Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Open-faced Eggplant Sandwich

I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a long time and decided finally to make it today.  I think I can improve on it a little bit, but at least, this was good on the first try.

Our eggplants are doing great in the garden and I've been trying to come up with different things to make with them.  The eggplant I found today was not too big, but firm and really tender.

We had some 99% fat free multi-grain wheat bread in the freezer, so I took 2 slices out to thaw.  The slices are a bit bigger and wider than regular sliced bread. 

I cut the eggplant in slices about 1/4" thick, dipped them in milk and then in seasoned white cornmeal. 

Sautéed the slices in a small amount of olive oil, then when turned over I placed a slice of sorf mozzarella on each slice of eggplant and continued cooking until cheese had melted - I actually left it just a tad too long, but it was still fine.  Next time I will cover the pan and let it sort of steam a bit so the cheese will be soft and slightly melted but not cooked.

Meantime the bread slices were put in the George Foreman grill so it could toast with the grill marks on it.  After they were done I brushed the top of the bread slices with garlic infused olive oil.

On the dinner plate, place a lettuce leaf and then one of the slices of the bread.  On the bread, at an angle, place a slice of ggplant and mozzarella.  Add bits of  sun-dried tomatoes marinated in oil and a couple of sprigs of fresh basil.  Top with another slice of eggplant and mozzarella and repeat with the sun-dried tomato and basil.

I added a sprig of watercress to the plate as an edible garnish.  A delicious and easy, light summer meal.

Grilled Lobster & Mango Salad

We invited two couples friends of ours to an afternoon picnic at Kolekole Beach Park, which is a county park about a mile north of us. 

Liz and Mike brought a delicious salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, sliced mushrooms, green peppers and cucumbers and her delicious homemade onion dressing

Linda and Howard brought an almond pound cake with buttercream icing made like a sheetcake.  It was delicious.

I made a grilled lobster and mango salad.  The lobsters were part of the 'haul' of seafood I bought recently at the NELHA Seafood Market

Besides the above dishes, we had some gorgeous fresh sliced tomatoes, French Fried Eggplants with Wasabi Mayo and we tasted for the first time, the homemade feta that I had marinated in olive oil with a sprig of rosemary, garlic cloves and Hawaiian red hot chile peppers....the marinated feta was the nicest and creamiest feta I've ever tasted.

Grilled Lobster & Mango Salad

7 small lobster tails - seasoned and grilled

3 medium sized mangoes - peeled and cut in about 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup macadamia nuts - chopped and toasted

 

For the dressing:

 

2 Meyer lemons - juiced and drained

1 1/2 Tablespoons Queen Creek Olive Mill Blood Orange infused Olive Oil

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh ground peppercorns - to taste

Place the greens in the salad bowl or platter - I used two different kinds of lettuce and chopped watercress - add the mango pieces and the grilled lobster slices.  Sprinkle with chopped, toasted macadamia nuts. 

YIELD: 6 servings

SOURCE:  Sonia's Kitchen

The blood orange infused olive oil has become my favorite flavored oil.  I was introduced to it by a friend from Arizona who sent a bottle of it with other assorted goodies during a Christmas gift exchange.  I was hooked.  I had her send me another bottle recently....I use it sparingly as the shipping is ridiculously expensive, but it was delicious as a back note to this dressing.

It was as delicious as it was pretty!

Eggplant Parmigiana

Since I made the ricotta night before last, I've been dreaming of making Eggplant Parmigiana using my own garden grown eggplants and herbs, my homemade ricotta and my own roasted tomato sauce...(Move over Martha....!)

Yesterday was a sort of complicated day, and it wasn't until this afternoon that I could spend a little bit of time in the kitchen.

My version of this dish is just a little bit different than most in that I like to dip the eggplant slices in beaten eggs and then in seasoned panko before frying.  I use a mixture of ricotta and sour cream for 'creaminess' and a mixture of good olive oil and vegetable oil for the frying.

Eggplant Parmigiana

 

Eggplants - sliced about 1/4 inch thick

Eggs - beaten

Panko - seasoned to taste

Ricotta

Sour cream

Herbs - chopped

Eggs - beaten

Seasonings - to taste

Roasted tomato sauce - click on link

Parmesan cheese - grated

 

 

Mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil to fry the eggplant slices

 

Slice the eggplants about 1/4 inch thick.  You may peel or not, depends on your own taste.  I leave them on.  Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg, then in the seasoned pank.  Fry at medium-high until golden.  Drain.

