Three appetizers using plantains and avocado

These three appetizers have two of my favorite foods, plantains and avocados. Follow these recipes and make them for your family or guests, and they will just love it. Or you can make them for yourself, at least I do!First recipe is green plantain chips with guacamole. I love guacamole and for the chips part we are doing plantain chips in place of the traditional tortilla chips. I believe these are as good if not better.1. Plantain chips with guacamole:Ingredients:3 large green plantainsVegetable oil for deep-fryingSaltGuacamole: recipe herePreparation:Peel and cut the green plantains. This is how I do it. Cut off both ends. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a slit going top to bottom the skin of the plantain being careful not to cut into the plantain. Repeat leaving about 1" each between each cut. Now you will be able to peel the sections created in between each slit. See pictures below.Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice plantains into chips. You can also slice them lengthwise into ribbons for a longer, fancier look. Fry the plantain chips in batches until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pot. Season with salt while still warm.Serve with guacamole and enjoy.For the second recipe, we will make tostones. Yes, the tostones you find at most cuban restaurants.2. Tostones with guacamole:Ingredients:4 large green plantainsVegetable oil for deep-fryingSaltGuacamole to serve, recipe herePeel the green plantains and cut each plantain into about 4-5 pieces crosswise. See picture below. In a deep fry pan, heat some vegetable oil over medium heat. Add plantains and fry in batches until golden turning to fry on all sides. Remove from the oil and smash/flatten the plantain using the back of a small pan or plate, or really anything you can use to get the job done. You can also buy a tostones maker or smasher, I'm using one. Fry the smashed plantain in batches until golden. Season with salt and serve warm otherwise they will lose the crispiness.One suggestion, actually a strong suggestion, use frozen tostones for the crispier totones ever. I rarely use any frozen foods, but this works, trust me. It may be the frozen process  and the contact with the hot frying oil that makes the frozen tostones super crispy. Also super quick to prepare and you will avoid the peeling and cutting of the plantain. With this recipe I wanted to show you exactly how you can make tostones from scratch.My 3rd recipe is a little more gourmet: Maduros filled with avocado and topped with grilled shrimp. 3. Maduros filled with avocado and topped with grilled shrimpIngredients4 maduros, the darker the skin the better. I highly recommend you buy a couple of days before preparing.Oil for fryingGrilled shrimpsGuacamole, recipe herePreparationSlice each maduro into 5 ribbons lengthwise. Fry them in batches and place on a plate with paper towel to abort any excess of oil. While still warm, mold them into a ring and secure with a toothpick to help hold the shape. If you cut the ribbons thin, you won't need a toothpick, they will hold the shape, if they are thicker, then you will need it. I happened to cut them in different thickness and you can see below how I mold them.   Fill with guacamole and top with a grilled shrimp. You can also use some chorizo, cheese or tomato in place of the shrimp.I hope you really enjoy these ideas and send me your favorite maduros or plantains recipes.Inalvys