Spicy Shrimp & Sausage Saute with Plantains

First experience preparing plantains--we were both a bit scared. However, this ended up being pretty simple to execute, and also pretty tasty! Enjoy.

Shrimp & Andouille Saute with Plantain "Fries"

Plantains:

-1 large plantain (ours was still pretty green, but beginning to ripen), peeled and chopped into 1/4" discs

-1-2 tbsp coconut oil

-1 dash mustard seeds

-1/2 tsp...

...chili powder

... turmeric

...salt

...pepper

-1/4 tsp...

...ground coriander

...cumin

-1/4 c water

Heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, and cover when they begin to pop, shaking the pan so they don't burn. When they stop popping, uncover and add plantains and all seasonings. Saute until they are well coated, then add water and cover. Cook until all water is absorbed (this only takes a few minutes, so keep an eye on them). Uncover, and saute until crispy.

In the meantime, you can be cooking your saute.

Sausage and Shrimp Saute:

-1 lb bag frozen baby shrimp (peeled, cleaned, cooked and all that jazz), thawed

-1 lb andouille sausage

-1/2 onion, finely chopped

-Black and red pepper to taste (we used around 1/2 tsp each)

-Hot sauce (optional--we used Blair's Mega Death Sauce, but only because we are awesome)

Add sausage to pan, and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to brown. Add onions, shrimp and seasonings and saute until the sausage is cooked, and the shrimp are heated through.

Overall, a super simple supper--I think total prep time was probably 25 minutes, and minimal chopping. Furthermore, the consensus, regarding both the plantains and the shrimp & sausage fry, was: "Solid."

~Losterman

Taro Chips Two Ways

After listening to the Chris Kresser episode of Robb Wolf's podcast, I was inspired to make the taro chips that Kresser described--sounded delicious. I tried making them with two different slicing techniques. First (pictured left) I used a vegetable peeler, which enables you to get super, super thin slices, and yields a product very similar to potato chips. Second, I just used a freshly sharpened chef's knife, and cut the slices as thin as I was able to do--which was pretty thin, but still several times thicker than I could get with the vegetable peeler. The product was somewhere between a potato skin and a pita chip. I think they'll be super great and versatile... I'm seeing paleo loaded potato skins and paleo chili nachos in the near future.

Taro Chips**

-1/2 of a taro root, peeled

-3-4 tbsp pastured butter, melted (or coconut oil, or pork fat...mmm, pork fat...)

-Salt, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice the taro root as you wish--use a vegetable peeler if you want "potato chips," and a sharp chefs knife if you want sturdier potato skinny/pita chippy type things. If the latter, do make a point of trying to get them as thin as you can. Lay the chips in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I had to do this in a couple of batches--1/2 a taro root produces a ton of chips), and brush with butter.

For thinner chips: Bake 6-8 minutes, until they are just starting to brown. They burn quick, so be careful.

For thicker chips: Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown.

Carefully remove from pan with a spatula, and move to a plate to cool/crisp. Sprinkle with salt. Chow.

~Losterman

**Quick note--some people have an allergic reaction to taro (a funny itchy feeling toward the back of the tongue/throat), particularly if it's not cooked thoroughly enough. I don't have that problem, and I don't know if anyone would have that problem with these chips specifically, given how crispy they get, but...thought I'd mention it.