Two days ago I was at the produce section of Boise’s Whole Foods, and to my surprise, I came across a sign that advertised Ecuadorian plantains. (I posted a picture of this on my Instagram account — do you have Instagram? If so, follow me!)

I was utterly excited, because I had just returned from Ecuador a week ago, and had enjoyed a ton of wonderful dishes that contained plantains as a main ingredient.

I love plantains; they are so sweet, so carby (is that a word? probably not, but I am going for it), so filling, so delicious! Plantains look like a large banana, but they are different than bananas in taste, texture and way of consumption.

Unlike bananas, you must cook plantains before eating them. When they are young, the outside of them is a bit hard and greenish, and this is when you can make patacones (aka tostones); at this stage the plantain is not as sweet, and yields for wonderful savory appetizers.

When they are ripe, however, the outside of them is still a bit hard but it looks yellowish black (like my picture shows below); this is when you know they are ready to be used for sweeter recipes — like the one I am sharing with you today, my delicious Plantain Boats with Spicy Beef. I wanted to give this entree a fun little “sweet”-spin…hence the use of a more ripe plantain.

Did you know that Plantains have more Vitamin A & C than bananas do? Also, did you know that plantains (or bananas) don’t form seeds, so farmers have to plant a cutting of them to keep growing them? SO COOL. Gotta love fun facts.

Plantains are a wonderful source of fiber, which helps promote a healthy digestive system, and they also have tons of potassium, which enables proper function of the muscles.

These little babies will not only satisfy your taste buds, but they will also nourish your bodies and keep you very healthy.

Make them for your family for a fun night in, or for your friends on a night when you’re hosting. It’s a very fun and unique dish, that packs a flavorful punch, and will leave everyone happy and impressed.