Cook Up A Tropical Party with BrisaTropical.com, Internet Radio!

Create your personal Caribbean party with bouncy dance pop, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Bachata music and an appetizer of Stuffed Ripe Plantains.

A delicious recipe from Lino’s wife, Carmen Roldan:

Begin your Caribbean cooking experience with shimmering celebratory dance tunes at BrisaTropical.com, pour a drink and dance your way through this delightful recipe: First what is “relleno?” Relleno can be made with plantains, potatoes stuffed with cheese or meat, then breaded and fried. Sofrito: Sofrito is a mixture of aromatic ingredients mainly used in Puerto Rico and other Latin American cooking. Sofrito includes peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, green onions, also “ajies dulces” (sweet peppers), salt to taste. You can easily make your own sofrito by blending all of these ingredients and adding a little of olive oil, or purchase at a local supermarket. I

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 or 3 ripe plantains ( can be purchased at a local market, make sure they are ripe, look for the yellow color of the plantain)

• One pound of ground beef

• Flour Ingredients for the ground beef stuffing:

• 1/2 cup of Sofrito

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt ( to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Brown the ground beef in a skillet and add the ingredients, simmer over medium heat covered for 15 minutes, taste and reseason if necessary, set aside.

• Cut the ends off the plantains, do not peel them, just make a line , so when they cook, its easier to handle them, then cut them into two pieces each. Boil in salted water for up to 10 minutes. Just to soften them.

• Remove from water and let them cool for 5 minutes. In a separate plate put the flour.

• Mash the plantains, a few lumps are okay. Take about 3 tablespoons of the mash in your hand, put some flour in your hands, so it doesn’t stick to your hands. Take some plantains mix into your hands and make a ball, create a dip into the ball and place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat in the middle and seal it by forming a ball around it. (Always have flour on your hands so it doesn’t stick.)

• Place each ball in a baking sheet (about six total).

• Bake for up to 25 minutes at 400 degree or until golden outside, let them cool a bit before eating.

• If you choose to fry them, add the oil to a very hot fryer pan, fried for 5 minutes, turn them occasionally, until they are golden, before serving. dry on a paper towel.

• Pair them with rice, as an appetizer, accompanied with your favorite wine or drink.