She cooked Green Plantain and Steamed cabbage for breakfast

@cynthiann (18602)
Jamaica
April 16, 2009 11:34am CST
I am just a coffee and toast person in the morings as I make the mad dash to get ready for work and get out of the house. My DIL who's only here for one week to see her husband and twins, knocked on my door and said that breakfast was ready. To my surprise she had cooked a big breakfast of steamed vegetables - mostly cabbage- with fried green plantain. It was so tasy and reminded ome of the days on the farm, when we had to cook a big breakfast for my husband at 9 am daily. By then he had put in three hours work. It is many many years since I sat down for breakfast and it was so enjoyable. Pity that she returns to Dubai on Saturday! So, what did you have for breakfast today?
5 people like this
14 responses
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I am not a breakfast person until I am up for awhile.I like my coffee to get going and then later I can have breakfast.This morning I just had a Slim Fast shake.I am trying to loose some weight.Have a good day
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 Apr 09
I'm trying to lose weight too and fried plantain is not the way to go. But she was so kind to do it for me - I really love her.
• United States
16 Apr 09
I have never tryed Green Plantain but always wanted to and I will someday.I hope you get a chance to have breakfast with her again soon.later.
1 person likes this
• Lubbock, Texas
17 Apr 09
If you really want to loose weight, eat a big breakfast! Many people make the mistake of cutting out the most important meal of the day. It's really hard to get up, dressed and eat a proper meal before heading out the door for work, but it helps get your metabolism revved up for the day. I would loved to have tasted your breakfast! I'm not very imaginative. I usually have oatmeal, toast and maybe some fruit, or eggs meat and biscuits. I had eggs, bacon and biscuits with jelly this morning.
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Vegetables are definitely not my kind of breakfast. I usually eat a scrambled egg, toast, and hot tea and occasionally grits. Sometimes I have oatmeal, toast, and hot tea. Other times, it might be waffles or pancakes. But vegetables are out for breakfast. The only vegetable I'd eat for breakfast is an irish potato either friend, or hashbrowns. And I love cabbage, but for other meals.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I had grits for the first time last year in N.C. I LOVED them! wish that I could get them here. Yes, I'm a coffee and toast person for breakfast but the change was good.
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Yes, grits is a southern thing and delicious. We used to never have breakfast without grits. But, with just the two of us here now and my husband leaves for work very early, it's a treat to have them. By the way that should have been irish potato either FRIED (not friend).
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
17 Apr 09
My fiance and I haven't properly learned to cook yet so really all we eat is say cereal or something like that. I suppose that when I do learn to cook more and he the same we'll eat more healthier in the morning or if nothing else a quantity breakfast.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I am just coffee and toast. Very boring - this is why I appreciated ny DIL's breakfast. Thanks for responding
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
16 Apr 09
that was really nice of her to do. i am a breakfast person. i didn't eat my normal breaksast this morn. i had trouble sleeping last night so about 3;30 a.m. i had a sweet roll & a glass of milk. went to bed then & finally slept.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
17 Apr 09
i am such a bad sleeper i'd try most anything if it would make me sleep normally. lol
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@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I cannot go to sleep if I am hungry. so if I have a 'bad' night then I eat the same as you before trying to get back to sleep. Many thanks
1 person likes this
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
17 Apr 09
i rarely eat breakfast too. but i enjoy eating vegetables as long as they are deliciously prepared. but i am not good in making delicious meals specially vegetables. but i find some vegetables are better eaten when boiled and they still are tasty without any condiments on it or food seasonings.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I love veggies too but I would need to add some salt and pepper. Mnay thnkas for responding
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
17 Apr 09
So nice of her to make the effort to cook such a nutritious breakfast. My usual breakfast is coffee and biscuits or bread with butter. Nothing as sumptious as what your DIL prepare. Many of the working adults have their breakfast in coffee, for a cost of S$2, they get a cup of coffee, 2 half-boiled eggs, and bread with thick kaya and butter. Not exactly a healthy choice. The thick layer of kaya and butter can clog up the arteries.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
Yes, she is so lovely. Today she cooked soft white yam with steamed vegetables. Can you let me know what kaya is? Many thanks for esponding
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
18 Apr 09
kaya is made of eggs, coconut and sugar (many boil the mixture with fragrant Pandan Leaves, so that the kaya will turn out in green color with nice fragrance). It has existed in Singapore and Malaysia for many years. Home-made kaya with low sugar content is possible. But those kaya sold commercially or used in coffeeshop or eatery have high sugar content and rich with coconut milk. Spread a thick layer on toast plus another layer of butter is a fatal combination. 50 years ago, when most of the population are holding physically demanding work, they are able to survive on this kind of diet, but now most of us are office workers. A combination of coffee, 2 eggs, bread with thick kaya and butter are fatal to the heart. Sure to cause blocked arteries sooner or later.
