TOSTONES!

We have started to study La Clase Divertida, which is a spanish curriculum. As part of the curriculum, you are encouraged to make different spanish crafts and cook different spanish foods. One of our first forays into spanish cooking was tostones. These are really easy to make and really yummy. To begin, I took both boys to a mexican grocery store. We went in to buy our plaintains and the lady asked me what I was going to cook. I told her that we were making tostones as part of our spanish curriculum and then she encouraged both the boys to both say "hello" and "my name is" in spanish. They were a little embarrassed, but did so and were proud of themselves when they left! So, after we bought our plaintains and went home, the next step was to cut them into one inch slices. I was nervous, but I allowed each boy to cut his own plaintains.
After cutting the plaintains, you have to fry
them in about three tablespoons of oil until lightly browned. When lightly browned, you take the plaintains out of the oil, and "smoosh" them with the flat end of a cup. The boys delighted in this, they giggled each time they smooshed! After the smooshing process, you fry the plaintains for another few minutes or until lightly browned again!
After the plaintains are lightly browned, you take them out of the oil, place them on a paper towel to soak up the remaining oil and dust them with either salt or powdered sugar. Then you have TOSTONES!! Mmmmm . . . these were a yummy little treat and the boys loved eating them!! I have to say, now I love spanish, too!!