Banana Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Here's an easy vegan quick bread, perfect for autumn. This bread combines two favorites - banana bread and pumpkin bread. The addition of oats and walnuts give the bread a nice texture.

Banana Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Makes one loaf

1/2 c. oats
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground gloves
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. soy milk (or other nondairy milk)
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8 in. by 5 in. bread pan.

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.

Mash bananas in a separate bowl. Whisk in maple syrup, soy milk and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Fold in walnuts. Transfer batter to your bread pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Vegan Zucchini Walnut Bread

Zucchini is one of my favorite summer veggies. From snacking, to stir-fries, pizzas, and dessert, it's quite a versatile vegetable. I brought home a gorgeous Costata Romanesco from the farm and couldn't wait to try this quick zucchini bread recipe.

From Johnny's Selected Seeds

Costata Romanesco zucchinis are Italian and known for their ribbed, striped skin which is speckled with light green (check them out at Johnny's Selected Seeds). Whichever variety of zucchini you choose to use, be sure to have enough for two whole cups of shredded zucchini.

Cooling Off with Smoothies

It's hot. Really hot.

Although I squeezed in some June baking, I spent most of the month trying to cool off from hot days on the farm. Instead of heating up the kitchen with a hot oven, I have been snacking on cold, crispy cucumbers and carrots, and drinking smoothies. Smoothies are like granola. You can hardly ever mess up and can make something delicious from whatever you have in your cabinets (or in this case, the refrigerator). Below are two of my favorite go-to drinks.

My summer office and classroom.

Kale and Mixed Berry Smoothie

1/4-1/2 c. fruit juice (orange, cranberry, lemon, etc.)

1 c. berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries)
1 medium banana

small handful of kale or spinach

1 c. Greek yogurt OR a handful of ice

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Kale and Mixed Berry Smoothie

Vegan Chunky Monkey "Ice Cream" Sandwiches

These little gems happened by accident this afternoon. I've wanted to make my own version of (never home)maker's vegan chunky monkey cookies for some time now. My three favorite foods in this world are peanut butter, bananas, and cheese. Luckily two of them pair up nicely.

Chunky Monkey = banana, peanut butter, and chocolate. After I pulled the first batch of cookies out of the oven, I realized how perfect they would be for ice cream sandwiches. I've been craving ice cream for the past two weeks. It's an annual craving that occurs around this time of year. I blame the summertime blues: summer's almost here, but it's still a little too chilly to eat ice cream every night (yes, I do that).

Of course, I have no ice cream in the freezer (hence the cravings). But I do have bananas. I always have bananas. Solution: mash frozen bananas and make "ice cream." Brilliant. Even better, the end product is still 100% vegan.

Cookie Dough Bites

The best way to say "I love you" to a sweet tooth is with cookie dough. Trust me.

Greek yogurt is the secret to making this cookie dough recipe egg-free and granting you the permission to lick the bowl, spoon, your fingers, and eat as much as you like. Simply blend the ingredients together as you would a normal cookie recipe: blend butter and sugars, add vanilla and yogurt, mix in the dry ingredients, and lastly, the chocolate chips.

For quick cookie dough bites, drop the dough onto a cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. Pop those bad boys into the freeze and you're done! For a more festive treat, spread the dough into a jelly roll pan and cut into shapes with cookie cutters after freezing.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Welcome to peanut butter eaters anonymous. 

Confession: I eat peanut butter straight from the jar, with a spoon.

Peanut butter can be expensive, especially if you prefer all-natural and go through a jar as fast as I do. Wholesale peanuts, on the other hand, are less expensive and can be quickly whipped into a smooth butter with the help of your food processor.

It's as easy as,

one

two

three

If you like your peanut butter crunchy, stop blending a bit early, or toss some chopped peanuts into your butter at the end. You can also try this recipe with almonds or cashews for something different!

Homemade Peanut Butter

Fills 2, 8 oz. jars

16 oz. unsalted peanuts

1 T. coconut oil

1 t. salt

Blend peanuts in a food processor until spreadable, using a spatula to periodically break up clumps of peanuts. Add coconut oil and salt, and blend until smooth.

Transfer peanut butter to clean, airtight glass jars and store in the refrigerator.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I'm not sure you can say you're from Pennsylvania if you've never had a whoopie pie from a local farm stand. There they sit, next to the tomatoes and summer squash, surrounded by zucchini bread and peach pie. You tell yourself, "I don't need that," and yet you know it was baked and individually wrapped just for you.

