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.

Baked Apple Oatmeal

An ideal Saturday morning sounds like this: getting up before the rest of the world, well-rested, and venturing out to my vegetable garden to greet the birds and worms under the warm sun. Post weed-pulling, it's back to the kitchen for a good breakfast and the sounds of WXPN's Sleepy Hollow. A close second is a rainy, late winter-early spring morning in the kitchen with Sleepy Hollow, something to read, and this baked apple oatmeal.

Oats, nuts, maple syrup, and spices. By now you've noticed that they're quite common in my recipes. There's the obvious reason, they're delicious, but the more practical explanation is that I always have them on hand. If you have been baking with me these past few weeks then you have these essentials in your kitchen cabinets as well, and whipping up this baked oatmeal will be a piece of cake.

Oatmeal Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

I turned my granola into a cookie with this recipe. If you like my granola, you will like this cookie. 

 

This is my favorite version of the traditional oatmeal raisin. Swapping cranberries for raisins adds more sweetness and a pop of color. A big handful of pistachios adds a hint of unexpected nuttiness and some health. But really, these cookies are good for three reasons: granulated sugar, brown sugar, and most importantly, maple syrup. It smells like breakfast when you take these puppies out of the oven.

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.