Banana Snack Cake

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Moist and sweet, this banana cake is a tasty snack. Serve plain or with frosting. I chose to use peanut butter frosting, but I think many kinds would taste good.

Kari's Banana Snack Cake

1 cup oat flour (1 cup oats pulsed in blender)
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2 Tbsp flaxmeal
6 Tbsp water
1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray nonstick 9x9 pan with cooking spray.

In small bowl, combine flaxmeal with water and set aside. Add vinegar to milk and set aside.

In mixing bowl, combine oat flour, unbleached flour, ww pastry flour, brown sugar, coconut flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

In another bowl, combine mashed banana, flaxmeal mixture, milk/vinegar, and vanilla. You want this smooth.

Add banana mixture to flour mixture. Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Frost if desired.

Serves 20
Per serving 104 calories, 1g fat, 3g fiber

Co-Co-Mo Bars

Kari's Co-Co-Mo Bars (24 bars)

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup oats
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
3 Tbsp water
1 cup chocolate soymilk
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz unsweetened applesauce (1 individual-size container)
1/2 cup brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

In small bowl combine flax meal with water; set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine whole wheat flour, rice flour, coconut flour, wheat germ, oats, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl combine flax mixture, applesauce, chocolate soymilk, vanilla, and coffee.

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir well to combine until moistened. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on wire rack and cut into bars.

These bars have a brownie-like texture and a mild chocolate flavor. For a stronger chocolate flavor, you can add more cocoa. You could also add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts, or you can sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over cake while hot from oven; then when they melt, spread over cake. Cool and cut.

Makes 24 bars
Per bar: 80 calories, 1 gram fat

Southwest Bean and Hominy Salad

Kari's Southwest Bean and Hominy Salad

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained
15 Spanish olives w/pimiento, sliced or chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco jalapeno pepper sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp ground cumin

In large mixing bowl combine pinto beans, kidney beans, hominy, olives, tomato, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.

In small bowl, combine salsa, vinegar, pepper sauce, garlic, and cumin. If the salsa is very chunky, mash together with a fork to get smooth. Pour over bean mixture and toss to combine. Cover and chill to let flavors meld.

Serve cold or at room temperature, either plain as a side dish or on top of greens and tortilla chips for a taco salad. You could also add avocado, but do so just before serving to prevent browning. Chopped jalapeno or diced chiles could also be added to the salad for more kick.

Makes approximately 8 cups.

Vegan Rice-Oats Sausage Patties

These vegan patties are quite sausage-like in texture and taste. The recipe can be found here at My Vegan Cookbook. The only changes I made to the recipe were to add 1/4 tsp of liquid smoke and substitute 1 Tbsp water for the oil in the mixture. I cooked these in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray.

Banana and Spice Puda/Dosa/Pancake

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I wasn't sure what to call this. Probably more puda-like than dosa-like. I ate these with apple chutney.

Kari's Banana and Spice Puda/Dosa (Pancake) Makes 4

The banana in this dosa/puda/pancake adds a slight sweetness. The texture is much like a thick corn tortilla. You could add sweet or savory toppings/fillings.

1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup besan (garbanzo bean flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Kapha-balancing churan*, or other spice blend, optional
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxmeal mixed with 3 Tbsp water)
1 small ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp plain soy yogurt
3/4 cup water

Mix flax egg and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine wheat germ, rice flour, semolina, besan, baking soda, and spices. Combine mashed banana and soy yogurt with flax egg. Add banana mixture and water to flour mixture. Mix well.

Heat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Spoon batter onto hot griddle, swirling out with spoon to about 6 or 8 inches. You want the puda/dosa/pancake thin, but you don't want holes. Let cook until top dries. Flip and cook until bottom browns, pressing with spatula. Flip again and cook another minute or so. Remove to plate and do next puda/dosa/pancake. You should get 4. More if you make them small. Serve with chutney or roll around favorite fillings.

*Kapha-Balancing Churan:
2 tsp each: ground ginger, black pepper, and turmeric
1 tsp each: ground coriander, ground cumin, sweek paprika, salt, turbinado sugar, and dried mango powder
Other dosha spice mixes can be found here at Fran's House of Ayruveda

Harvest Muffins

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Kari's Harvest Muffins (18 muffins)

Egg Substitute for 2 eggs:
2 Tbsp flax meal
6 Tbsp water

Dry ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1/4 cup barbados molasses
1 tsp vanilla

Add-ins:
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

In small bowl, combine flax meal and 6 Tbsp water; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: flours, wheat germ, oats, turbinado sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and cloves.

In small bowl, combine wet ingredients: flax mixture, pumpkin, water, yogurt, molasses, and vanilla.

Stir wet mixture into dry mixture, then stir in chopped apple, raisins, and walnuts.

Divide batter between 18 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.

Soup of the Day: Minestrone

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Kari's Minestrone

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 small or 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1/4 small cabbage, cut in thin shreds (about 2 cups)
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz)can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried oregano
black pepper
7 cups veg broth (or water and bouillon cubes)
2 small zucchini, diced
1 can white beans, or other bean, rinsed and drained
1 cup mini Farfalle, or other small pasta
1/2 cup peas

In large soup pot, saute onion, celery, carrot, cabbage, bell pepper, and garlic in water. When vegetables soften, add tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and several grinds of black pepper. Add vegetable broth (or water and bouillon) and simmer for 20 minutes. Add zucchini, beans, and pasta. Simmer 7-10 minutes. Test pasta. When tender, stir in peas. Heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add more broth or water if soup seems too thick and you want more broth. Serve with crusty bread.

You can add other vegetables, depending on what you have available. Toss in some green beans or corn or spinach or parsley or whatever you like.