Vegan Sweet Potato Spinach Omelet

Yes, one can have an omelet without the eggs.  I had posted an eggless version before but this present one has a better texture and taste due to the rice flour used. The old version used whole wheat flour which is healthier but it had a certain taste and did not have that moist crispy texture that rice flour gives.  One can use any vegetable combination and for this one I added the superfood sweet potatoes to the ones I used before, spinach and red pepper. I shallow fried this but one can bake it if you prefer. Delicious. Ditch those eggs. You will not miss them.

Vegan Sweet Potato Spinach Omelet

2 servings

• 2 tbsp rice flour (I used Mochiko brand sweet rice flour from the Asian store)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 6 tbsp non dairy milk 
• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp sweet peppers, cubed
• 1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
• cooking spray or 2 tsp coconut oil

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and mix with a fork.  Make a well in the middle of this mixture and add the milk.  Blend the mixture thoroughly.  Add the vegetables.  

Add the coconut oil to the small saute pan or spray with cooking spray and heat at medium heat.  Place the vegetable/batter mixture in two batches for easy flipping.  Cook till the batter is crisp but not burnt and the vegetables and the batter are cooked through. 

Serve with sliced tomatoes and baguette slices.  You can also eat the omelet with catsup of your choice.

Vegan Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes

This is an easy three ingredient crowd pleasing side dish for any occasion. The coconut oil and the coconut brown sugar if using give the dish that special flavor that would make your guests ask "what is that?".

Slow cooking is a convenient way to cook the dish but it could also be baked or cooked on the stove but why would you when you can just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget it. Easy and delicious dish.

Vegan Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from this source

• 6 - 8 sweet potatoes, raw or previously microwaved, peeled and cut into two inch slices
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup coconut brown sugar or plain brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp salt

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix. Cook for 6 hours at low setting or 3 hours at high. I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting. This can be served warm or cold. Delicious.

Vegan Eggplant Sweet Potato Kefta Balls

I love eating at Aladdin Eatery. I relish their Turkish dishes especially the Kefta which is served as Kebabs. This vegan version of this particular dish in this blog post has the flavor of the spices of Kefta and uses eggplant and sweet potatoes in place of the traditional lamb or beef used in this Turkish dish. I also prepared it into balls instead of the more familiar cylindrical shape.

I based this recipe from the one in the blog Skinny Taste with a lot of modifications. Instead of beans to hold the eggplant mixture together I used sweet potatoes. You can retain the use of beans for more protein if you like. I also substituted  celery for the parsley since I did not have this herb. I also increased the flavor of the original recipe by adding homemade Turkish spice rub which I have published previously in this blog. This transformed the original recipe to the glorious Kefta.

I baked the balls which browned well with a sort of mushy center. One could also pan fry it which I might try next time I prepare this.  I might also add more Panko crumbs and blend it less vigorously in the food processor to add firmness to the prepared Kefta balls. The other thing I might do so I can control the consistency of the eggplant is to microwave it rather than saute it.  I have done this previously with a lot of success in this blog.

I decided to serve the balls in the form of a wrap using Ranch dressing (vegan recipe here) as the sauce and with lettuce and tomatoes. So refreshingly delicious. You can also serve this with marinara sauce over pasta or on a bun.

Vegan Eggplant Sweet Potato Kefta Balls

(Adapted from Skinny Taste)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 lb eggplant, unpeeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 2 tsp Turkish spice rub (recipe here)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 cup Panko crumb or more
• 1/8 tsp red chili peppers (optional)
• more salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a large saute pan.  Add the eggplant pieces and 1/4 cup water till the eggplant is soft. Season with salt and pepper.  About 10 -15 minutes.  Place the eggplant in the food processor bowl and pulse gently.

Add the other 1/2 tbsp oil in the saute pan and add the onion, garlic, celery and turkish spice mix and cook till the onion is translucent and the celery softened.  Add the mixture and the sweet potatoes in the food processor bowl and pulse gently till mix. 

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the oregano, red chili peppers if using and Panko crumbs  Adjust the salt.

Shape into balls or patties. (About 15 2-inch balls or patties).  Place in the pan.  Bake for 30 minutes then flip and bake for 10 minutes more.

Vegan Coffee Chocolate Dip or Frosting from Sweet Potatoes

I had something similar that was used to frost a sheet of vegan brownies during our plant based support group meeting prepared by a member, Linda.  I could not tell that the main ingredient of the frosting was sweet potatoes.  Actually a can of pureed sweet potatoes was used and vegan milk chocolate chips.

I adapted the same approach but instead used sweet potatoes I cooked in the microwave instead of the canned ones.  Instead of the vegan chocolate chips which I did not have any, I used non dairy milk, cocoa powder and maple syrup to come up to the taste that the chocolate chips would have given.  I added coffee granules because I love the taste of coffee and chocolate together.

