Maple Banana Cookies

These pillowy, vegan banana cookies are infused with maple and spices and are wholesome with the addition of a wee bit of whole wheat flour. Unlike banana bread they are light and fluffy and rise beautifully. Fabulous plain, but I like to add in a small amount of chocolate chips or nuts!

I. Cannot. Stop. Eating. These. Cookies. #pleasehelp

Do you have a labor day dish to bring to that party? Maybe you thought of bringing the norm, but do we really need another grill-able item, salad, or bag of chips? Nah. Switch it up with some cookies! If you got ripe bananas, you’re all set.

I had a little extra helping-labor myself while photographing this recipe. Oliver loves to carry around his camera taking photos. It was a little difficult to get some of him because he kept rushing over to where I was to copy me. Baking with little ones is the absolute best.

Maple Banana Cookies

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

These pillowy, vegan banana cookies are infused with maple and spices and are wholesome with the addition of a wee bit of whole wheat flour. Unlike banana bread they are light and fluffy and rise beautifully. Fabulous plain, but I like to add in a small amount of chocolate chips or nuts!

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed well-ripened bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tsp psyllium husk powder (or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed)
• ¼ cup water (or 3 tbsp water if using flaxseed)
• ½ cup vegan butter, softened
• ½ cup vegan granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• scant ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• heaping ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips or nuts of your choice (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. To a small bowl add the mashed banana and stir in the baking soda; set aside.
3. In a small bowl whisk the psyllium powder and water together and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl cream the butter, sugars, and extracts. Whisk in the psyllium mixture until light and fluffy. Stir in the banana mixture and set aside.
5. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, spices, and salt. Slowly stir in the wet mixture until just combined, stir in any chocolate chips or nuts if using.
6. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheet 2” apart (they don’t spread much). Bake for about 12 minutes until the bottom edges just begin to turn golden brown. They will seem underdone but don’t fret! Remove from the sheet immediately and transfer to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in an airtight container once cooled.

Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 00:12
Total time: 00:20
Yield: About 30 cookies

I found this article from The New York Times that came out a couple days ago. It’s definitely worth a read. Veganism for the win!

“The vegans are right. The vegans were always right. The least you can do is shower them with respect and our gratitude, because they deserve it.”

— Farhad Manjoo; columnist at the The New York Times

Garden Pesto Pasta

If your garden is overflowing with basil, green beans, and potatoes this is the perfect recipe. Do you have chickweed growing (unintentionally) in your garden? Don’t throw it in the compost! It makes the most delicious, earthy pesto. This pasta whips up in the time it takes to boil the potatoes, so it’s a terrific weeknight meal. Inspired by Food52.

I am all about one pot meals, you guys. Anything to make dinner easier while working a full-time job and parenting at two and half year old. We could all use more recipes that are easy, quick, and tasty. Technically I did use a food processor to make the pesto but the potatoes, green beans, and pasta all boil in the same pot!

The best part of this meal though? Much of it was grown from the garden! Free food!! The basil and chickweed came from my garden, and the green beans from my stepmom’s. I tried to use my own potatoes I grew but I dug a few up and they weren’t quite ready yet. I’m growing Magic Molly potatoes which are purple inside and out! They have a rich and nutty flavor that I just can’t get enough of. My grandpa used to grown them and when I found them at our local nursery I had to get some. Fun fact: As a child I used to sneak away and dig up my grandpa’s “treasures” well before they were ready because I just couldn’t contain my excitement. It appears as if I have not outgrown this. There is just something so exciting about digging up potatoes! Is it just me?

Garden Pesto Pasta

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

If your garden is overflowing with basil, green beans, and potatoes this is the perfect recipe. Do you have chickweed growing (unintentionally) in your garden? Don’t throw it in the compost! It makes the most delicious, earthy pesto. This pasta whips up in the time it takes to boil the potatoes, so it’s a terrific weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 1 large red or Yukon Gold potato, peeled and quartered and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
• ¼ lb fresh green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 8 oz dry thin spaghetti (if using regular spaghetti increase cooking time)
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup packed fresh chickweed, removing any thick stems and cleaning thoroughly (or basil, spinach, arugula, or other greens)
• 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• Heaping ¼ cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• ¾ tsp table salt
• ⅓ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Garnish of vegan parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the sliced potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then salt; continue to boil for 5 minutes then add the pasta and green beans. Boil for an additional 5-8 minutes until all the vegetables and pasta are cooked. Drain and return to pot.
2. While the pasta cooks: to a food processor add the basil, greens, garlic, pine nuts, miso, salt, and cheese. Pulse until coarse and grainy. With the processor running drizzle in the olive oil and process until mixed thoroughly.
3. Stir the pesto into the cooked pasta and veggies. Serve hot and topped with vegan parmesan!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings

Vegan Waldorf Blue Cheese Crepes

Three of my very favorite things all wrapped up to make a delicious meal: waldorf salad, blue cheese dressing, and crepes! This is such an easy and quick dish that’s great for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Serve at a gathering and it’ll definitely be the star of the party.

I love crepes. I think they may be my favorite food. They’re quick. They’re customizable, great for breakfast or lunch (or dare I say even dinner?). They can be sweet OR savory. What else do you want, man?!

Isn’t it especially fantastic when a recipe blooms from the need to use up ingredients in the fridge? This all started with a bottle of blue cheese dressing I found that was almost empty and about to expire next month. Some leftover plain butter lettuce that was given to me after a dinner party. A honeycrisp apple that I needed to use before our vacation and voila! Waldorf Blue Cheese Crepes. The best recipes are often improvised recipes. I firmly believe this.

Vegan Waldorf Blue Cheese Crepes

By Kathleen Henry - Produce On Parade

Three of my very favorite things all wrapped up to make a delicious meal: waldorf salad, blue cheese dressing, and crepes! This is such an easy and quick dish that’s great for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Serve at a gathering and it’ll definitely be the star of the party.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegan granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp Kala Namak salt or table salt
• ¾ cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp liquid from a can of chickpeas (about ½ can)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 heads of butter lettuce, chopped
• 1 medium honeycrisp apple (or similar), chopped small
• 1 medium celery stalk, chopped small
• ½ cup dried cherries, chopped (or dried blueberries, cranberries, or raisins)
• ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans (I like pecans), chopped
• ¼-½ cup vegan blue cheese dressing, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through the salt. Whisk the soy milk, chickpea liquid, and oil into the dry mixture until smooth and no lumps remain. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. While the batter rests, make the salad filling by adding the lettuce through the nuts to a large bowl; toss to combine.
3. Once the batter is done resting, heat a 12 inch large cast iron skillet coated with a nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Test if it’s hot enough by flicking a droplet of water into the pan; if it sizzles then it’s ready. Using a ½ cup measuring cup, ladle the batter onto the hot pan. Tilt the pan in a circle, allowing the batter to fill the entire base of the pan. Heat for about 3 minutes, until just slightly golden and the top is firm to the touch. Flip using a skinny, heat-proof spatula by sliding it around the edges to loosen the crepe, then down the middle of the crepe to flip. Heat for 1 minute then transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining batter.
4. To assemble the crepes, fill the middle of one crepe (top to bottom) with a handful of the salad then top with a drizzle of dressing, to taste. Roll the crepe like you would a burrito, then drizzle more dressing on top if desired. Serve immediately.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 12 in crepes