 

 

 

Mix ricotta, sour cream, chopped herbs (I used basil and fresh oregano), eggs (I used the leftover beaten eggs from dipping the eggplant slices) and seasonings together.

 

 

 

Start layering fried eggplant slices on a baking dish or gratin pans.  Spread with some of the cheese mixture, then a thin layer of the tomato sauce, sprinkle with Parmigiano (I had a chunk of Parmigiano-Romano which I grated).  Repeat layers as needed.

 

 

If using gratin pans, you might be able to do only one layer.  My deep-sided glass baking dish let me do three layers - I started with 3 small eggplants and 1 pound of the ricotta.

I topped it by sprinkling with the leftover seasoned panko.

 

 

Baked at 350 F for about 45 minutes.  Let it rest about 10 minutes or so when you take out of oven before spooning or cutting.

 

 

The panko gives a nice crunchy texture to the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making homemade cheeses.........

(Photo credit) - Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa with her mobile phone...

 

I attended a fun all day cheesemaking class yesterday in Waimea, offered by Vicki Dunaway who works with Dick and Heather Threfall at their Hawai'i Island Goat Dairy.

 

We donned aprons and hairnets and after reviewing the packed full folder-packets Vicki had put together for us, we got started with the cheesemaking process.

 

(Photo) Olelo pa'a adding renet to the feta mix

 

We made several cheeses in class - cottage cheese, feta, havarti and camembert, but the camembert didn't turn out so it was added back to the whey from the other cheeses.

 

(Photo) Feta cheese in molds 

 

My share of the feta cheese was brought home and set to brining in a 10% salt to water mix.  I will be packing it in olive oil and adding fresh rosemary, garlic cloves and some of the red hot Hawaiian chile peppers to it.

 

Several members of the class took half gallon jars of whey home to make ricotta with.  I took 2 half gallon jars. 

 

(Photo) Filling half gallon jars with whey after the class.

 

I started to make my ricotta when I got home - it was a very primitive set up since I had to use my meat thermometer to make sure I reached the right temp for the whey/milk combination and my meat thermometer shaft was not long enough to just clip on the edge of my stockpot... I had to hold the thermometer with one hand and stir with the other...hot work...but I got it done and to the mix I added the bit of salt and then apple cider vinegar...and made ricotta!

(Photo) Vicki during class 

 

Ratio of whey and milk to acid for ricotta = 2 gallon fresh whey - 1 quart milk - 1/4 cup acid (lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar)

 

I started with about 1 gallon of fresh whey (Ph of about 5) and added 1/2 qt no fat milk - if you want it creamier use whole milk or add a tablespoon of cream -  and 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat to 200 degrees slowly on low temp - use a long shaft thermometer that you can clip on lip of stockpot - stirring often.

 

(Photo) is it cheese yet? 

 

It took a while of stirring the whey, milk combination to reach the 200 degrees needed and since my thermomether is a meat one and not one of the ones with long shaft, it was ackward to hold it with one hand over the edge of the stockpot and into the liquid to get a constant reading....but I will certainly be investing in a proper thermometer now....

At about 140 degrees add salt. I used less than a Tbsp. ...
Continue heating and stirring periodically until it reaches 200 degrees.  do not let it boil

Turn off and add acid (lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar- I used the apple cider vinegar) and stir.

Let it sit a while

Prepare a colander lined with layers of cheesecloth and set it over a grid (I used one of my cookie cooling racks) or an oven rack - and set it over a larger container to catch the whey dripping - I used a large glass bowl.

Start laddling the mixture into the cheesecloth covered colander and keep adding as it drains - let it sit a few minutes. You can squeeze it to drain more but I didn't want a very dry ricotta so I let it retain some moisture.

 

(Photo) my ricotta - I got about a pound of ricotta for my gallon of whey and milk  mix.

The leftover whey I saved to add to our dog Phoebe's food - she loved it!  If you have chickens or livestock mix it with their water.  According to one of the attendees, a couple of days after starting to mix whey in the water for her chickens, the eggs were actually bigger and better.

