Caribbean Lasagna

I found this recipe from www.chowstalker.com which has been my go-to website for new recipes lately.  All of the recipes on this site are either Paleo-friendly, gluten free, or vegetarian, or some combination of all three.  I have cooked with plantains a couple times in the past.  Their flavor is different from what you may be expecting.  They look like a large overly ripe banana, but taste like a sweet potato crossed with a banana.  They are not nearly as sweet as your taste buds would expect.  In the past I have simply grilled them with the peel on.  After you grill all sides, you just cut them in half and treat them like a baked potato.  This way of cooking a plantain goes great with summer cookouts.  When I found this recipe on Chow Stalker it was called a Paleo Plantain Beef Pie, which is somewhat fitting, I guess.  But, as I started to make it, it just reminded me of a lasagna, only with a Caribbean twist.  It was surprisingly simple to prepare, just a little time consuming.    The finished product was a combination of a meat loaf and lasagna.  The flavors reminded me of some of the traditional dinners I have had while down in Mexico.  The combination of the raisins and plantains along with the meat and tomatoes go together surprisingly well.  It is a lightly sweet, yet savory flavor.  I highly recommend trying it.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 diced red pepper

• 1 diced yellow onion

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 oz can diced mild green chilis

• 14 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

• 2 Tbsp raisins

• 2 Tbsp chopped olives (green or black)

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 4 large slightly-ripe plantains (some yellow, some dark spots)

• Coconut oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp water

• Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*.  Grease the inside of an 9″ x 9″ glass dish with coconut oil and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown the ground beef completely.  Lower the heat and add the red pepper, onion and bay leaf.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are softened.
3. Add the green chilis, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, currants, olives, apple cider vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.
4. Peel and slice the plantains into 1/3″ diagonal pieces.  To peel, cut off both ends and slice through the skin lengthwise, then peel off in sections.  If any skin remains, trim it off with a knife.
5. In another skillet over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of coconut oil and begin to brown the plantains in a single layer, about 2 minutes per side.  You’ll have to do this a few times until all the plantains are golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water.
7. To assemble the lasagna first pour half of the egg mixture into the bottom of your glass dish.  Place plantains in a single layer on top of the egg.  Spread half the meat/veggie mixture on top.  Add another layer of plantains.  Add the rest of the meat/veggie mixture.  Top with one final layer of plantains.  Pour the rest of the egg mixture on top.  To summarize: egg - plantain - meat - plantain - meat - plantain - egg.
8. Bake for 1 hour and let sit for 10 minutes before you slice into the pie.
9. Serve with optional cilantro as garnish.

The meat mixture.

Frying the plantain slices in coconut oil.

Just before putting the dish in the oven.

The final product!