped them up and put on a side salad!

Regardless of how you serve them, they are such a tasty treat that it's like having dessert for dinner!