Fili-paella

I thoroughly enjoy making recipes up. This particular recipe was inspired by a random request from my husband. He was planning to attend a summer BBQ last year, and wanted to bring a dish. He's not the chef-type, and he knows I look to cook, so he let me know there was a little bit of a Filipino-food theme, and let me run wild. So, I kind of did! I just met the woman who threw the BBQ last night, and she thanked me for the food and said it was great. I had mostly forgotten about it, but promised I'd post the made-up recipe. Have I mentioned it's completely invented? I'm sure it's not up to traditional standards and all that, but it was fun and easy to make, so here you go:
Prepare one box/package of yellow Spanish rice, according to the instructions, but substitute the water used with coconut water (not coconut milk). You can find it in most markets now. Forgive the basicness of these next ingredients, but they work best with all the other flavors going on. I used canned mussels, canned chopped clams, and canned shrimp (which is the salad size, and pretty little). Heat them all through gently. You don't need to cook them to death, just heat them up. Depending on what you like, add red and/or green bell peppers, sauteed lightly so they're not too soft, or onions the same way. When everything is complete and your rice is ready, mix it all gently so you don't break up the mussels and incorporate whatever veggies, if any, you like. Most markets also now carry plantains. Get 2 or 3. Peel them like you would a banana, and slice a little thicker than you would for bananas in cereal. Heat canola or vegetable oil in a deep fryer if you have one, or a deep skillet. Fry the plantain slices for 1-2 minutes, then pull out and drain on paper towel. Take a spatula and press down on the slice and smash it. Then toss them back into the oil to crisp and finish them. Take the plantain chips and cover the top of the rice and seafood mix, and serve at room temperature. It's a great hearty potluck item, can be a side dish for pork or fish, or can be an entree by adding more seafood or shredded chicken. And as always, if you come up with a tasty variation, let me know!!! :)