When my husband took me to Brasil for the first time (in case you are wondering, I spell Brasil the way Brasilians spell it, since I am married to one) he introduced me to plantains. I knew about them and had probably even eaten them here in the states, but in Brasil I learned how to cook them. And I love them! Thus the title of the post: plantains two ways-for breakfast and desert.

Unlike bananas, plantains are ripe when they begin to begin to blacken and are soft when you give them a gentle squeeze.

To cook your plantains for breakfast, cut them into 3 pieces. Place them in a pot of water and bring to a boil.

Your plantains will be ready when the flesh of the banana extends beyond the skin. Remove from the water and simply peel and eat!


To fry plantains, cut your plantain in half and then peel and slice likewise.


Fry in canola oil in a regular frying pan. You want a good coating of oil in the pan, but you don't want the oil to go any higher than halfway up the side of the banana.


When the bananas are browned on both sides, remove them from the pan and place on paper towels to drain the excess grease. Transfer them to a plate and sprinkle liberally with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.


Eat the plantains while hot! This is one of our favorite snacks.