While plantains are more famous in the tropical areas of the world, they are widely available at your local supermarket and pretty inexpensive too. The starchy nature of these fruits from the genus Musa will remind you of potatoes, and plantains can often be substituted for them in recipes. Latin America has invented numerous side dishes with plantains, and if you ever venture out to a Mexican restaurant, be sure to get their caramelized plantains with a side of fresh cream, or tostones, which are double fried plantain patties. My favorite Venezuelan restaurant in New York City, Caracas, serves the best yo-yos, which are fried sweet plantains filled with a Oaxaca cheese inside. I know the word “fried” might turn a lot of people off, but I pick a day to indulge, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

The first two following recipes are traditional Ecuadorian dishes, and the last one is inspired by my love for gnocchis, and an ambitious desire to make them from scratch. It wasn’t easy, but the results were one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever made.

And a quick note: I generally prefer to go for the riper (yellow & covered with brown patches) ones than the green plantains, as green plantains are much harder to peel. But if you do decide to use green plantains, cut the plantains into 1 inch thick slices, and use a small paring knife to slowly carve the skin off of each slice.

“Platanos Asados con Queso” (Baked Plantains with Cheese)

When baked, ripened plantains caramelize beautifully in the oven. These are great to have on the side with a steak or simply on their own. Peel a yellow, ripened plantain and dab with a little bit of butter all over. Bake the plantains at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown at the top. Flip them over and bake for another 25 minutes. Take the plantains out of the oven, and while still hot make a slit in the plantains and tuck in a few slices of mozzarella or a white Spanish cheese (either asadero, cojita or oaxaca) and wait until the cheese is melted to serve.

I tried this recipe from the site of an Ecuadorian food blogger named Laylita, and took her recommendation to dip the plaintains in aji criollo -a very spicy hot sauce that is a blend of: one bunch of cilantro, two hot peppers, four cloves of garlic, and two spoonfuls of white onion. In this case, I added some avocados into the hot sauce to get a nice creamy consistency.

I love this no fuss recipe. You don’t have to worry about spices or measurements at all, but be mindful that the plantains don’t burn.

“Bolon de Verde” (Fried Green Plantain Dumplings)

These fried plantain dumplings are stuffed with mozzarella cheese and chorizo, and is even better when contrasted with ripened plantains instead of green ones. Even though the steps can seem a little laborious, this is one popular appetizer that will indulge everyone.

Ingredients:

4 plantains, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin & coriander
1 tsp chili powder Salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup chorizo

Directions:
1. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the the plantains.
2. Cook the plantains for 10 minutes, turn, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until you can smash the plantain with a fork.
3. Transfer to a bowl and and smash all of the plantains with a potato masher, adding the spices and a little bit of salt.
4. Form 2 by 2 inch balls with the plantain dough and make a hole in each ball, filling with a 1 tbsp of the cheese and chorizo filling. Now press the dough over to cover the holes, getting your ball shape back.
5. Over med-high heat, pour in the oil and add the stuffed plantains when hot. Shallow fry the plantains until they are crisp and golden all over.
6. Place the fried plantains over a few paper towels so they absorb the excess oil, and serve as soon as possible with some fresh lime and avocado slices.

As you can tell, I love plantains. It was after making the previous “Bolon de Verde,” that I searched for similar recipes, that involved stuffed plantains. I found the most interesting one on Cake Batter and Bowl. Her recipes are innovative and creative, I really recommend checking her site out.

This recipe was easy to follow but the task of making gnocchis from scratch is arduous, to the say the least, -and extremely messy. But it was delicious. The juxtaposition of the sweet plantain with the spicy kick of the creamy tomato sauce was right on the money. This is perfect to make for someone you truly care about, as it took almost 2 hours to make the gnocchis and sauce. But then again it was only my first time so hopefully it will get easier.

Gnocchis (this yields roughly 30-40, depending on how large you roll them)

Ingredients:
2 ripening plantains
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 ½ – 2 ½ + cups of flour
½ ball fresh mozzarella, chopped

Sauce:
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 small chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove of garlic, crushed, finely chopped
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
a pinch basil
a pinch of oregano
1 tbs of crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut the plantains into 1 inch chunks and place into a pot of boiling water.
2. Boil until tender (10 mins), and mash, set aside.
3. Let the mashed plantains cool for 10 minutes or so, and add the egg, salt, and flour -in 1/2 cup increments.
4. According to CB&B you should mix this until a dough forms that is not sticky. I found it impossible to not let the dough stick to everything, and I felt like I had to use 3 cups of flour overall.
5. With a rolling pin and a surface that is dusted with flour, roll the dough out and cut it into 2 by 2 inch squares. Then place a little cube of cheese inside and roll again to ensure the cheese is sealed inside.
6. Boil the gnocchis in a pot of boiling water (add salt so the gnocchis don’t stick). Once the gnocchis float to the top quickly scoop them out and set aside in a bowl.
7. Stir in with sauce, and enjoy! I garnished it with some fresh parsley grown from the garden.

Note: You can make any type of sauce you want, or use store brought. I had 2 lbs of gorgonzola cheese in my fridge so I made simple sauce by sautéing the onions, chili pepper, garlic, and tomatoes. After the onions softened and the tomato essentially melted, I added canned tomato sauce and let it simmer. Then I added the cheese, let it melt, and mixed in the basil, oregano, crushed pepper.