Vegetarian Archives | Tasty Oasis

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar

September 21, 2016 By Karen

Hello friends. It’s been a while. The entire summer passed by and I took a little break from the website. As I am sure you can all relate, there are periods when life seems fuller and busier than others, and you just have to make a choice about how to spend your time. I’ve been trying to figure out why I stepped away from this, and I don’t have a very novel answer. I simply prioritized other things. Spending time with my kids, sleeping more, reading, getting out and being in nature instead of in front of a computer. Oh, and of course there’s that thing called work. We went to Colorado at the end of August though, and it was just what I needed to recharge. Lots of family time and hiking, and appreciating the grandeur of The Rockies. They were incredible, and helped put things into perspective.Another reason that I stepped away was that my shoulder decided to go crazy for a few months. Physical therapy three times a week all summer and the order to rest it as much as possible meant over a month of no cooking at all, because I couldn’t chop anything, lift my arm to reach the dishes, or move a heavy pot. So yeah, I was a little off my game. When you can’t go to your happy place (the kitchen for me) because it hurts, changes have to happen. That said, I still was mostly able to feed my family during that time from the chest freezer that was stocked in my basement and which now is pretty depleted. It just goes to show that planning ahead is always smart. Of course that means now it’s time to fill it up again!

And this Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar is a great addition to any freezer. Or a lunch a box, or the paper towel you grab as you rush out the door so that you can eat it in the car on your way to wherever, or on a fancy plate for company. It also packs nicely for a plane ride to India apparently, since it is what my in-laws always ask me to make them whenever they visit. (Did I tell you they moved? They moved. I’m a bit heartbroken that they’re down in Virginia now, but they’re loving it there.) So I baked a loaf for them to take on their last trip and it was reported that it travels well. It’s a sturdy little cake. Because you use coconut sugar instead of regular, and whole wheat flour, it is a bit denser than a typical banana bread, and has a lower profile. Really, it doesn’t rise as high. I feel this makes it heartier and more satisfying, so I find this a plus. Bananas are sweet enough, so the added coconut sugar is minimal, and you don’t get that cloying sweetness that some banana breads have. And it’s refined sugar free, which is always a good thing, and something I have written about before. (Baked Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms anyone? Or Sesame Date Granola?)

It’s a one bowl quick bread, you can prep it in under 10 minutes, and it’s a perfect way to use up any over-ripe bananas you have lingering in your fruit bowl or hanging out in your freezer. (Do you have a massive collection of bananas in your freezer? Because I do. Here’s a great smoothie recipe you can use for them.) It’s a healthier choice than most, and I feel good about making it and serving it to those I love. I hope you give it a try, and if you do, please let me know what you think!

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Baked Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms

May 11, 2016 By Karen

Remember last year when I wrote about trying to reduce the sugar in my life? I did a good job of it for a while, but then my love of all things chocolate and pastry related got the better of me. I went from cutting out sugar, to slowly introducing it back in, to full on “let’s sit at the kitchen table on a Saturday night with two giant batches of cookie dough and two spoons and just go to town.” Because while I know what’s good for me, I don’t always follow through with healthy choices. That’s human, right?

But I am trying to get back on track, making the effort to stay away from refined sugar for a little while. It’s been a few weeks of reading labels, and focusing more on getting satisfaction from the savory foods in my life. Yes, I’m still enjoying fruit, and haven’t shied away from putting a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon into the almond cashew butter I make, but I haven’t had a bar of chocolate or a cookie in 24 days. (That’s huge. You’ve got to know that is huge.) And I’ll be honest, while it’s gotten easier, the cravings STILL haven’t gone away entirely. There’s no doubt that my body had to go through some serious withdrawal, and I had a good five or six days of insane crankiness because of it, but I’m trying to reset my habits. 3pm doesn’t have to mean it’s time for a scone, it could very well be time for some carrots and hummus. (I know, crazy talk.)

The Baked Mushroom Skillet at Lekker 209 in Stone Ridge, NY

The House Made Soda Board at Lekker 209. Espresso Cinnamon? Lemon Basil? Yes Please!

To which end, last week I was inspired to recreate a meal I had on vacation in April. I already told you a little about our time in the Catskills, but here’s a bit more. On our first day, we had lunch at a restaurant called Lekker 209. In Stone Ridge, NY, it’s a small cafe that seemed to have more specials listed on the chalkboard than food on the menu. Homemade baked goods (like lavender honey scones and chocolate chili cookies that I’m currently dreaming about) and creative housemade sodas (like the vanilla cream my kid ordered,) complemented all the locally sourced ingredients that made our mouths water. The meal was so good that we returned for breakfast on our last day. I ordered the Baked Mushroom Skillet, and fell in love. (I even posted a picture of it here.) Luckily, as we were walking out of the restaurant, the open kitchen allowed me to stop and ask the chef how he had prepared it. Generously, he told me the basics of how to make it, and I quickly wrote it all down when I got back into the car….

