Tostones+(Twice+Fried+Plantains)

Tostones & Brazilian Lemonade (Use the links above to download the recipes)

What are Plantains? The plantain (or platanos) is a banana, musa paradisiaca, which is eaten cooked rather than raw. Plantain are eaten in most tropical countries of the world. The largest exporters of bananas are the northern portions of South America as well as Central America. N ** utrition ** The fruit is primarily carbohydrate, approximately 40 grams per 1/2 banana and about 180 calories. Like the common yellow banana, the fruit is very high in potassium approximately 500 milligrams per serving. The plantain is normally eaten as a starchy staple food. It can be boiled, baked, or fried and served as a vegetable or made into a sweet dessert, depending on the degree of ripeness of the fruit.


 * How To Select a Plantain ** Plantains can be prepared at any stage of ripeness. Make sure to pick a recipe appropriate for the fruit you have on hand.

**Green:** When the plantain is green it is quite starchy and the flavor is much like a potato. The green fruit can be fried or boiled.

**Yellow:** When the plantains yellow the sugars begin to develop and impart a slight sweetness to the fruit. At this stage the fruit may show a few freckles of black.

**Black**: The plantain is at it's sweetest once it turns black. Normally you would want to use black plantains for dessert or any recipe where a sweet taste is desirable. You may purchase yellow plantains and store them in a paper bag until then ripen and turn black.

How to Peel Plantains: (Watch from 00:00 - 1:50)
 * How do you peel a plantain?**

How Fry Plantains
 * Describe how to fry the plantains:**

Twice fried plantains are a dish eaten throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Most countries have their own version of this popular dish. Tostones, or twice fried plantains, are the Cuban version of this dish.
 * 1. What country are Tostones from?**

Visit the link on About.com to see how plantains should be sliced for Tostones.
 * 2. How thick should the plantain slice be?**

They should be a light golden color and semi-soft. This will take approximately 2 minutes (possibly a few more!)
 * 3. How will you know when the plantains are done frying the first time? How long will this take?**

Use a slotted spoon to remove the plantains from the oil, this will drain as much oil as possible. 1. Slotted spoon 2. LARGE plate 3. Several bounty paper towels (not from the school's paper towel dispenser)
 * 4. What will you use to remove the plantains from the oil? Why?**
 * 5. Before you start frying the plantains, what should you have ready for when you remove them (3 items)**



Your recipe instructs you to smash the plantains using a cup, but I would recommend using either the metal turner in your drawer or a dry measuring cup. It helps to spray with just a tiny bit of non-stick cooking spray first.
 * 6. What will you use to smash down the plantains after they have cooled?**



**7. How many lemons and limes will you need for the Tostones dip?** When making your dip, you will only need 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 a lime. Most lemons and limes produce 2 T. of juice. Make arrangements to share the lemon & lime with a group in the lab.

**8. Why should you wash the lemons and limes thoroughly first?**

When you slice through a fruit or a vegetable, cross contamination of bacteria on the outside of the object through the inside occurs. To avoid this, always wash fruits and vegetables first, even if you do not plan to use the rind.

In the lemonade, you will be putting the whole lime in the blender, so this will be especially important in that recipe!

When making the lemonade, be sure to wash your limes thoroughly since the entire lime will go into the blender. After blending, you will use the strainer to remove any small parts of the rind. Blending the entire lime, but straining it well allows you to add the flavor of the lime zest to the drink, without all the rind pulp in the finished product.

Brazilian Lemonade