1 person likes this
• India
17 Apr 09
I am not a breakfast person mainly because I rush off to work by 10am and cant really negotiate the public transport on a full stomach (I feel like throwing up)…so I carry fruits with me which I have later at office. BTW plantain chips are very tasty and we have it too as a snack. Cabbages are OK but I don’t know too many ways of cooking it. Would you pls share how this cabbage and plantain fry was made? This sounds a real nice deviation from the regulation breakfast of eggs and cornflakes which I serve to my husband and child.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
she cut up the cabbage and put it inot a frying pan with just a little olive oil. she added salt and pepper, soem carrots and onions and let it stem in its own water for about 5 minutes.The green plantain was cut and browned and then removed form the pan. she cut it inot rounds and flattened each round and returned to the pan and put in hot olive oil to finish cooking them. Delicious
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I had a ham and cheese omlette with hash browns and toast. Breakfast is my main meal. I skip lunch....have an afternoon snack then a light supper.....what is Plantain?
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I love omlette's. Your eating habits are to be admired. "Says mantra" I will change, I will change! Plantain belongs to the banana family. It is commonly fried , baked or microwaved. I like it baked - no fat. Similar tasting to banana but not exactly the same. The unripe (green) plantains are browned first and taken out from the frying pan. Then they are then cut and smashed into flat rounds, dusted with salt and poepper and returned to the frying pan to complete cooking. They are crispy and very noce - goes well with ham or bacon - anything really.
• Philippines
17 Apr 09
If I am not mistaken, plantains are bananas, right? If so, I love to eat that but I can't have much because it causes me constipation.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
Plantains are cousins to the banana family. Thier taste is a bit different. I am suprised that they cause constipation as usually, if many are consumed, the opposite happens! lol
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
16 Apr 09
That was very nice of her to make a big breakfast this morning. I actually had some pizza for breakfast this morning. My son asked for pizza in his school lunch so I cooked one up this morning. I sent some with him and I had some for breakfast.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
She really is a darling and we have so much fun together. Because I had the MIL from hell I try my best to be a ggod MIL. I never interfere and only give my opinion whne asked! I am so blessed with my two DIL's. They are both special. I've never had pizza for breakfast though. I'm sure that it tasted good.
@nurseia (40)
• United States
16 Apr 09
That was very nice of her to prepare breakfast. I usually just have coffee and toast too. But, I would enjoy an occasional breakfast outing.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
Yes, she is a fabulous young lady and I love her so much.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Hey cynthiann! That sounds so delicious it is making my mouth water as I am typing! I love cabbage and plantains! I have never thought of making them together, but I will now! I am glad that you were able to enjoy your breakfast! Why does your dil have to leave? Are they divorced? Or does she just have to go back for some other reason? That is so sad that she has to leave the children like that. I don't mean to pry, I just feel so badly for your family. It doesn't sound like anyone is angry with her so I don't quite understand why she has to leave.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
No they are not divorced. She works in Dubai for two reasons. First, she can finish her Masters Degree in education. she should be finished by next month. Secondly, is that she can earn so much money - far more than she can make out here. It is heartbreaking for her to have left the twins and I am honoured that she chose for them to live with me rather than her own mother. She do see their other grandmother most weekends. I make sure of that. In September she will go back to Dubai with the twins after spending the summer here with me. My son will go back for a few weeks to help settle them in. Her new school has offered free tuition to the twins as part of her pay package. The school would cost US$50,000 a year for the two of them so this is pretty amazing. This time is special for me and I treasure it but I always knew that it would not be forever. They are her children and she is a wonderful Mom and they are so happy to see her. YOung children should be with their mother. My son caannot live there as he is setting up a project on the farm and has to be here and also he is in Politics and again has to be here. All I can do is love everyone, pray hard, and take care of the precious babies that are in my care.
