As I’ve mentioned many times before, Mexican food is one of my absolute favorites. Although it gets a bad rap for heavy, fat laden dishes, there are actually quite a few fresh and flavorful dishes you can opt for that won’t cause you to easily down 1,200 calories.

One of my favorite side dishes besides guacamole is fried plantains. While many Mexican restaurants serve them deep fried and mushy, there’s a select few that sauté them just perfectly into flavorful bliss.

I first had plantains at Red Mesa Cantina, and along with their Mofongo..I was in heaven! Since then, they are a must, whenever dining on Mexican!

Plantains are a lot like bananas, but contain less sugar, and are more starchy, firm, and savory than their look a like. So when trying to think of a yummy side dish to accompany a Caribbean father’s day menu, I thought, why not create these flavorful babies at home!

Rather than deep frying them, I sautéed them in a bit of olive oil, and finished them off with some sea salt and lime juice. Simple, fresh, and flavorful!