This isn't really a recipe as much as it is the base for more wonderful things. Of course, you could stop here and have it as it is, but what I love about this is that it's so simple and yet can usher in other decadent ideas for a lovely dessert.

Take a ripe plantain banana (it should be mostly black and yield gently to pressure, but not be mushy). Peel and slice diagonally. Pan-fry in butter, canola oil, or olive oil, whatever your preference. Here are some ideas to finish it off:

• A sprinkling of sugar, plain white if you like, or use demerara or muscovado, or a combination of sugar and cinnamon, or even a sugar-cinnamon-cocoa powder.


• Spoon into a dessert glass and drizzle with chocolate syrup.


• Use the previous suggestion to top vanilla ice cream. Yum!


• Fry in butter, then remove to a plate. Into the butter that's left in the skillet, swirl in rum and flame. Finish off with a squeeze of lime juice, some brown sugar, then return bananas to the pan and stir to glaze. Transfer to dessert bowl and top with whipped cream.


• Take store-bought pound cake, layer with fried bananas, and drizzle with raspberry sauce. Two really easy ways to make the sauce: microwave raspberry sorbet just until pourable and use that; or take frozen raspberries and run through a blender quickly with some sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.


• Use the fried bananas to top oatmeal, then sprinkle with chopped nuts and some Greek honey. Wanna take it a step further? Add Greek yogurt and enjoy.


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  Just some ideas to get you started. Don't stop there though!