This is an easy healthy frosting or dip or spread and your family or friends would never guess that the sweet potatoes serve as the base for it.  I have made similar dips before using bananas (here and here) which also works but the sweet potatoes has a neutral taste which does not distract from the taste of the chocolate and coffee.

Vegan Coffee Chocolate Dip or Frosting from Sweet Potatoes

• 1/2 cup non dairy milk
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 4 to 6 tbsp maple syrup (or according to your taste)
• 2 cooked sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed

Mix first four ingredients in a blender till well mixed.  Add the sweet potatoes and blend till the mixture is smooth.

Serve as a dip with fresh apple or banana slices.  Use a frosting on a cake.  It can be a spread on your toast or bagels or waffles.  Or eat it as is with spoon.  Yum.  

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

I like the pairing of the two vegetables in this Indian flavored stew, the crispy cauliflower and the sweet potato.  The cauliflower pairs with the sweet potatoes as well as it does with potatoes in the popular Indian dish Aloo Gobi. And it being more nutritious than the potato is an added bonus.

I have posted a similar dish before using cauliflower with eggplant and green and red pepper.  I used coconut milk from a can and a ton of curry powder.

In this recipe I wanted also a sauce that is thick and spicy but this time I avoided using high fat canned coconut milk and just used non dairy milk and vegetable broth in its place.  I thickened the mixture with cornstarch and guess what else? Mashed previously cooked sweet potato. I used the usual spices found in most Indian dishes using less curry powder than before to round up the wonderful sauce that coated the cauliflower and sweet potato pieces.

It is a simple one pan dish to go to when you have a craving for something with the rich flavors of India. Was I happy eating this dish? Oh yes.  Did I eat it morning, noon and night? Yes. You would to. Addictive sauce.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

Adapted from this past blog post.

• 2 tsp plant oil or 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 dry red chilies or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup plant milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1 sweet cooked potato, mashed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cauliflower head, separated into florets
• 2 sweet potatoes, uncooked and cubed

Saute in the oil or vegetable broth the onion, minced ginger and minced garlic till they are cooked.  Then add the tomato paste and heat through.

Add the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder and turmeric and heat the mixture.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt, plant milk, vegetable broth, sugar, mashed sweet cooked potatoes and corn starch in water to the mixture and heat through.

Add the cauliflower and uncooked weet potatoes to the mixture and allow the mixture of the sauce and vegetables to boil gently till the sweet potatoes are cooked but still firm and the cauliflower still crisp.

Serve over rice of your choice or quinoa or with Naan bread.

Spinach Sweet Potato Brown Rice Soup

This is another take on the popular Filipino dish, Arroz Caldo which I have posted the slow cooker approach to preparing it in the past.  I have also posted a Quick and Easy Plant Based Arroz Caldo in the past since I have switched into this approach of eating since September of last year.

In this blog post, I have developed another version of this iconic Filipino dish which is one of the most pinned posts in this blog.  I stepped up the plant based or vegan version by adding two super foods, spinach and sweet potatoes.  The spinach is added to the soup towards the last minute while the sweet potatoes take the place of the marinated tofu that is used as one of the traditional garnishes in arroz caldo.  The result is this amazing vegan soup that is flavorful and filling despite the absence of chicken or tofu.  The marinated sweet potato pieces and its marinade give the soup its zing similar to the original and earlier vegan version of the soup.  The spinach gives it added texture. The green onion slices for me always complete whatever version you are using.   If you have a carnivore in your family you can always add chicken pieces to the resulting soup to make them happy.

Spinach Sweet Potato Brown Rice Soup

• 1 cup brown rice uncooked
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
• 1/2 tbsp dry garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cooked large sweet potatoes cubed and in its marinade (see recipe below)
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced
• lemon slices, optional

Marinate the cubed cooked sweet potatoes in the marinade the recipe of which is shown below and set aside, 

Place all the ingredients in a soup pot and bring to a boil and continue boiling gently with cover on till the brown rice absorbs the broth and softens.  At the last minute of cooking, add the spinach and cook till wilted. Ladle the soup into 4 individual bowls and garnish with marinated sweet potatoes and green onions. You can add the marinade if you like. You can also serve the soup with lemon slices.

Marinade for sweet potatoes

• 1 tsp dry onion flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Add the cubed cooked sweet potatoes.  Set aside till needed for the soup.

Microwave Sweet Potato Cranberry Cookies (gluten free)

I wanted cookies to serve my gluten free guests during my parties without resorting to using expensive gluten free flour.  Since I would be busy preparing food for my other guests who do not have to adhere to that diet, I wanted something that can also be prepared in less than fifteen minutes.  I came up with this recipe for that purpose.  I use the microwave to bake it for further speed in preparation.  There are only three ingredients and they are plant based.  No oil or butter, eggs, dairy, added sugar and flour were used. Yet these cookies are delicious. See the three magic ingredients below.

