bellyofecuador:

PLANTAINS WITH MELTED MOZARELLA OR PLATANOS ASADOS CON QUESO
Adapted from Laylita

I really, really like plantains. My strongest memory as a girl in Jamaica is one of deeply fried plantains, ones that were so soft that they literally felt like they were melting in your mouth. But it wasn’t until Ecuador that I saw plantains stuffed with cheese, which is perhaps the most perfect combination of two foods ever thought of. Plantains and cheese is like tortillas and lime, or strawberries and cream. It’s a perfect, perfect union.

Ingredients:

6 ripe plantains, whole
1-2 tbs melted butter or oil
6 thick slices of mozzarella

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
2. Peel the plantains. I find the easiest way to peel them is by cutting off the ends of the plantains and then making a long slice down the entire plantain with a knife. Lift the peel off using the cut as a starting point.
3. Place the plantains on a baking sheet and rub them with butter or oil.
4. Bake the plantains for 30 minutes, then turn each one and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden on both sides.
5. Remove the plantains from the oven, make a horizontal slit in the middle of each plantain, and stuff them with cheese slices.
6. If the cheese doesn’t melt within a few minutes, stick the plantains back in the oven for a few minutes until cheese has melted.