Sweet Plantains: Not Just for Hispanics Anymore

So my husband was born and raised in Puerto Rico, I am from the states, I like Italian food, yummy spaghetti and meatballs, he on the other hand is a rice and beans and pork kind of guy. I have to say I love it, and now I am learning to cook Latin/Caribbean food, specifically Puerto Rican style food, thanks to this man that is dear to my heart. My mom gave up cooking meat and potatoes for my father whose parents were from Italy, so that she could learn the ways of authentic Italian cooking, let's just say I won't pass up an invitation to their house for Sunday dinner, cause I know my roots and I love them.

But now back to "branching out", I've been experimenting with sweet plantains, the ones that must go from big ugly looking bruised bananas to black, blacker than black, so that you can get that delicious sweet and satisfying flavor. Here are some of the ones I used the other day:

After cutting them three ways, lengthwise with a paring knife and peeling off the skin I tried two different versions of this dish.

The first:

6 ripe (black) plantains, peeled cut in half and lengthwise

1 Tbsp of light brown sugar

4 Tbsp of unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat up the stove to melt the butter, add the plantains that you already peeled and cut, flat side down, this makes it easier to tell when they need to be turned over. After they start to get a nice golden brown color, turn them over with a spatula or fork.

Let the pan heat and butter just start to melt...

 Put them in the pan flat side down and let the heat do the work….

The longer they brown in the butter the sweeter they get and the softer the final texture will be….

At this point in cooking, it is up to you, you could place them on a dish and serve as is, or you could add the extra yummy ingredients directly into the frying pan, add the light brown sugar, the vanilla and the cinnamon. Mix and stir the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla will coat all of the plantains.

If you do this be forewarned that you might want to have vanilla ice cream in the house, the plantains along with the ice cream is bangin' as this Mad Food Lab Lady might say.

Of course you could keep it simple, like I did and just have some buttery fried sweet plantains like the ones pictured above. 

So yummy I bet you can't eat just one (plate)! Next on my list mastering Puerto Rican Tostones, or as our kids call them "chippies"!

Hope you enjoy!