Life Lessons and Julia Child’s Crepes

April 25, 2016 By Karen

I try to teach my kids that it’s okay to fail. That we all struggle, we all make mistakes, but the important thing is trying our best. It’s easy to say, right? The obvious lesson. Teaching by example is ideal, but let’s be honest, this is one instance where being the model feels pretty lousy. At least when it comes to the big things. The ones we really care about.

I’ll spare you all the details, but there was something recently that didn’t go my way. I put my whole self into it, and my kids got to watch me working towards a goal. It wasn’t something I “had to do,” just something that I wanted to do. But I took it seriously, and really did give it my all. When I found out that I failed, I was crushed. I was angry, and sad, and disappointed, and embarrassed. A whole mess of emotions that while appropriate for the situation, were still painfully uncomfortable.

But here’s the thing: as a parent, I couldn’t hide these feelings from my boys. I didn’t want to. Of course, I tried to display them in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm them, but I believe in being honest about how I feel. Not always putting on that pretty face and smiling through the nonsense. Yes, there’s a time and a place for that, but it isn’t in my own home. It doesn’t help anyone. So when I got the news, I took deep breaths and collected myself as best I could. But my older guy, all of 9 years, took one look at me and said, “Mom, what’s wrong?” When I told him, and the tears filled my eyes, he immediately came over to rub my back, and say, “That’s okay. You did your best. That’s what matters, right? You’re not going to give up, are you?” Those few words from him helped put everything in perspective. While I had failed one thing, I clearly had succeeded in something else. I have managed to impart a very important set of values to my kid, and to see it reflected back at me filled my heart with joy. Compassion, love, support, and a belief in perseverance, even when it’s hard. That’s definitely a win.

Jump ahead a few months, and I’ve come up with a much easier and pain free example of teaching my kids about failure, and what might go with it. I doubt it will surprise you that it took place in the kitchen, but as fate would have it, it wasn’t my own kitchen this time. Last week was spring break and instead of sunshine and beaches that the two words typically conjure up, we went the opposite route and rented a home in the Catskills, where it mostly rained and we cuddled up by the fire with books, board games, coloring, and even our cat. (Yes, we have somehow become people who travel with our cat…go figure.) I’d come prepared to bake, traveling with my own recipe collection, as well as canisters of flour, sugar, chocolate chips and a scale. (Doesn’t everyone go on vacation with their own cooking scale? I’m not the only one, am I??? Okay, so I might be. But I’m okay with that. Maybe that’s why you’re all here reading this, right? Because I’m that person?) Anyway, you can imagine how thrilled I was to arrive to the house to find a shelf filled with cookbooks and food memoirs right as you walk through the door. It’s like I found my only little piece of heaven….

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

March 7, 2016 By Karen

Caramelized Onions. Two beautiful words. If you combine that with Slow Cooker or Crockpot, you’ve got a phrase that’s even more brilliant: Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions. (Do you hear angels singing? You already know how I feel about the slow cooker, don’t you? Remember The Easiest Crockpot Ribs and Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork in the Crockpot?) Because a simple onion effortlessly gets transformed into rich and flavorful goodness that can be added to any variety of dishes. With less than ten minutes of prep work, you can get all of your onions sliced thinly, then you toss them with melted butter and olive oil. It all sits in the slow cooker on low for 10-14 hours, and it makes your home smell heavenly. It’s so easy, you’ll wonder why you’ve never done this before. Typically, caramelizing onions the traditional way requires standing at the stove for at least 45 minutes and stirring regularly, making it somewhat labor intensive. This recipe is the opposite of that. You can even set it up to cook overnight while you sleep, which all by itself is pretty cool.

It’s comfort in a pot. And there are some days more than others that we can all use comfort. I recently interpreted something about coping skills,…

Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Butter (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

January 6, 2016 By Karen

Do you dream? Not big, what do I want the world to look like dreaming, but actual sleep dreaming? I do. I have technicolor vivid dreams that play out like complicated shows. They’re either long and involved and jump from scene to scene, or they’re straightforward, but in syndication, repeating themselves year after year, theme after theme. Anxiety dreams that are so cliched they’re embarrassing: I’ve missed every rehearsal, don’t know my lines, am missing my costume, and the curtain is about to go up, or I’ve missed every lecture, and now I have to take the final having never read the books. I’ve got a whole lineup that plays nightly, and I wake in the morning aware of how obvious my issues all are. Sometimes it’s revealing, other times it’s exhausting, but mostly it’s just constant. I dream almost every single night, and I tend to remember details for long stretches of time. I can still recall scenes of dreams I had when I was a kid, and the feelings attached to them. The familiarity I felt towards a celebrity after he had a part in the pictures in my sleep, the freedom of flying through the sky, with clouds all around, doing the breast stroke through the air because of course that’s the most realistic human flying move, or the stomach dropping horror of swinging and falling from the chandelier in the foyer of my childhood home. I depend on my dreams, and I appreciate them. But there are nights that I just wish I could sleep soundly and wake peacefully, rested and refreshed because my brain had simply shut down for the night.