Microwave Sweet Potato Cranberry Cookies

Yields 5 cookies

• 1 banana
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato 
• 2 tbsp dry cranberries
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg or cardamon or pumpkin spice (your choice), optional

Mix the banana and sweet potato in a small bowl with a fork. Add the cranberries.

Divide the mixture into 5 portions. Place in round shapes into a microwaveable plate with spaces between them and the middle of the plate empty.

Microwave for 5-6 minutes.  Flip after 4 minutes for even cooking.  Microwave till no longer mushy but not burnt either.  The cookies are pliable but they can be picked up.  I used a 1100 watt microwave oven.

Hoisin Sweet Potato Open Faced Sandwich

Is the sweet potato the secret to longevity?  Here is a quote from the article that appeared in the Huffingpost written by Dan Buettner the author of the book The Blue Zones:

All Okinawans age 100 or more who are alive today were born between 1903 and 1914. During the first third of their lives, roughly before 1940, the vast majority of the calories they consumed — more than 60 percent — came from one food: the imo, or Okinawan sweet potato. A purple or yellow variety related to our orange sweet potato, the imo came here from the Americas about 400 years ago and took well to Okinawan soils. This sweet potato — high in flavonoids, vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids, and slow-burning carbohydrates — is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.

Realizing this fact and because sweet potato is so easy to bake in the microwave, it has been a staple in my diet.  It is good as is straight from the microwave sans anything.  I have used it to to make plant based burgers,, savory pancakes, and burrito that satisfied me.  I was watching the TV show The Chew and one of the hosts mentioned that sweet potatoes are being used like a piece of bread spread with all kinds of toppings.  But I love my bread and did not want to do away with it.  So I decided to have it and also eat my sweet potato by preparing this open faced sandwich.

I decided to have an Asian influenced open faced sandwich with sweet potatoes as the "meat" and Hoisin sauce, green onions and cilantro as toppings.  My oh my.  This is the bomb!

Hoisin Sweet Potato Open Faced Sandwich

• 1 six inch long whole wheat baguette 
• 1 small sweet potato, cooked or baked in the microwave or oven
• 1 piece napa cabbage
• 2 tsp Hoisin sauce (store bought or homemade using recipe below)
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 1 tbsp green onions, sliced in small pieces

Split your baguette open.  Toast your baguette in the toaster.

Line the baguette pieces with napa cabbage and then spread the sweet potato slices on top of the baguette. Squeeze Hoisin sauce from the bottle on top of the potatoes and top with cilantro and green onions.  Enjoy!

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

(From CDKitchen)

(Makes 1/2 cup)

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter or black bean paste
• 1 tablespoon honey or molasses or brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 20 drops chinese hot sauce, habenero or jalepeno
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together.   At first it does not appear to be mixing together, keep at it and whisk a bit longer.

Microwave Korean Sweet Potato Pancakes (Gluten Free)

This was inspired by the recipe for Korean Savory Pancakes found in the wonderful food blog Spicy Perspective.  These savory pancakes are vegetable laden Korean delicacy. The list of ingredients in this particular online source called for flour and eggs.  I try to adhere to a plant based approach to eating in which eggs are not used.  I also wanted to lower my consumption of non complex carbohydrates so I wanted the flour out.  I also wanted a microwave version and adding flour sometimes make the cookie or any dish tough if over cooked.  I wanted a more forgiving low maintenance microwaveable recipe that is reliable.

I have been successful with using banana in microwaved cookies and I thought of using it as the binder to take the place of eggs and flour in this recipe. Combined with mashed sweet potatoes, I envisioned the resulting product to have body. The presence of the salt and pepper and other vegetables would help make the patties or pancake savory plus dipping them in them in the spicy soy dipping sauce would also make you forget it has banana in the ingredients.   With the banana in the recipe, I skipped adding sugar called for in the original recipe.

The Korean pancakes are usually shallow deep fried but I decided to stick to microwaving to lower the fat content and just pan fry the microwaved patties using cooking spray to give more color to the surface of the pancake.  They are still soft not crisp but you would not mind that when you dip them in the Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce.  They are close to the fried version and healthier.

Microwave Korean Sweet Potato Pancakes  (Gluten Free)

Makes 5 small patties

Pancakes 

• 1 banana
• 2 medium sweet potatoes cooked (about 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp zucchini, julienned
• 2 tbsp red pepper, julienned
• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped coarsely
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of red pepper flakes

Pancakes

• Mix in a bowl the banana and sweet potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the vegetables. 
• Microwave the mixture in the bowl for two minutes.  Shape into 5 large patties.  Arrange in a circle on a plate.  
• Microwave for 5 more minutes.  You can pan fry using cooking spray to crisp the cooked patties if you like.  Serve with the spicy soy dipping sauce.

Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

• Mix all the ingredients in a small container.