I bought a cheesemaking book and will be trying my hand at others...  I'm strting with the easier ones...!  I think either mascarpone or queso blanco will be next...

Salad Days

When the summer is fiercer, we turn to salads. Almost any food is appropriate for making a salad.

Combine an assortment of greens, vegetables or fruit and almost in an instant, a salad is born. It is one of the easiest things to plan and make and in most instances, requires little or no cooking and very little time.

Some of the things we need to remember when making salads are quite basic:

Always wash greens and vegetables well before storing or using.

Dry greens gently so as not to bruise them and roll them up in clean kitchen or tea towels then place in refrigerator until ready to use or line your refrigerator crisper drawer or vegetable bin with several layers of paper towels (*) to absorb excess moisture.

 

Make sure the greens you use are perfectly dry and the dressing will cling better. A small salad spinner is a very good investment. Your greens will shed excess liquid and remain crisper longer after spinning dry.

Never use a knife to cut lettuce. Always tear it apart and it will not brown so quickly. Wrap tea towels or small kitchen towels around celery stalks and they will last crisper longer in the refrigerator.

Remember that you can’t freeze whole celery stalks, but you can if you cut them into small pieces. Store them, washed, dried and cut, in freezer quality plastic zipper type bags.

If you are fortunate enough to grow your own greens or salad vegetables, be sure to add four tablespoons of salt to a gallon of water when you are washing them. By washing off the greens in this solution, you will get rid of any uninvited little critters that came along for the ride.

Another good piece of advice to remember is, to keep salads fresh until guests arrive, cover with a damp, clean tea or kitchen towel and store in refrigerator. Also, to keep your salad fresher longer, don’t add the dressing until you are ready to serve….or better yet, let your guests serve their own dressing when they are ready to eat.

(*) At home we have eliminated using paper towels for several reasons, the biggest one being to live a ‘greener life’, conserve trees and using mostly things that are recyclable or can decompose in our compost pile.

Even though outdoor grills are a year-round fixture here in Hawai’i, we seem to rely on them more during the summer months, keeping the heat outdoors, where it belongs! The following are several recipes that are wonderfully simple to prepare, leaving you more time to spend sipping coolers by the beach.

 

GRILLED MOJITO SHRIMP-MANGO KEBABS

Try these dipped in the Papaya-Mango Salsa that follows. Yields 4 kebabs. Recipe can easily be doubled for larger groups.

1 cup No-Cook Mojito

1 teaspoon ground achiote seeds or paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon dark honey

3 large slightly green mangoes

2 large sweet onions

36 medium raw shrimp (about 2 pounds) shelled and deveined

For the glaze, combine first four ingredients in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside. This can be done earlier in the day.

Cut mangoes and onions into chunks about 1/4 inch in diameter.

Thread onto skewers, alternating with the shrimp.

Allow your coals or gas grill to heat to medium (300oF-350oF).

Brush the grill rack with oil to prevent food from sticking.

Grill until shrimp is opaque, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Just before removing skewers from grill, brush both sides generously with the reserved glaze. Leave the kabobs over the fire just long enough for the glaze to color. Serve on a ti leaf covered platter.

NO-COOK MOJITO

Mojito (moh-hée-toe) is the seasoning of preference in the Caribbean.

It is used like ketchup in North America. All sorts of meats, fish, seafood and vegetables lend themselves to being sprinkled or smothered with mojito!

4 cups fresh squeezed Seville orange juice (*) about 20 oranges

Fresh squeezed juice of 4 limes

2 cups olive oil

12 cloves garlic, crushed

8 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

4 Tablespoons dry Sherry

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup minced fresh gingerroot.

Stir together the citrus juices and whisk in the oil, then the garlic, onion, sherry and spices. Last add the minced ginger.

Place in a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate at least 1 day before using. Keeps in the refrigerator about 2 weeks

(*) Valencia oranges are quite tart. If not available, use equal portions of freshly squeezed orange and lime juices.