A couple weeks ago was no different. …

Cardamom Snickerdoodles

December 31, 2015 By Karen

December flew by, and while I have lots I want to share with you all about the last month, I’m going to save it for after the new year. (Here’re two highlights though: I went as a plus one to The White House staff holiday party (!!!), and we just got a kitten (!!!). Two crazy exciting things in my world that I promise to tell you more about.) But as the ball gets ready to drop, I just wanted to make sure to wish you all a happy and healthy 2016, and thank you for reading and cooking along with me this year. I love your comments and hearing about what you’ve made, and appreciate you taking the time to share it all with me.

And while I hope that the coming year is smooth and easy for you, I have do doubt there will be bumps along the way. There always are. Whether they’re silly and trivial, like the mess I made the other night before these cookies (my Oasis isn’t always so peaceful,) or they’re more serious ones, involving health, loss, or big life choices, remember that you can look for comfort in your kitchen in the form of healthy food to feed yourself or those you love, or a big bowl of cookie dough. Both are equally important. Both make things better.

And since so many people out there make all sorts of pledges to start diets after January 1st, I figure I better squeeze one solid cookie recipe in before midnight. I came up with these Cardamom Snickerdoodles on Christmas, and have made them a couple of times this week just to make sure I got the recipe right for you all. (I don’t know if you remember, but I kind of have a thing for all things snickerdoodle. Remember these: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Frosting? They were one of the most popular recipes on the blog in 2015!)They’re soft and chewy cookies, spiced with a good amount of cardamom and just a hint of cinnamon, but not too sweet….

Vegan Cornbread Stuffing with Chipotle, Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato

November 22, 2015 By Karen

I’ve promised several friends that I’d share this recipe in time for Thanksgiving prep, so I think I’ve made it in just under the wire! As I mentioned earlier this week in my Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce post, stuffing is one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving meal. I love it so much that we always have two different kinds at our table, ensuring plenty of leftovers. While some get repeated, there are always so many recipes I want to try that I like changing it up every year. A few examples we’ve loved were sourdough stuffing with mushrooms, apples and sage, herb and bacon cornbread stuffing, and even wild rice, fruit and pecan stuffing, which was a bit of a departure for us one year. Last month, while I was searching for a dish to bring to my cooking club for our Vegan theme night, I went directly to one of my favorite food blogs, The First Mess. My friend Felice turned me onto it a year ago, and even though my diet doesn’t skew vegan generally, I want to make everything Laura writes about. The photographs are stunning, and her flavor combinations always excite me. Assigned to a starch dish that night, I new instantly that I wanted to try what she called her sweet potato, chipotle + chard cornbread stuffing. I figured I could use this as an opportunity to audition it for our Thanksgiving dinner, and I am so glad I did! I mostly followed the recipe, but made some slight adjustments in order to double it to fit a 9 x 13 baking dish. (You know me, if I’m going to spend time cooking, I’m going to make sure there’s a large yield to serve for other meals or to freeze!) I also had to find a vegan cornbread recipe to use, because my standard one uses buttermilk (and bacon fat when I’m going all in!) Food52 pulled through for me on that end, and with a few changes there too I had a winner. With this vegan cornbread stuffing you have the sweetness from both the bread and the sweet potatoes, the smoky spicy layer from the chipotles, and a savory earthiness from the leafy green swiss chard. It balances perfectly, stays moist on the inside, but gets slightly crispy on top. I made a large casserole dish to share with friends, but decided to bake two individual ramekins as well for my family to try. The good news? Because I waited for daylight to grab some of the shots, I didn’t actually let my guys eat their stuffing for 5 days after making it! And you know what? It was just as delicious!

And it turns out it complemented the rest of our vegan cooking club meal as well. We had a fantastic lentil and nut loaf as the main course, which you shoud definitely make, …

Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce

November 17, 2015 By Karen

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I wrote about it twice last year, when I shared the story of my dad and the pear and cranberry crisp with gingersnaps, oats and almonds, and when I wrote about feeling grateful and Dorie Greenspan’s maple-cornmeal drop biscuits. I love it for the food (obviously,) but more than that I love the traditions we’ve created around it.

We’ve hosted the meal ever since we moved into our home ten years ago. Family comes from near and far, and the best part is that for the last decade it has been low key and drama free. My parents separated when I was 14, so like many kids I had years of juggling holidays and figuring out whose house got priority which year, and there was often stress and nonsense involved. But as an adult with my own home and growing family, I chose to rewrite the terms. …