Entree: Colombia – Caribbean Coast – Cayeye con Queso (Mashed green plantains from Colombia's Caribbean coast finished with butter and crumbled salted white cheese)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Additional 10 min

Total 50 min

Ingredients

3 large green plantains, 900 g gross; estimated 585 g peeled edible plantain
Water, 960 ml, plus additional water as needed for cooking
Unsalted butter, 43 g (3 tbsp / 45 ml)
Vegetable oil, 28 g (2 tbsp / 30 ml)
White onion, 85 g, finely chopped
Garlic, 6 g, minced
Queso costeño, 225 g, crumbled (practical catalog estimate: feta cheese)
Salt, 3 g, to taste
Black pepper, 1 g, freshly ground
Fresh cilantro, 4 g, chopped (optional)
Ripe avocado, 170 g edible portion, sliced (optional)
Lime wedges for serving, from 1 lime (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the plantains and cut them into 2–3 cm rounds. Place them in a pot with 960 ml water, adding more if needed to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until very tender, about 20–25 minutes.
2. While the plantains cook, heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all the chopped onion and minced garlic; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Reserve about 240 ml of the cooking liquid. Drain the plantains and return them to the pot.
4. Mash the hot plantains with the butter, adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time until smooth and slightly moist.
5. Stir in the sautéed onion and garlic. Fold in the crumbled queso costeño (or the stated practical feta estimate), then season with pepper and salt to taste, adding salt sparingly.
6. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Garnish with optional cilantro and avocado, and serve hot with optional lime wedges and extra crumbled cheese if desired.