• United States
16 Apr 09
Wow! That sounds amazing! I had fried plantains in Cuba but I have never thought to make them myself. I also lived in Dubai about two years ago, what a magical place! Have you ever been to visit? Anyway, I digress. For breakfast I had a potato scone, which I made myself, on a bun with ketchup. It was fantastic and reminded me of home (Scotland) as I live in USA now. Can't have too many of those though, carbohydrate city! Have you ever tried them?
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
17 Apr 09
I think that I have some time ago - long time ago - in my childhood. Is the potatoe mixed with flour? Cannot really remember. I bet tha tyou had fried ripe plantain not green in Cuba. No, I cannot afford to visit dubai. I wish that I could. MY DIL works ther and my son and their twins are living with me. Scotland is so beautiful. I will never forget goingh there. Thanks for responding
• United States
16 May 09
Sounds awesome, I'd love to know how she made it. Ironically I am a professional cook that does breakfast currently for a large resort. This morning I grabbed a cup of our juice of the day I think it was berries and pineapple, then made myself an omelet with mushroom, onion, tomato, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and some tomatillo salsa for the top. It was the perfect start to the day even though I had already been up for three hours. I usually try to grab a piece of toast when I first wake up just to jump start my metabolism then a nice breakfast a few hours later. The rest of the day I am so busy tasting this and that to make sure it's correct or grabbing that awesome looking strawberry that I just walked by that I don't eat lunch anymore. The piecing helps with keeping up your metabolism to burn calories and fat. For dinner I try to eat steamed vegetables or fruit so that I'm not consuming a lot of calories before bed. If you eat a large dinner like most people do it does not usually digest by the time you go to sleep. When you go to sleep your metabolism drops and all that food that you ate for dinner becomes fat instead of you walking it off throughout the day. So really if you're serious about loosing weight, try switching what you eat for dinner to breakfast and the toast and or fruit for dinner. You say you're busy rushing to get to work, but makeup a dinner dish in the evening that you can just heat up in the morning. If you're really that much in a hurry cook up some oatmeal with honey and raisins or apples whatever you like in it. It's at least better than just toast. Of course I am assuming you can't eat breakfast after you get to work like I can so get that metabolism going. Good luck!
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 May 09
Hi welcome to MYlot. What a fantastic response.! If you read back on other responses I do say how she made it. I love the idea of eating big in the morning and I could prepare something and eat it at work. The slice of toast is so that I can take my medication after eating something. I do have to lose weight as I now have cardio problems. I could take it to work and eat it later. The only problem I see is that I cannot sleep if I am hungry and need something just before bed and then I take the second lot of meds - the meds would destroy my stomach if I did not eat first. You have so much knowledge - welcome agian and thanks again!
• United States
17 May 09
Sorry, I'm not sure how I missed that response where you explained how to make that dish, but I will be trying it very soon! You say that you need to eat before bed for your medications. Some toast with honey (there are many varieties) or almond butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, fresh fruit, or vegetables would all be good. Even cereals like granola would be very good. You could do what my dad does and eat granola over yogurt instead of with milk and topped with fresh fruit. He eats this for dinner a lot and he also has to take meds before bed and says he has never had a problem. By the time you are in bed you will be asleep before your body has a chance to say "Hey! I'm hungry again!". Hope that helps.