October Posts We Forgot to Post: Mofongo Two Ways and The Sausage That Never Went Away

Sure it was heavy handed - but not atypical of Latin Caribbean cuisine - to serve mashed and seasoned green plantains a/k/a mofongo with rice. Protein and greens courtesy of spicy chicken sausage and escarole, slowly fried and then braised together in same pan.

Mofongo in its simplest incarnation logs very little hours in the kitchen and is such a welcome respite from mashed or roasted potatoes. Cafe Drake HRV's bare bones version might more appropriately be dubbed fufu after the popular Cuban mashed preparation of yellow plantains. Start with 2 or 3 green plantains that have turned yellow, somewhere in between the bright green stage required for tostones and not yet at the speckled black finale necessary for perfect sweet fried maduras. Peel the plantains and cut into 2" chunks. Boil in salted water until tender and soft, about 15 minutes at full boil. Drain well and return to cooking pan with 1 T. butter and 2 T. olive oil. Begin to mash coarsely while stirring in 4 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, a few pinches dried oregano, about 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 T. orange zest. Serve warm. (When feeling festive we add 1/2 cup chopped and pitted green olives to the mix.)

Arabella Interlude: The Lady in Red

And another link of this damn sausage ended up on yet another lunch plate of arroz amarillo, yellow split pea soup, lentil sprouts and braised escarole.

More chicken sausage with rice, soup, salsa and fried mofongo cakes.

As above:  leftover mofongo, too stodgy to reheat and serve in its original incarnation, should be mixed with just a handful of rice flour and 1 beaten egg, shaped into patties and fried over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until crisp and browned on both sides. A good substitute for potato or rice side dishes and sublime for breakfast, topped with a poached or fried egg.

Bright flavors and seasonal colors make the combination of long beans, broccoli and grape tomatoes perfect for roasting.