Yield: 4 servings

Plantains may be my new favorite side dish. With their pleasant sweetness, about on the same scale as a potato, and unmatched texture, they play very nicely with others. Think of my recipe as a starting point for your own creations (and please share any you come up with). These plantains are delicious as is, but lend themselves to endless adaptations through the addition of other ingredients from herbs and spices to scallions and other veggies to chopped nuts.

3 large ripe (not green) plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk or coconut milk
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
generous 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
generous 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Garnish: a drizzle of olive oil and fresh cilantro, sprigs or minced

Place plantain pieces in a steamer basket in a large saucepan over simmering water. Cover with lid and steam for 10 minutes or until a knife can be easily inserted into the center of one of the pieces. Turn off heat and carefully remove basket. Place plantain pieces into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining ingredients, except garnishes and pulse until fluffy and completely combined, adding more soy or coconut milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Spoon into a serving bowl or individual serving plates and garnish if desired. Serve warm.

Note: I tried both pressing the plantains through a ricer and mashing them with a potato masher, but neither worked well, as they were too firm. I suppose I could have steamed them longer, but I liked their consistency, so the food processor is the ticket.