Germantown Farmers Market

Often a pie (accidentally) makes its way into my market bag. Chocolate cake with marshmallow filling is the standard whoopie pie, but I prefer pumpkin (There aren't many pumpkin-flavored desserts that I don't like). Personal-sized desserts are my favorite: No sharing required and no evidence remains of your indulgence. But the truth is, I don't really love the super sweet, traditional marshmallow fluff-shortening filling. After all, what about that combination sounds appetizing?

These chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies, on the other hand, are delicious. The cakes bake up moist and fluffy, and are filled with a yummy, not-too-sweet, not-too-rich buttercream. You will quickly forget that these are vegan!

Homemade Granola

About once every week or two my kitchen turns into a granola factory. I started making my own granola in December 2010, soon after I got hooked on Chobani's plain yogurt. All-natural, no fat, no cholesterol, and 18g of protein per serving. The only catch? If you've ever tried plain yogurt, I bet you've made the sour face. It's tangy, for sure. So, I top off a bowl with a handful of fresh fruit and homemade granola. 

I've seen a number of homemade granola recipes and although they each have their own twist, the basic ingredients are the same. The recipe you will find below will give you a basic, slightly sweet 'nola that you can adjust to your taste buds. 

The beauty of this recipe is that it's safe to play with. You're essentially toasting the oats so you don't have to worry about a food chemistry nightmare. 

Vegan Mango Banana Bread

... or why I can never become a locavore.

I eat a banana with breakfast just about every day and snack on dried mango slices like they’re chocolate caramels. Naturally, I was thrilled when Joy the Baker posted this recipe for a vegan quick bread that combines two of my favorite flavors.

Do you know Joy the Baker? If you like to bake you must visit her blog. I have yet to try a recipe that wasn’t delicious, even if my product wasn’t as picture-perfect as Joy’s.

This one has become one of my favorite quick breads. The first loaf didn’t last but a day. The next two loaves sustained my friend Erin and I over three hot, stormy days of camping at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and I’ve even tried this bread as a muffin. It’s moist, sweet, and just as good cold as it is warm. The bread will last up to five days, but that’s a total joke. I’d like to see you keep your hands off of it for that long!

Be sure to use ripe bananas!

New Year's Vegan Raw Gluten-Free Frozen Cashew Pomegranate Cake

When New Year’s comes around I get excited about the changes, friendships, love, and memories that are sure to come the following year. Today was the most wonderful start to 2012. Unseasonably warm weather, sunshine, fresh air, lovely people, a dog named Javier, tea, and a (healthy) post-hike dessert.

Photo Credit: Kat Muscianesi, Fresh Eyes – Daily Unlimited Snapshots on Flickr

One of my best pals is vegan and I’m always happy to try a new treat for her. I found the recipe for the cashew pom cake on www.bonappétit.com in an article about a vegan Christmas meal. It was the perfect cake for a fresh start to 2012.

This frozen, vegan “cheesecake” is lightly sweet and a bit tart. Soaked cashews whip up to a creamy filling, which is quite satisfying when paired with the nutty crust. What did I change from the original recipe? I left out of the hemp seeds for sake of needing to run to one less market, and replaced them with 2 tablespoons extra of sunflower seeds. I used both almonds and walnuts in the crust to avoid hurt feelings. I also skipped the cardamom and swapped vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Still delicious! The recipe calls for 2 pomegranates and I reserved some seeds for garnish. If you enjoy snacking on poms, it’s worth getting 3 total and using 2 full poms for the topping.

If you have a food processor (or blender) and a freezer, this recipe is simple to make. That’s the beauty of a raw recipe! And you can skip feeling guilty about eating it. Sure the nuts are high in fat, but it’s good fat, and 1/3 cup of sweetener is nothing compared to most dessert recipes.

Apple Butter and Appled Brandy for a Homemade Holiday

As soon as you become a pretty serious vegetable gardener, or spend that extra dollar or two to get the freshest produce at the local farmer’s market (or better yet, to pick your own!), you will realize the benefit of preserving the harvest.

I was intimidated by canning for a while. If you have ever read the introduction to a canning book, you know what I’m talking about. Better not screw up or you’ll give all of your loved-ones botulism, right? Wrong, if you’re smart and don’t break the rules. Start easy with acidic foods like fruit butters, jams, and jellies. It’s the low-acid foods like vegetables that are trickier.

What’s the best fruit to can in the fall? APPLES!

My friend Dawn and I ventured to Solebury Orchards in New Hope, PA for our apple needs this year. We hit the orchards in mid-October when the Stayman Winesaps were perfect for picking and both left with 20 lbs. of apples, cider, and the obligatory cider doughnut.