Banana Muffins

Simple and delectable. Heart warming. Bakery-sized. Grab and go. 

These are all words that fail to describe how amazing these muffins are. Beyond amazing. I cannot articulate how good they are, because that is something you have to find out for yourself. 

The best part is that they are egg free, low in sugar, completely whole wheat, and full of walnuts and raisins. They of course have that perfect ripe-banana sweetness that is like a warm blanket enveloping you, it is so nostalgic. 

Just make these. You will understand.

Flat bread w/Scallion Pesto

Scallion Pesto is such a classy spread. The scallions give it a bit of sweetness, a bit of heat, a bit of late spring-into-fall flavor. And adding these roasted scallions means you don't have to blend your entire basil plant to get a scrape of pesto. An added bonus? When you are sauteing the scallions, you fill the kitchen with that wonderful, sweet-spicy smell that rivals the smell of baking cinnamon rolls. Seriously.

Vegan Chunky Monkey Pancakes

Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey is the best ice cream out there. But it is neither vegan nor suitable for breakfast (well, not always). But these pancakes fulfill both those criteria. And they are more like giant chocolate chip cookies (with melty cooked banana slices in the middle) than acceptable breakfast treats. But don't worry, these pancakes are acceptable breakfast indulgences. 

Ok, we might have put too many chocolate chips, but at least we used semisweet (which is infinitely better than milk chocolate or, shudder, while "chocolate"). And whole wheat flour + almond flour both make this treat really filling and satisfying. Full of protein too, proving that vegan food can be protein-filled, without containing tofu (which I love, but I digress). 

Rustic/Modern Carrot Cake

Birthday cakes are too fun to forego. Whether covered with sprinkles and buttercream or drizzled with ganache or piled high with whipped cream, a cake is just better when you stick candles into it and sing off key. 

So we made this cake for our mom's birthday. Yeah, it is not as high the bakery's, and it wasn't swimming in frosting, but that's what makes it rustic. Right? And the modern comes from the crushed pineapple, the lack of eggs, and the spices to make up for the low sugar.

Whatever imperfections there are, we believe, can be compensated by a little decoration. So you have the homemade marzipan carrots on top. With those, it looks practically professional. And they cover the uneven frosting quite nicely.

The Vegan Elvis Shake

If you just heard the words "Elvis Shake," you would probably think of some sort of dance move, right? At least we would. We decided to take Elvis's favorite sandwich- peanut-butter-banana, and shake it up. Sassier yet, this one's vegan! Oh, and so easy to make. 

You just need three ingredients: a ripe banana, (tip: this is a great way to use overripe ones), peanut butter, and almond milk (or any milk of your choice.) Blend. Pour. Smack lips.

Look at all those bubbles!

Pizza Part 2: Top It Off

Pizza toppings can be customized to please even the pickiest, most skeptical pizza-inhaler. Some people consider pizza most beautiful with nothing but gooey cheese. Some people love sweet-sour pineapple; others thin it goes against everything pizza stands for. Some strange ones see pizza, with all its carb-y, cheesy goodness, as a vehicle for meat, though in this vegetarian household, we definitely prefer fruits and veggies.

So consider the red onion/mozarella/pineapple combination we chose a suggestion, not a doctrine. You can add feta instead of mozzarella, olives for onions, any veggie for pineapple. But this combination is what we chose, and it was pretty divine. Homemade pizza is a treat, and this it the pizza that all homemade pizzas strive to be. Assuming that all pizzas strive to have a garlicky crust, roasted red pepper tomato sauce, fresh pineapple, crisp red onions, and silky fresh mozzarella. If I were pizza...but I digress.

Pizza Part 1: Show Me the Dough (and Sauce)

Step away from the frozen pizza section. Once you've tasted this healthful, homemade version, you'll realize that overly salty frozen pizza (that's not made from scratch) is just not...up to scratch (pun intended). This is a cinch to make, and it is perfect for any weekend family feast...hey, who said that means a lot of people?

As for the sauce, it has all the flavor, without any of that characteristic metallic, overly salty flavor from bottled and canned pizza sauces. And it is easy to make, which is always a plus.

So go to the kitchen. What are you waiting for?