Grilled Plantains

I'm pulling out my grill pan again tonight, but of course you can make this yummy side dish on an outdoor grill, as well. The plantains make a great compliment to a meal of rice and beans!

You'll need very soft ripe black plantains for this recipe, so be aware that you should probably buy them at the market a couple of weeks - yes weeks! - in advance. Supermarkets tend to sell plantains green, and they ripen much slower than bananas.

Once fully ripe, slice 3 plantains in half lengthwise, then cut each of those halves again, crosswise, so you have 12 pieces total.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) with 1 teaspoon organic brown sugar and 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper; brush evenly over the cut sides of each plantain piece.

Grill the plantains, cut-sides up, on a grill pan or grill coated with cooking spray over medium heat for 7 minutes, then turn over and grill for 3 minutes more.

2 plantain sections plus 1 lime wedge makes a side serving of 180 calories. Eat these while they're still warm! The cooked plantain slides right off of the skin.

Cost:
plantains $1.50
lime $0.50