Carrie Fehr

Since quarantine began, I get all of my food delivered to my home. Going to the local produce market, or bakery for a fresh baguette feels like a luxury now. My car has not moved for 8 weeks. And to be honest, I’m OK with it. But these tough times have me examining everything, especially all potential sources of food in my pantry. Careful meal planning is essential right now and a new relationship with my kitchen is beginning to emerge.

Before quarantine life, my freezer was a cold and lonely place, except for the occasional pint of ice-cream, it was mostly a vessel reserved for ice. Now, it’s a winter wonderland of possibilities with frozen assets to nourish me in-between deliveries. Pas mal as they say in French.

Cooking in quarantine has been an interesting journey. For instance, rather than send vegetable scraps straight to the compost bin, I collect and save them like a prize in a freezer bag for broth that will eventually land into a pan as a flavor booster for risotto, stir-fry, or sauce. My reward brings me comfort and satisfaction.

New discoveries in the kitchen, sparked by lockdown, have truly become a blessing. This Banana Oatmeal cookie recipe counts as one of them. It highlights how baking doesn’t have to be complicated. No flour, no eggs, no dairy. No problem! Plus, the starring humble ingredients are most likely found in your quarantine pantry. Voilà!

Easy. To. Prepare. These cookies are on the cooling rack and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. This recipe is easy enough for young kids to make by themselves. Simple set of instructions: Mash bananas. Add oats, and mix together. You’ve got this!

Banana Oatmeal cookies are moist and delicious with just two ingredients, but feel free to add any mix-ins you like to jazz up the flavor combinations. I like chocolate chips, dried fruit, or toasted nuts. Sesame or sunflower seeds would also work, as would coconut.

These healthy cookies are perfect for breakfast, or as an energy booster for those late quarantine afternoons.

Questions? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Also, I would love to know what recipes are inspiring you during quarantine?

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 ½ cup of oats

Mix-Ins: (Optional) ¼ cup chocolate chips, toasted nuts, coconut, dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, apricots. Vanilla extract.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas and rolled oats. Stir in mix-ins, if using.

Using an ice-cream scoop, form tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the baking sheets and press the tops down a bit with your fingers, or the back of a spoon.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned and set.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.