> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Healthy Recipes: Orange-Glazed Plantains - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/healthy_recipes_orange-glazed_plantains_021220090926/ - Published: 2009-12-02T21:25:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:00:22.000Z - Description: Dana Jacobi explains how plantain flesh changes as it ripens: green ones stay starchy and get fried into tostones, yellow ones streaked with brown turn tart-sweet and hold up in stews, and fully black ones stay firm when baked or blended into a smoothie. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Cooking, Recipes & Dining, #vivvo-import **Plaintains for Brunch and Dessert** By Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research Bananas are the most popular fruit in the United States, but we rarely cook them. Plantains, which look like a bolder, tough banana, are also called cooking bananas because that is the only way to enjoy them. I find they are also good in a smoothie, taking the place of a banana, but more on that later. Because we associate plantains with Latin American cooking, and find them mostly in Latin markets and the Hispanic section at supermarkets, we assume plantains are an American native. Actually, they originated in Southeast Asia and came to the New World during the 16th century Columbian Exchange. The plantain flesh changes in character as the fruit ripens, so it’s important to know which stage to use in a recipe. Green ones are hard and their flesh is as starchy as a waxy potato. Mostly green plantains are turned into tostones, slices that are twice-fried and pressed to make them thin and crisp. Tostones can be a side dish or a snack. I prefer tostones made from plantains ripened until they are entirely yellow, with brown streaks. Their flesh then tastes tart-sweet and is firm but slightly creamy. See my recipe for [baked tostones](http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13264&news%5Fiv%5Fctrl=0&abbr=pr%5Fhf%5F&ref=foodconsumer.org). At this point of ripeness, chunks of plantain are also good cooked in a pork or beef stew and simmered in a pot of chili. The black and thinned skin of a fully ripe plantain makes it look like a rotten banana. When squeezed, it even feels a bit mushy. But below the surface, its apricot-gold flesh will be firm and holds its shape when cooked. This is when a three-inch length of plantain can replace a banana to make a more interesting smoothie. Ripe plantains bake beautifully. Taking advantage of this, I turn them into a dessert for people who like something not too sweet to complete a meal. Be sure to plan well ahead for this dish for, unless you can find already black plantains in your grocery store, reaching this stage can take a week or more when purchased green. [](http://www.aicr.org/new/images/publications/HealthFeatures/BakedPlaintains2172.jpg?ref=foodconsumer.org) **Orange-Glazed Plantains** - 2 very ripe medium plantains, with peel on - 1/4 cup orange juice - 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon - 1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter - 1/4 cup (1 oz.) shredded queso fresco Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil. Pierce each unpeeled plantain in 12 places, using a small, thin knife. Place the whole plantains in the baking dish. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the plantains are soft in several places when pressed with your finger. Meanwhile, for the glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, cinnamon and butter and bring just to boil over medium heat. Set the hot glaze aside. Transfer the plantains to a cutting board, and set the baking dish aside. Increase the oven to broil. Cut off the ends of the plantains and halve them lengthwise. To remove the peel, run a thin knife along both sides of each half, separating the flesh and skin. Flip the plantains over and lift away the peel, using the tip of the knife as needed to detach the flesh. With a wide pancake turner, return the baked plantains to the pan, lining them up. Pour on the hot glaze and sprinkle on the cheese. Place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is soft and browned in places, 2 to 3 minutes. To serve, halve the plantains crosswise and let them sit for 5 minutes. Use the pancake turner to place two pieces on each of four dessert plates. Spoon over the liquid from the pan, and serve. **Makes 4 servings** **Per serving:** 140 calories, 2.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 15mg sodium. **Something Different** *is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s* [**New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life**](http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reduce%5Fdiet%5Fnew%5Famerican%5Fplate%5Fcookbook&ref=foodconsumer.org)**.** **from** [**AICR.org**](http://www.aicr.org/?ref=foodconsumer.org)