 

PAPAYA-MANGO SALSA

Complements fish, grilled shrimp, cold roast beef or chicken

1/2 papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-size cubes

1/2 mango, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes

1 fresh jalapeño pepper seeded and minced

1 green onion, minced, with some of the green

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon finely chopped sweet red pepper

Papaya seeds to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

The papaya seeds will impart a nice crunch and a mild peppery flavor.

If you would like to use this salsa as a dip, pour in the bowl of a processor or blender and process smooth.

 

 

Savory Pie - Recipe from Saturday's class

 

 

I mentioned in my blog recently about the cooking class we attended on Saturday at the Starseed Ranch in Kapa'au.  This was a full participation class and everyone was assigned a dish, but we all had a chance to see what the others were doing as they were doing it.

 

There are actually several tricks or techniques in this recipe: 

* Mixing all the dry ingredients together in a bag saves time and clean-up.

* Make sure the butter is very cold.  In fact, frozen is fine.

* Make sure the liquid is also very cold,

* Using fresh lime juice instead of water when mixing the dough.

 

 

SAVORY PIE

 

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 cups COLD butter

1 1/2 cups COLD water/lime juice

 

A pinch of baking soda is optional, if you want the dough to be a bit more like a biscuit texture.

 

This is a large amount and recipe can be cut in half.  If you make a large batch, you can store in freezer in batches until needed.

 

Mix all dry ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, seal and shake thoroughly to mix all ingredients well.

 

Pour into the bowl of a food processor or mixer.

 

With motor running add the butter in chunks or broken pieces and process until all butter has been used.  Add the liquid little by little and process until the dough looks like crumbs.  Do not overwork.

 

For a kick in taste, use freshly squeezed lime juice instead of water.  The taste is incredible.

 

Dump the dough into the baking pan – we used a large lasagna pan with about 2 inch high sides – and make sure to pat it evenly to cover the bottom and sides.  Don’t overwork it.

 

Prick with the tines of a fork and bake for a few minutes.

 

Add the filling of your choice.  We used fresh-laid eggs, a bit of mayo, a bit of sour cream (mix well) then added sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions, basil leaves and chopped kale.

 

Bake at 350 F until set.

 

Cut into serving pieces and serve.  We got about 20 squares from the size pan used.

 

Recipe source: Chef-owner Donna Maltz - Fresh Sourdough Express Restaurant & Memorable Experience B&B, Homer, AK

 

Cooking from the Garden

 
This past Saturday, my son Anthony and I spent all morning and part of the early afternoon at Mala'ai - Culinary Garden at Waimea Middle School with a fun group of people. 

The director and mainstay of the garden is Amanda Rieux who at one time worked with Alice Waters' Edible School Yard in Berkeley for four years. 

 

We had a great time. The group toured the garden; we picked greens; harvested cassava/yuca; harvested 'uala (sweet potatoes, both purple and... creamy yellow); fresh laid eggs were gathered and lots of other stuff which later was prepared, cooked and eaten right in the garden!

 The garden now has 2 small coops with chickens and we had the freshest eggs we've ever eaten made into an omelet with chopped fresh chives - both leaves and blossoms....the color of the yolks were incredibly yellow...and the taste was like I remember eggs tasting when I was growing up.

As part of a series of workshops at the garden, Amanda, with the help of Matilda Thompson, Alethea Lai and the participation of all of us and a bit of fresh garden magic, whipped up a simple, bountiful and delicious menu which had all of us ooohing and aaahing before we sat to the table.

 After the meal and while some of the group cleaned and washed up, a few of us helped weed and mulch some of the beds as we 'sang for our supper'...

The weather couldn't have been nicer and the day was perfect in every way!

Photo above: from bottom left, clockwise: Tapioca Pancake, Purple & Creamy Yellow Sweet Potatoes, Mixed Greens, Boiled Cassava ((Manihot esculenta aka yuca, tapioca), Chive Greens and Blossoms Omelet, Arugula - Pecan Pesto and Sauteed Kabocha Pumpkin with Fried Sage Leaves

Cooking from the Garden Menu

Kabocha Pumpkin and Fried Sage Leaves Sauté

Steamed 'Uala (sweet potato)

Tapioca Pancake - aka Yuca or Cassava

Assorted Mixed Greens - Collards, Kale, Amaranth, Basil, Tatsoi and Bok Choy

Fresh Eggs Omelet with Snipets of Chive Greens and Blossoms

Arugula - Pecan Pesto

Dipping Sauces

 

