Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls...

Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls 

The Region - The Caribbean
The Book - Caribbean Vegan
The Author - Taymer Mason
The Recipe - Plantain Balls
Page # 64
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - About 35 minutes

We’re kind of going backwards today, I started with a Caribbean dessert earlier this afternoon and now I’m brining you a Caribbean appetizer. This recipe comes once again from Taymer Mason and her lovely book Caribbean Vegan, and it pretty much caught my attention from the get-go. I mean plantains mashed up with vegan ham rolled into balls and breaded? Yum!  I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, I mean I really, really love plantains

Despite loving plantains I have to admit I’m usually pretty uncreative when it comes to cooking them. I pan fry them or deep fry them and that’s about it. In this recipe the plantains are mashed with cinnamon, cayenne, and minced up vegan ham. Then you take tablespoon sized blobs, and roll them into a mixture of salt, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Then you bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. They’re a little mushy though so it can be hard to roll them into a proper ball. The best thing to do is scoop some up and plop it down in the breading and then roll it around in there until it forms a ball shape. It actually works out better then you might think.

Unlike a lot of other ball recipes these come together in a snap thanks to their not being very many ingredients, and they cook quickly too. However I think their best feature is their unique flavor, and their subtle blend of sweet and savory. Definitely a nice appetizer.

Lastly Taymer recommends serving them with Caribbean pickle which is a mixture of habanero pepper, onion, cucumber, lime juice and herbs, but I didn’t have any cucumbers and so instead I just made a spicy style Thousand Island dressing to dip them in. This worked out really great though I’m sure the Caribbean pickle would have been even better. Next time I suppose.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa...

This salsa is amazing! Or as some of my younger friends might say it’s Fire! And I don’t say that lightly. I’m a big fan of salsa’s and pico’s, especially strange ones, and I’ve certainly sampled my fare share of them, but this is hands down one of my favorites.

I made it for the first time a couple of months ago, right before my husband and I went on vacation. I don’t remember what possessed me to make it, but I think it had something to do with having an abundance of Fresh corn on the cob and avocados that needed to be used before we went away. Grilled corn is a favorite dish of mine particularly in the summer and so I thought why not use my favorite method for cooking corn and combine it with one of my favorite summer time accompaniments? Thus grilled corn and avocado salsa was born. Not that I’m claiming it’s a totally original concept - I’m sure someone, somewhere has thought of it before - but it is nonetheless delicious.

I know that we’re near the end of summer now and you’re probably thinking to yourself why didn’t I post a summer recipe during the heart of summer? Well, as it happens I forgot to take a picture the night I first made this delicious salsa, then I forgot to write the recipe down too! With no recipe and no picture there wasn’t much to post about, and there weren’t even any leftovers to take a picture of the next day because we gobbled the whole thing up.

Luckily my Mother-In-Law was having a get together with some of her girlfriends today and she requested that I make the Grilled Corn Salsa for her little party. I said sure, and then worked from my memory of what I did the last time to make it all over again. It came out exactly like I remember, a beautiful blend of bold flavors, with lots of potent garlic, tangy lime, and creamy avocado, not to mention that fantastic ‘just off the grill’ flavor from the corn.

This time around I made sure to take a photo, and write the recipe down. Oh and the best part? This Grilled Corn Salsa is totally omnivore approved! It was a big hit at my mother-in-law’s party and there wasn’t a vegetarian to be found amongst them - let alone a vegan - so make it for your next gathering or party and be prepared to wow your friends/family.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa 

4 Ears of Corn with Husk on
4 Large Garden Tomatoes diced
8 Cloves Garlic minced (or more to taste)
1 Red Onion finely diced
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/4 C + 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
½ tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper (more if you like more heat)
1 ½ tsp Sea Salt (or more or less depending on your taste)
Black Pepper to taste
3/4 - 1 tsp Smoked Paprika (to taste)
1 Large bunch Cilantro minced
4 Large Avocados Diced

- Soak corn in a large pot of salted water for 1-2 hours.

- Remove corn from the soaking pot and shake off excess water. Using a medium heat grill corn until husks are blackened and corn kernels are bright yellow. Depending on your grill and your heat setting this can take as little as 8 minutes or as long as 20 keep an eye on it!!!

- Remove corn from grill and place onto a plate to cool. Once sufficiently cool to the touch remove the husks and any silk. Cut all the corn away from the cob and place it into a large bowl. Discard any kernels that may have burned during grilling.

- Add all the remaining ingredients except cilantro and Avocado to the salsa. Mix until thoroughly combined.

- Add in the Cilantro and Avocado mix gently until just combined. Taste for seasonings and flavor and adjust as needed. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and for a lovely presentation garnish with thin slices of avocado and big leaves of cilantro. Enjoy!

*** Note - This recipe makes A LOT! So if you’re just making it for a couple of people, or just yourself, then half the recipe. However if you’re making it for a party or gathering this is a perfect amount. It will get eaten I assure you! Also this is super easy to make in advance. Prep everything in the morning or even the night before, then add the cilantro and avocado in at the last minute right before serving.***