Plantains with Yummy Sauce, Pecans, and Ice Cream

Note from Marie: I recently filmed a Tex-Mex show. My goal was to make easy, relatively healthy Tex-Mex cuisine. Easy Chicken Chalupas and Holy Guacamole were easy choices. Then, I just needed a dessert. I wanted it to fit with the Mexican theme, be relatively healthy, and also taste really fantastic. I thought about it for at least two days. And then it hit me: Plaintains!! These fruits (which are essentially huge, dense, not-so-sweet bananas) are authentic to South American cuisine, easy to find in your grocery store, healthy, and also very unique. They were just what I was looking for. My only problem was how to serve them? And let me tell ya: This recipe is the solution. It took me several tries to come up with the right combination of ingredients, but when I tried this version, I literally gasped with delight. It is delicious! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 large plantains, peeled

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup brown sugar + 2-3 tablespoons for pecans

3 teaspoons cinnamon + 1-2 teaspoons for pecans

3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla + 2 teaspoons for pecans

1/2 cup bourbon + 1/4 cup for pecans

1 tablespoon unsalted butter for pecans

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Lite vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

Heat oil in large sauce pan. Slice plantains into 1/2 inch thick circles. Place circles in sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Sprinkle some of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla over the softening plaintains. Gently flip the plaintains with a spatula. Add the rest of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add 1/4 cup bourbon. Let the alcohol cook off. Add another 1/4 cup of bourbon, and again, let the alcohol cook off. Continue to cook the plantains for about 5 more minutes. Gently remove plaintain slices from pan and place into bowl.

Using the same pan, add butter to heated pan. Throw in pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir to coat pecans. Add 1/4 cup bourbon. Cook for about 1-2 minutes--just until you have nicely coated pecans and some extra yummy sauce.

Using a margarita glass (or other serving dish), spoon in two scoops of lite vanilla ice cream. Top with a spoonful of plaintains, and a generous amount of pecans and yummy sauce. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!