DELICIOUS New Recipes from Kari's Kitchen!!

People are their own worst critics, and I admit I do the same. People tell me I'm too hard on myself, so for me to say I have some Delicious New Recipes...you know they gotta be good. So good that I have to post them for everyone! I've been told that everyone needs a good cookbook, and I finally found one. It's called "Vegan Planet." Even if you're NOT a vegetarian/vegan, these recipes ROCK!! My friend, Galit, told me about it. So, I owe her big time. I've cooked 6 recipes from this book, and they've all been praised from those lucky people who've dined on them. Here's what I've been doing. Some of the recipes take awhile, so I choose a day that I'm off or have a little time in the morning or evening to start preparing it. I get in the kitchen, open the outside door, turn on some music, and reach deep into my inner "cooking" self and have a blast making some healthy and scrumpulescent munchies. Then, we have food for a few meals. Here are a few of the recipes from "Vegan Planet" that everyone should try.

The pancakes and hash go great together for breakfast, brunch, or breakfast night!!

Spiced Banana Pancakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar or natural sweetener
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 cups soy milk or other dairy-free milk
3 medium-size, ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice and set aside.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the soy milk and half of the bananas and process until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a few swift strokes until just combined. Fold in the remaining bananas.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Ladle about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook on one side until small bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake with a metal spatula and cook until the other side is lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you prepare the remaining pancakes.

Serves 4



Spicy Sweet-Potato Hash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, diced, and cooked (use leftover baked sweet potatoes OR peel and dice the potatoes and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F until tender, 15 to 20 minutes)

2 frozen veggie burgers, thawed and chopped or crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, veggie burgers, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4



Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small, fresh hot chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 cups cooked or one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh salsa or your favorite salsa
8 large flour tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender, turning once, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sweet potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Spread a thin layer of salsa over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
4. Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture down the center of the tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled tortilla in the baking dish seam side down and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling mixture. Spoon any remaining filling mixture on top of the enchiladas, top with the remaining salsa, and sprinkle with the onion. Cover and bake until hot and bubble, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 8.

Happy "Vegan" Cooking! The Animals Thank You!!