Mashed Plantains With Oh Baby Garlic Tomato Shrimp On Top Grilled Flank Steak With Lime And Onions And Quick Rice With Black Beans Food

GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS AND PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Lightly oil the grill grates. Combine the shallot and vinegar in a small bowl; let sit 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir to dissolve the salt. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Toss the shrimp and Cubanelles with 1 tablespoon of the cilantro sauce and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Thread onto 8 long skewers. Brush the plantains with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Arrange the plantains and shrimp skewers on the grill. Cook the plantains until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side; cook the shrimp skewers until opaque, 3 minutes per side. Cut the plantains into bite-size chunks. Divide the shrimp skewers and plantains among plates. Drizzle the skewers with the remaining cilantro sauce.

MASHED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Combine 3 chopped ripe plantains in a saucepan with 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspon kosher salt. Cover with water and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Mash the plantains. Brown 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet, 6 to 10 minutes. Mix into the plantains; add enough of the reserved liquid until creamy. Season with salt, pepper and ground cinnamon.

STEAK WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a medium skillet melt butter over medium-low heat.
• Add onions and garlic.
• Cook, covered, for 13-15 minutes or until onions are tender.
• Add brown sugar and salt.
• Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring constantly.
• Meanwhile, cut meat into 4 serving-size pieces.
• Sprinkle pepper on both sides of each meat piece.
• Place on the unheated rack of a boiler pan.
• Broil 3 inches from the heat to desired doneness, turning once.
• (Allow 10-12 minutes for medium rare.) Stir vinegar into onions.
• Spoon onion mixture over steak.
• Sprinkle with parsley.

CUBAN VIA MIAMI FEAST: MASHED PLANTAINS WITH OH, BABY! GARLIC-TOMATO SHRIMP ON TOP, GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH LIME AND ONIONS, QUICK RICE WITH BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and half of the finely chopped onion. Saute 3 minutes, then season with 2 teaspoons cumin, eyeball the measurement in the palm of your hand, and the thyme leaves. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock and raise heat to bring to a boil. Add rice and lower heat to simmer when boil resumes. Cover pot tightly. After 12 minutes, stir in black beans and replace cover. Cook another 6 to 7 minutes. Turn off rice and beans, season with salt and stir to combine then let stand until ready to serve. While rice cooks, make plantains with shrimp and the meat.
• Preheat a grill pan over high heat. The meat can also be prepared in a hot, large cast iron or nonstick skillet if you do not have a grill pan.
• Place flank steak in a shallow dish and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to coat ¿ about 2 tablespoons. Mix grill seasoning with 1 tablespoon cumin, eyeball the measurement in your palm. Add the zest of 1 lime to the grill seasoning and cumin. Rub the mixture over the steak evenly. Wash up and cut lime into wedges and reserve. Place the steak on hot grill or in hot pan and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turn and cook 3 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let juices redistribute 5 minutes.
• Slit the skins of the plantains from end to end to vent them for microwave cooking. Wrap them each in wax paper, twisting up paper at ends. Microwave the plantains 4 to 5 minutes together or 90 seconds each individually on high.
• While plantains and steak cook, place a medium nonstick skillet on the heat over a high flame. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and the sliced onions. Sear the onions up and heat through, but leave a bite to them. Place on a platter and cover with foil to reserve heat. Return pan to stove and reduce heat to between medium high and medium. Add 2 tablespoons extra, 2 turns of the pan, and the remaining finely chopped onion, the bell pepper, garlic and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and add the zest of 1 lemon. Cook until shrimp are firm and peppers begin to soften, 4 minutes or so. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, the tomato sauce and parsley. Turn off heat.
• Peel and mash the steaming hot plantains with remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Season the plantains with salt and pile on platter or dinner plates then top with garlicky shrimp and tomatoes. Very thinly slice the cooked steak on an angle, working against the grain. Squeeze lime juice over the meat and arrange over the cooked sliced onions on serving platter. Fluff up rice and black beans a bit, transfer them to a bowl and pass at table.

GRILLED CARIBBEAN FLANK STEAK WITH MOJO AND PLANTAINS

Steps:

• 1. For steak: Stir oil, allspice, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and pepper together in a bowl, to make a paste. Rub mixture all over steak and set aside until room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• 2. Preheat a grill to high.
• 3. For mojo: Toast cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Grind seeds in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle.
• 4. Heat olive oil and garlic along with toasted cumin over medium-high heat until garlic begins to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Cool oil slightly and whisk with lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and jalapeno in medium bowl.
• 5. Grill steak until slightly charred and crisp and medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side.
• Set aside on a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
• 6. Brush plantains lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill, skin-side down, and cook until soft and skin is charred about 5 minutes. Turn and cook to sear on grill marks, about 2 minutes more.
• 7. Slice steak and arrange on a platter with plantains, drizzle with some mojo. Serve with remaining sauce at table.

MASHED PLANTAINS WITH OH, BABY! GARLIC-TOMATO SHRIMP ON TOP, GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH LIME AND ONIONS, AND QUICK RICE WITH BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the EVOO (once around the pan), and half of the finely chopped onions. Saute for 3 minutes, then season with 2 teaspoons of the cumin and the thyme leaves. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Add the rice and lower the heat to a simmer when a boil resumes. Cover the pot tightly. After 12 minutes, stir in the black beans and replace the cover. Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, season the rice and beans with salt, and stir to combine, then let stand until ready to serve. While the rice cooks, make the plantains with shrimp and the meat.
• Preheat a grill pan over high heat. The meat can also be prepared in a hot large cast-iron or nonstick skillet if you do not have a grill pan.
• Place the flank steak in a shallow dish and drizzle with EVOO to coat-about 2 tablespoons. Mix the grill seasoning with the tablespoon of cumin (eyeball the measurement in your palm). Add the lime zest to the grill seasoning and cumin. Rub the mixture over the steak evenly. Place the steak on the hot grill or in the hot pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook for 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the juices redistribute for 5 minutes.
• Slit the skins of the plantains from end to end to vent them for microwave cooking. Wrap each in wax paper, twisting the paper at the ends. Microwave the plantains for 4 to 5 minutes together or 90 seconds individually on High.
• While the plantains and steak cook, place a medium nonstick skillet on the heat over a high flame. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO and the sliced onions. Sear the onions and heat through, but leave a bite to them. Place on a serving platter and cover with foil to keep them warm. Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to between medium high and medium. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO and the remaining finely chopped onions, the bell peppers, garlic, and shrimp.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon zest. Cook until the shrimp are firm and the peppers begin to soften, 4 minutes or so. Add half of the lemon juice, the tomato sauce, and parsley. Turn off the heat. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
• Peel and mash the steaming hot plantains with the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock and a drizzle of EVOO. Season the plantains with salt and pile on a platter or dinner plates, then top with garlicky shrimp and tomatoes. Very thinly slice the cooked steak on an angle, working against the grain. Squeeze lime juice over the meat and arrange over the reserved cooked sliced onions on the serving platter. Fluff up the rice and black beans a bit, transfer them to a bowl, and pass at the table.
• Plantains look like green bananas and are available in the produce department.