Until this past year, I never once purchased a plantain. They were simply off my radar, and I had absolutely no knowledge about what to do with them, even if I bought one. I had heard of fried plantains, but no one really makes those very often, if ever. So, as I began adapting our diet over this past year, I noticed that plantains were showing up as a key ingredient in multiple recipes that follow the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).
Well, I decided to give them a try. The first few times I bought plantains at my local grocery store, the employees would consistently ask me, “What do you do with these?”. They are definitely a food item that people find interesting, but no one really knows what to do with them. What are they anyway? An overgrown banana? A fruit?
An easy answer is yes, they are a fruit. And yes, they’re from the same family as a banana, but because of their consistency, they actually behave much more similarly to a potato. Which when you’re living grain free, having a starchy food that can be used multiple ways is a win.
Plantains are an incredibly versatile fruit, but they’re also a nutrient power house. Plantains are full of the same great nutrients that bananas provide (Vitamins C, B6, B12 and fiber), but the main difference between a banana and a plantain is that more of the carbohydrates in plantains are from starch, not from sugars like their banana counterpart. And they taste nothing like a banana — definitely not sweet.
So what are some of those ways you can use a plantain? We have a few favorites at our house. The one most interesting to us is a breakfast staple — Garlic-Herb Biscuits. These biscuits are perfect drizzled with a little honey or maple syrup and served with sausage and a side of vegetables, of course. Give them a try! They might just amaze you, and you’ll never believe they are grain free. We hope you love them as much as we do. Happy biscuit eating!
GARLIC-HERB BISCUITS
Makes 4–6 biscuits
Ingredients
- 8 ounces peeled and chopped yellow plantain (about 1 medium)*
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 Tablespoons bacon fat, melted
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
- 2 Tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the plantain in a food processor or high-powered blender and pulse until broken into small pieces.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a smooth, wet dough has formed.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of the dough at a time onto the prepared cookie sheet and smooth into round biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
*NOTE: When selecting a yellow plantain for this recipe, make sure that it does not have any brown or black spots.