Oven-Baked Plantains (Tostones)

And while we're posting ugly recipes, you really should try this one. I'd only had plantains one other time--maybe 10 years ago--and even though I'd enjoyed them, I had no idea how to make them. Then this past month, I found a recipe and made them. Delicious. But not gorgeous.

Plantains are meant to be cooked before they're eaten because they're starchier than a normal eating banana. These are baked. In the original recipe, Ellie from The Hobo Kitchen made a savory garlic sauce to pour over them. I thought this sounded amazing, but I knew that my kids would not find savory garlic banana-looking things amazing. So I opted to introduce them as a sweet side dish. I did not regret it.

Obviously, these are fussier than just peeling a banana and eating it, but I love switching things up sometimes and I find that occasionally my kids will respond to a new foreign-ish fruit. It helps us get out of our little eating ruts sometimes. Also, even though these require 30 minutes of foresight, they don't require more than 5 minutes of your hands-on attention.

Oven-Baked Plantains
adapted from The Hobo Kitchen
Serves 2-3
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 26 minutes
Cost: $.65
plantain: .55, other stuff: .10

1 large plantain
oil (I used canola; coconut might be amazing as well)
sugar and cinnamon

1. Cut off each end of the plantain.

2. Slice it along on opposite sides of the plantain.

3. Microwave for 6 minutes.

4. Remove (it's hot) from microwave and let it cool for a minute. Then remove skin and cut into 3/4 inch rounds.

5. Flatten the rounds (I did this with the bottom of a glass.)

6. Toss with a little oil (I used canola). Or generously grease your baking dish (I used a cookie sheet). You don't want to skimp on the oil too much--these things get sticky. I used foil hoping that would make it easier, but I'm not sure it helped.

7. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes on one side until they're golden on the bottom side. Then flip and bake about 8 minutes on the other side.

8. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon.

9. Serve.