March RotM: Plantain Arepas with Black Beans and Avocado

Being from Chicagoland, this winter has been an absolute delight so far. Normally around this time, I'm dealing with ice storms, blizzards, and the inside of my nose freezing on my walk to the mailbox, but my first Colorado winter has been surprisingly temperate. February, however, showed the first signs of real winter with temps in the teens and heaps of snow, leaving me looking for something easy, warm, and comforting to munch on while enjoying the snow from the comfort of my couch.

Enter: Arepas.

STUPID easy to make with only 3 ingredients, arepas are little Venezuelan pockets of joy. They're traditionally made from corn flour, but as the grocery had limited options, my boyfriend and I used masa, a precooked corn flour seasoned with lime. The result were delicious corn patties that can be sliced or popped open to fill with goodies. And the best part is, you can fill them with literally whatever you want. Which means you can eat arepas for a week straight and have something different every time*! So without further ado, I give you delicious arepas stuffed with plantain, black beans, and avocado.

*Based on a true story

Arepas

Makes about 8 arepas

2 c warm water

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 c masa mix

Olive oil for pan frying

1. Dissolve salt in warm water.

2. Slowly add the masa bit by bit, mixing with hands as you go. Allow dough to sit for 10 minutes.

3. Form 8 equal size disks with the dough. It should be slightly sticky, but not too sticky to handle. To check the consistency, flatten a disk to your palm; it should stick to the hand for a couple seconds before falling off. If it falls immediately, add more water. If it doesn't fall off at all, add more masa.

4. Pan fry the patties in a thin layer or olive oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

5. Allow arepas to cool on a paper towel. Once cooled, they should be able to pop open to hold delicious fillings.

Fillings

2 plantains

1/4 tsp cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Peel and slice plantains diagonally in 1/2in slices

3. Drizzle with olive oil and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and spread on a well-greased pan

4. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown, flipping over halfway through.

2 ripe avocados

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1. Mash avocado with other ingredients to your preferred consistency.

1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp chili powder

Splash of lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until fragrant.

2. Add the black beans and spices and cook over medium heat until warmed through

Assembly

Open arepas and spread a layer of avocado. Add beans and a couple of plantain slices until you have yourself a nice little sandwich filled with spicy goodness.