A healthy twist on the
Puerto Rican classic.
Here's my version of the Puerto Rican classic. Instead of bacon I used shitakes and I added cauliflower on a whim and found that I really liked it. Traditional Mofongo does not have cauliflower which is why I wrote it down as an optional ingredient. Yes it's different but full of flavor. Normally this is served with a sauce and meat. So I made the sauce but substituted chickpeas for meat.
Ingredients:
2 Green Plantains
1 head of Garlic
6 Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 Head of Cauliflower (optional)
1/2 Onion
3 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Chickpea Stew Sauce:
2 cups of Vegetable Broth
2 cups of Chickpeas (or 1-15oz can)
1 Onion
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
2 cloves of Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 teaspoon of Oregano
1/2 cup of Tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel the plantains and slice into 1/2 inch round pieces. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Slice them thinly. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Cut the top off the head of garlic. Cut and clean the onion.
Toss all the vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle salt all over the vegetables. Put them on a well greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15 min, flip the mushrooms, cauliflower and plantains. Bake for another 15 min more. Take the plantains out. Leave the cauliflower and garlic for another 10min. The mushrooms will vary. You will want to roast the mushrooms til they are crispy like bacon.
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel. Mash everything together. Mofongo is traditionally mashed in a mortar and pestle. You can use a potato masher or food processor if you prefer or don't have one.
You can serve it in one big ball or you can make individual balls for serving.
Serve it on top of the stew sauce.
Directions for the sauce:
Take a pot and add the oil over medium heat.
Saute the onion and garlic first. Add the peppers and saute til they've softened a little.
Now add the broth, spices, tomato sauce and chickpeas. Lightly simmer the sauce to thicken up for 20-30 min while the vegetable roast.
Take the bay leaf out and serve as the base for the Mofongo.