Arugula - Pecan Pesto

 

4 packed cups washed arugula - about 8 ounces

1 small garlic clove

1 cup chopped pecans (toasting optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt - or to taste

1 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or to taste)

1 - 2 Tablespoons (packed measure) golden raisins (or more)

5 - 6 Tablespoons extra-cirgin olive oil (possibly more)

 

Place the arugula, garlic, pecans and salt in a food processor (or use mortar and pestle) fitted with the steel blade.  Pulse until pulverized, adding lemon juice and raisins as you go.

Run the processor again, drizzling the olice oil in a steady stream.  When it reaches the consistency you prefer, stop and transfer to a small container with tight-fitting lid.  Taste to adjust seasonings. Cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to store.  Keep in refrigerator until needed.

 

Yields: about 1-1/3 cups

Source: "The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without" by Mollie Katzen - Hyperion Press

 

Dipping Sauce

Garlic Cloves

Chile Peppers

Sea Salt

Ginger (optional)

Cilantro or Parsley (optional)

Lime or Lemon juice (*)

Water - equal amount as lime juice

 

Smash garlic cloves, chiles and salt in a mortar with a pestle, to make a paste.  Add the ginger pieces and the cilantro or parsley, if using, and continue pounding it with the pestle until well incorporated.  Add the lime juice and water.  Mix well.  Serve

(*) If no lime or lemon is available use Balsamic vinegar

 

A Gathering of Friends

 

A few days ago I was invited to lunch at the home of a dear friend, Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa, for a celebration of Brazilian friends and food. 

 

The food as usual, was delicious.  We started with caipirinhas, and several pupus, including ‘ahi sashimi, poke, avocado and veggie salsa and locally made guava wood smoked goat cheese pyramids among a few other things I can’t remember now!

 

Lots of wonderful conversation and getting to know new friends while enjoying our caipirinhas, a delicious and refreshing rum, lime and sugar drink served in a glass filled with ice… quite similar to our own Cuban mojitos without the spearmint.

 

 

My friend is noted for her unique approach to fresh foods and the dishes served were a testimony to her creativity and passion.  Her table arrangement was bright and fit the mood of the afternoon.

 

Besides a couple of other salads, there was a delicious mixture of fresh ingredients served in lettuce wedges and drizzled with her Caesar dressing.

 

The main dish was a traditional Portuguese Feijoada, a black bean, beef and pork stew served with Farofa (roasted manioc (cassava) flour mixed with butter to be sprinkled over the feijoada)

 

 
  

As if all this wasn’t enough, the dessert buffet was too tempting; coconut flan topped with fresh fruit, a large bowl of yet more fresh fruit cut into bite size pieces; a bowl of fresh whipped cream to top them all as well as some of the most decadent chocolate cookies I’ve ever eaten and Mauna Kea coconut macaroon drops, named after our snowy capped mountain…these are so light and fluffy they almost melt in your mouth.

 

It was a ‘feel good’ afternoon, filled with wonderful drinks and food, stimulating conversation and several new friendships made.

 

Here are other posts about Chef Olelo pa'a I have shared in the past

 

TROPICAL TASTE - Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa

 

TROPICAL TASTE - Papaya, Shrimp and Goat Cheese Appetizers

 

E hele mai 'ai (Come eat!)

 

Capirinhas Recipe

 

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

8 lime wedges

2-1/2 ounces of good Brazilian rum (cachaca)

 

Muddle the sugar and lime wedges in a clean mortar using the pestle.  Pour contents of mortar in an old-fashioned size glass, add the rum and mix well.  Add lots of ice, a swizzle stick and continue stirring every once in a while as you drink.

 

Saúde!

 

 

Taro - Cream of Taro Soup

(Photo) a variety of Hawaiian taro

 

 

Taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum), is a member of the Aracea family which includes such well known plants as philodendrons, dieffenbachia (dumb cane) anthuriums, pothos, caladiums and alocasia, to name just a few. 

Humans have cultivated it for thousands of years and it is found in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world.  

