Vegan Banana Oat and Walnut Cookies

Yields 12 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 TBSP agave or honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Combine banana, oats, agave, cinnamon and half of the nuts
2. Spoon onto parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each cookie
3. Press remaining walnuts onto the top of each cookie
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Soft Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields About 3 dozen mini cookies

2. Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 TBSP butter, softened
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Combine flour, salt baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
2. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla.  Continue to beat until well incorporated.
3. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.  Once well mixed, add chocolate chips.
4. Drop about 1/2 tsp of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Refrigerate for a bout 10 minutes
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, just until pale brown

Modified from http://diethood.com/soft-mini-chocolate-chip-cookies/#BCRrA3QkAW8ZD3or.99

Fudgy Nutella Brownies

These should look under-done to have that fudge, gooey texture.

Recipe from: http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/03/nutella-brownies/

Makes 1 8X8 pan, double recipe for 9X13 pan

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick of butter

10 TBSP sugar

1/4 cup Nutella

2 large eggs

10 TBSP cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

2 teaspoons vanilla

10 TBSP flour

DIRECTIONS:

Butter a 9×13 glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Nutella until well combined.

Pour butter mixture into a large bowl, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract.

Mix until well combined. Stir in the flour until just combined. Spread into prepared pan (batter will be very thick and sticky) and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked. Cool on a wire rack.

Mahi Mahi in Parchment

Minimal prep and cleanup to create this moist fish with  a healthy side of veggies.  Easier than steaming!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Mahi Mahi fillets
• 1 large leaf of green chard, chiffonade
• 4 baby carrots, cut into 6 matchstick pieces each
• 1/3 zucchini, diced
• 4 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
• 4 baby tomatoes, cut in halves
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 inch knob peeled ginger, thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 1 green onion, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp agave

DIRECTIONS

1. Divide the green chard into 2 equal portions and place on 2 sheets of parchment paper
2. Place once mahi mahi fillet over each bed of chard. Pepper to taste.
3. Top fillets with carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini ginger and garlic
4. Combine soy sauce, sesame oil and agave in a small town and spoon over the fillet and veggies
5. Top with green onion
6. Place a second sheet of parchment on top of each fillet.  Proceed to fold the sheets together to form a packet, with no gaps or holes
7. Place packets onto a baking sheet
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
9. Once done, open the packets on a plate and spoon the sauce over the fish and veggies

Mom’s Weeknight Chicken Stir Fry

I don’t remember if this is how my mom would cook her chicken stir fry when I was little, but this is how she does it now. Really simple.  With only using chicken and no veggies, the flavor is concentrated, and there is no sauce.

• Chicken thighs, cut into big chunks
• Ginger, thinly sliced
• Garlic, minced
• Sweet Soy Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces (optional)

Heat a good amount of oil on medium heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook till fragrant but not browned

Add chicken and stir-fry till white on the outsides.

Add sweet soy sauce and regular soy sauce (about 1:1 to taste) and continue to stir-fry until fully cooked

Stir in green onions, then serve.