Recipes! Fluffy Vegan Pancakes; Tahini, Date and Almond Smoothie; Sheet Pan Salmon With Miso-Honey Butter

What to cook during the week ahead, from Post Food editors.

I am a problem-solver at heart — or, at least I like to think I solve more problems than I cause. So when I'm developing recipes or choosing which ones from other writers to publish, I look for ideas that can fill a gap, meet a specific need or get around a challenge I know people often have.

That's why I was so excited to share Joe Yonan's recipe for Vegan Buttermilk, which he uses to great effect in Fluffy Vegan Pancakes. Questions about how to turn recipes plant-based are among the most common inquiries that we field. And in my answers, buttermilk is always a stumbling block. You can find store-bought vegan counterparts for a host of standard ingredients, including yogurt, cheese, honey, eggs, bacon, butter and milk. But buttermilk? Nope.

I'm not a fan of buttermilk swaps in general, as they tend to lack the tangy flavor and appealing viscosity of what you buy, which is typically cultured milk rather than the old-fashioned buttermilk formed in the process of making butter. When you start making those same kinds of substitutions with vegan yogurt, milk or sour cream, you've already moved several steps away from the original and, like a game of telephone, begin to lose its essence.

I've heard from readers who have been disappointed with their attempts at plant-based buttermilk, but that won't be the case any longer with Joe's recipe from his new book, "Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking." You blend together coconut milk, soaked cashews and lemon juice, and then the magic of fermentation takes over. Sprinkle the contents of a probiotic capsule — the ones you buy for your gut — and let time do its work. Once the mixture has hung out for a day or two, the buttermilk is ready to use in biscuits, cornbread and, of course, those pancakes, which Joe offers ideas on how to customize with different toppings and flavors, including apples, bananas, matcha and more.

While we have breakfast on the brain, let's pivot to Ellie Krieger's Tahini, Date and Almond Smoothie. This recipe addresses a number of common sticking points — what to make for a quick and easy morning meal that you can have on the go and will also keep you satiated until lunch. (I am someone who almost always needs elevenses, or nines or tens, if I'm being honest.)

Small-scale recipes that feed just one or two people are a common request, and Daniela Galarza offered one in her Sheet Pan Salmon With Miso-Honey Butter. This 20-minute meal uses the broiler to turn out an elegantly simple mix of fish and summer vegetables. Make this one soon before local corn season is over, though you can also use frozen kernels or another vegetable of your choice.

What other cooking conundrums can we help you solve? We're eager to assist in our live weekly chat Wednesdays at noon Eastern. Aaron will be flying solo this week while I steward our holiday cookie photo extravaganza (yes, it's already that time of year for us!), so get your questions in early and then come back to join him next week.

For now, and always, happy cooking.