KarmaFree Cooking

Plantain Little Spiders – Arañitas

This was supposed to be a recipe for Halloween… you know, the play on words – arañitas means “little spiders” in Spanish. Their name is mainly due to their scraggly shape, because they’re fully vegetarian and have nothing to do with the little arachnid creatures. But maybe they’re more appropriately called in English, Plantain Nests, making them a very nice option for Easter too.

This is yet another way Puerto Ricans love to eat green plantain. Variety is the spice of life and there are 1,001 ways we can cook a plantain. Tostones are most popular because they can be prepared in advance. Arañitas is something you need to grate, season and cook immediately. Not for the prep-ahead cook.

You can fry them in oil, just like you do with platanutres or chicharritas de pátano. But I have devised a way to enjoy the goodness of this Puerto Rican favorite without the need to get the deep fryer out. I am Latin, but I do not enjoy having to clean the splatter of a frying pan filled with oil.

Here is how I make arañitas…

PLANTAIN LITTLE SPIDERS – ARAÑITAS

1 green plantain, peeled

1 tbs canola oil

Garlic Salt

After you peel the green plantain, grate it in as long strips as possible. I try to grate it on the long side to get longer strips of plantain.
In a medium bowl, add the grated plantain, season with garlic salt and add the canola oil. Mix it all well to ensure the plantain is oiled and well-seasoned all over.

3. In a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat, place little mounds of plantain. The low heat will allow the plantain mounds to cook on the inside. After a few minutes, you’ll see the outside plantain will start to stiffen and crisp up. Flip when you notice the center of the mound is turning yellow.

see why they could certainly be called nests????

4. Keep the heat at medium-low. The arañitas will eventually crisp up on the outside and start turning golden brown.

5. Take them out of the skillet and allow them to drain a bit on a paper towel. They may not drip any oil, but any excess oil is better left on a paper towel.

Serve alongside your favorite Puerto Rican dish – like macarrones with soy picadillo, arroz con gandules or as croutons for a delicious salad.

Tags: food, green plantain, plantain, Puerto Rico, vegetarian

Comments 18 Comments
Categories appetizers, Puerto Rican delicacies, side dishes

Restaurante Jerusalem – Eating Vegetarian in San Juan

6 Dec

Many of you have asked me where to eat delicious vegetarian food when visiting San Juan… I even once wrote an article in Serious Eats on my favorite restaurants in San Juan and Jerusalem was definitely on that list.

Ever since I returned from a trip to Israel in April 2000, I have been enamored with the flavors of the Middle East. We spent our days eating mostly falafels, hummus, pita bread and salads. That was our menu almost every single day. And when we returned to Puerto Rico, I wanted to remember all the flavors of those travels. It was a magical trip and Jerusalem was the only restaurant that made me go back to the flavors of Israel.

In my opinion, Jerusalem has THE BEST Middle Eastern food in Puerto Rico. There are several Middle Eastern restaurants here, most of them located in Roosevelt Ave. , but none of them stand close to the food at Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has, in my opinion, the best falafels in Puerto Rico. They taste fresh and light. I am not the greatest fan of tahini sauce, but I consider Jerusalem’s tahini sauce the best as well.

I usually order the hummus as an appetizer. The olive oil on top of it tastes so fruity and delicious…

Another reason why I love to eat at Jerusalem is because they serve a vegetarian kabob platter that I just love. It is grilled tomatoes, peppers and onions served with rice and the arab salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cubanelle peppers, parsley dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. I am making myself hungry just writing about this right now…

When people want to invite me to dinner… I usually suggest Jerusalem. It has a little bit of everything and even when you’re ordering vegetarian food it does not feel like you’re missing out on anything of the traditional flavors of the region.

Have you been to Jerusalem, the restaurant in San Juan??? Tell me what’s your opinion… what else should I order besides my usual fare???

Rest. Jerusalem – Ave. Roosevelt 1109, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Tags: eating out, ethnic cuisine, food, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, San Juan, vegetarian

Comments 5 Comments
Categories appetizers, main courses, MY EDITORIAL

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Very Colorful and Healthy Vegetarian Food Pyramid

4 Dec

Tags: food, food pyramid, fruits, rainbow, vegetables, vegetarian

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Categories Veggie Bites of Wisdom

Puerto Rican Pumpkin Fritters

3 Dec

In Puerto Rico, these pumpkin fritters are called “barriguitas de vieja” or “old lady bellies”… I just think that name is a tad discriminatory. Who said all old ladies bellies are sweet and wrinkly??? I am sure some old bellies out there are not sweet… LOL!!!!! I am so lame, I laugh at my own jokes…

Enjoy these, which are super delicious regardless of my bad jokes.

Puerto Rican Pumpkin Fritters

PUERTO RICAN PUMPKIN FRITTERS

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

A few grates of fresh nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp egg replacer + 2 tbs water

Canola Oil for frying

First we steam the pumpkins to make the puree… I just peel and cut some pumpkin pieces and place them in a shallow pan that has a lid. I add about ½ inch of water and some kosher salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as you hear the water inside boiling, turn down the heat and allow the steam inside cook the pumpkins for about 10-15 minutes. Check the pumpkins at about 10 minutes… if they’re not completely done, just cover again, wait about 1 minute and turn off the heat and leave there uncovered for some 10-15 minutes more. They’ll be done by then.
I just take the pumpkin pieces out into a bowl and mash… if you feel they’re too stringy, you can certainly pass the mashed pumpkin thru a sieve. But I don’t usually do that… I don’t find it’s necessary. You can certainly do all this steaming and mashing ahead. I did it the night before to use the mashed pumpkin for this recipe and for a pumpkin cheesecake I was making too.
In a small bowl, mix the egg replacer with the water. Stir vigorously or whisk and set aside.
Now we assemble the batter… in a large bowl mix together all the ingredients, including the egg replacer mix. I use my hands to mix well and almost knead the recipe. I tried using a spoon or spatula and it does not work well.

5. In a frying pan add about 1 inch oil to fry these fritters over medium-high heat… wait until the oil has reached temperature before adding the first one. I usually check if the oil is ready by inserting the back side of a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil bubbles around it, the oil is ready.

6. Using 2 spoons create little mounds of batter to fry. My mom likes to spread them a bit once they’re in the pan so they’re not too thick and they fry faster. Once they’re golden brown on one side, flip them over to fry on the other side.

7. Once they’re cooked and golden brown on both sides, take them out and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.