Taro, or Kalo, as it was known to early Hawaiians, achieved primacy in the Hawaiian Islands as the most important crop and was produced in a large number of cultivated varieties.

The cultivation of taro was associated with the god Kane, procreator and giver of life, and in the Hawaiian legends, it was considered the first born from the union of sky father (Wakea) and earth mother (Pápá) and as such was considered first in birth, and genealogically superior to man himself.

Variations of taro grow in the Caribbean Islands where they are known as malanga, güagüi and ñame.  

 

For fast cooking of taro, peel and cut in pieces. Pour enough water to cover and boil.  If it is to be used in poi, cook longer.   Mash while still hot.   Serve as mashed potato or use in other recipes.    On its own, taro is very bland, but complements the tastes of other, richer foods.

 

(Photo) a variety of Japanese taro

 

Taro, in the form of poi, is fed to babies and kupuna (elders) as part of a very healthy, nutricious diet. 

 

(The above information appears in page 42 of my cookbook, Tropical Taste and has appeared in an article in May 2000 in The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a, where I have been a monthly columnist for over 10 year)

Having been born and raised in Cuba, I grew up eating varieties of root vegetables in the same family or similar to taro such as the malanga, ñame or güagüi mentioned above.

 

One of my favorite ways to prepare or eat taro is as cream soup.

 

Taro or poi seem to be an acquired taste and many find it tasteless.  Although poi is traditionaly not seasoned in any way, since it is suppoed to be eaten with richer tasting foods, I would recommend that beginners add seasonings to taste until they become familiar with the taste and consistency.

 

Taro is also slightly viscous when peeled and some people can't get beyond that... but if you can, taro can be very versatile - it can be used to make breads, fritters, and many other recipes - check the recipes in one of the links above.

 

Velvety smooth and filling, this cream soup is deeply comforting and satisfying.  I have played with the recipe for a bit, but I find this one the best.

 

Cream of Taro Soup

The creaminess of the soup is a result of the taro itself, no extra cream needed.  I make my own chicken stock and the last batch was made using the roasted bones and bits of meat clinging to the carcass of a huli huli smoked BBQ chicken, Hawaiian style, so the broth itself was quite flavorful.

 

3-4 Hawaiian taro

OR

8-10 Japanese taro

2 cups chicken broth or stock

Additional water, if needed

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground peppercorn to taste

Lemon or lime for squirting

 

Peel and cut the taro in quarters or smaller.  Bring to a boil and then simmer in the chicken broth or stock until you can pierce with the tynes of a fork, about 20-30 minutes or so. 

 

Process in a blender until smooth.  Check for seasonings and adjust if needed.  I used just a little bit of Hawaiian Alae salt.  If too thick, add small amounts of water until you reach the consistency desired.  I prefer it thick.

 

Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with a grinding of peppercorn (I use a mixture of different colors) and a squirt of lemon or lime juice.  I used one of my last Meyer lemons of this season.

 

The color might not look appetizing, but the resulting taste is extraordinary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Platanos en Tentacion - Temptation Plantains

I had some plantains that were ripening but were taking forever to get to the good stage of over ripe/almost rotten to fry them as platanitos maduros, so I decided to bake a couple of them as Platanos en Tentacion - for those of you not familiar with the term, it translates to Temptation Plantains.

 

My mother used to make this in Cuba but she used brown sugar, butter and 'drinking' sherry (as opposed to cooking sherry)

 

I didn't have sherry but I did have apple juice, so decided to go with that.... The syrup not eaten was saved and we ate it over French Toast the next morning (after reheating)...it was delicious!

 

Platanos en Tentacion

 

Ripe plantains

Brown sugar

Sherry, white wine or apple juice

Cinnamon (optional)

 

Peel plantains and cut in half lengthwise, placing them in a large baking dish or pan.  My glass baking dish has a built-in non-stick finish so I didn't need to butter the dish first, but you might want to if yours doesn't have a non-stick coating already

 

Depending on whether you want to have some syrup left or not, either pour or drizzle the liquid over the plantain, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and dot with butter.

 

Bake in 350 F oven until done how you want them.  If you over bake, the syrup will harden and become caramel.

 

I used my Cuisinart toaster-oven on the convectional setting for about 30 minutes or so.  They were delicious!