The recommendation has been to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. That’s where the whole foods are, from fruit and vegetables to grains, dairy, and proteins. But then we started to see the cost of produce rise. And in some cases, the quality of these products worsened as well. How many times have you purchased a box of salad greens, to find that a significant amount of the container is already wilted and decomposing?
Despite these bothersome developments, there are ways to be thrifty about ingredients and prepare exciting, nutritious dishes.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to try it before, one ingredient to look out for is the plantain. It’s a relative of the banana, and quite similar in appearance, albeit slightly bigger and usually presented individually. As discussed by The Spruce Eats, “Think of cooking plantains as you would potatoes. Peeled plantains may be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or steamed.” Get one plantain for every two people who will be eating, either as a stand-alone snack or a side dish.
Plantains are popular in warm regions of the world, including West Africa, East Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. There are many delicious ways of using plantains, such as tostones, Ugandan matoke, and kelewele made in Ghana.
Become a subscriber to continue reading!
Every week we bring you news from the community and exclusive columns. We're relying on your support to keep going and invite you to subscribe.
Starting from $2.30 per week.
