If you’ve been reading Une Vie Saine for awhile, you’re probably already well aware of my obsession with Super Charge Me cookies.

They’re seriously the best, healthiest, tastiest, bangingest (yes, that’s a word) cookies ever. I love good-for-you foods, but I rarely assert that vegan or “healthified” baked goods live up to their butter-and-sugar counterparts. These cookies are the exception. 9 times out of 10, I’d take them over a Toll House chocolate chip one. I make them a few times a month for various occasions, and they always get rave reviews and recipe requests.

I wish I could claim credit for them, but alas, they’re the genius creation of Dreena Burton. And since it’s been awhile since I shared the love, I thought it was time to renew my vows.

Super Charge Me Cookies

From Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink and Be Vegan

Makes about 12 cookies- I usually double it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats (NOT instant- use the whole oats!)
• 2/3 cup spelt flour (you can sub other flours, but lower gluten ones work best- like whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (if you don’t like coconut, add an extra tablespoon of oats)
• 1 cup mix-ins (have fun here! I always use chocolate chips, and I also love pecans, walnuts, chopped peanuts, dried fruit, M&Ms, etc.)
• 1/3 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (this can also be subbed for melted honey or agave, but it changes the flavor, so play around and figure out what you like)
• 3 tablespoons nut butter (natural almond butter gives them the best consistency)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (melted coconut oil works too, but again, it changes the taste and texture a bit)

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sea salt, cinnamon, coconut and mix-ins with a fork.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, mix the flax, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla and oil until all the chunks of nut butter are gone.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and stir well until everything is well combined and no dry patches remain.
5. Use a tablespoon (for small cookies) or a 1/4 measuring cup (for large cookies) to drop the cookies onto the baking sheet. They can be rather close, since the cookies don’t spread much.
6. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

You know the song “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson?

Because of that song, I associate banana baked goods with lazy weekend mornings, surfer guys and ukeleles. Which sounds very appealing in the dead of winter.

So, I went through my NGI recipes and found one for banana muffins. A little tweaking and de-healthifying, and out came this cake- it’s super simple and the perfect thing to cut into on a Sunday morning.

Banana Cake

Yields one 9″ cake

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• banana slices, for decorating

Recently, I made a trial batch of this lasagna for a dinner party I’m hosting in a few weeks.

It’s been years since I ate meat lasagna, so even though I thought it was great, I wasn’t sure how it would stack up for Italian food aficionados. So I had my dad, mom, grandparents and - the true test- my brother try it. The verdict? Turns out this really is the world’s best lasagna. My brother said he wanted to swim in it…I thought I was the only person who felt that way. (For me it’s about frosting though.)

What’s your favorite Italian dish?