I really like plantains. I know that's kind of odd for a girl from Michigan, but love them I do. This love started on a training trip to Puerto Rico. Since then, I pretty much get them whenever I can. However, I also wanted to try to cook them because they are usually stocked in any grocery store with decent produce.

So the other day, I bought two plantains (50 cents each - a pretty good deal!). I made sure to get the ones that looked all brown and beat up, as research tells me those are the sweet and ripe ones. I sliced them on a diagonal, as is traditional. This picture is from plantain #1, so my slicing technique isn't quite as developed as plantain #2. Then I fried them up in a pan. However, plantains have a pretty high calorie content to begin with, so I didn't fry them up in oil as is the traditional method, but just in a non-stick pan with some Pam.

As would be expected, frying plantains in oil makes them much tastier. I also probably should have fried them on low for longer, but I'm an impatient person. I was lucky enough to go to Bahama Breeze that same week, and got some of their plantains, which were sweeter and mushier than mine.

I am not convinced that plantains can be made into a light and healthy snack, but I'll continue to work on them. I think mine would improve with a little longer frying, and maybe a light splash of oil. Again though, they would make a pretty high calorie snack. Oh well, I still love them.