I love the noble sound of Kathy Hester’s newest cookbook, The Great Vegan Bean Book. I know beans are considered to be one of the humblest of foods, but considering how often I eat them and how versatile they are, they seem pretty darn great to me. Even though I thought I had a pretty good handle on how to get the best out of beans, Kathy Hester puts me to shame. She has a new cookbook out that features beans – all kinds of beans – that take us from breakfast all the way through to sweet and healthy desserts.
I’m familiar with Kathy from her wonderful book, The Vegan Slow Cooker, that I reviewed last year. It’s a well-worn, well-thumbed cookbook on my shelf – a classic for slow cookery. Her Bean Book is another winning collection of recipes that I know will become just as dog-eared. The photos (by Renee Comet) are simple and beautiful and showcase what matters – Kathy’s delicious recipes.
So, why do I love Kathy’s cookbooks and why do I return to them again and again?
- Her recipes are simple and quick to put together;
- like me she goes light on refined ingredients and uses low amounts of oil and sweeteners;
- her recipes are consistent and reliable. I know they’re going to work, and most importantly;
- everything I’ve made has been delicious.
You can purchase any or all of Kathy’s cookbooks here, and be sure to visit her site, Healthy Slow Cooking, for more recipes. By the way, Kathy was a participant in the May 11 Potluck (check out her recipe for Vanilla Rosewater Parfaits) and she also sponsors the event – so please show her some vegan food blogger luv!
Today, I’m happy to be able to share her recipe for Enchanted Vanilla Pancakes with Chai-Spiced Peach Compote (reprinted here with permission). This combination is my ideal Sunday breakfast. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve made many other recipes from the book and I’ve shared those photos below the recipe.
Enter the giveaway below – it’s open from today until June 14. (Sorry, my overseas friends – this giveaway is open only to those in the U.S. and Canada.) There are many other opportunities this month to win a copy of Kathy’s book – check out the list of participating blogs right here!
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (use a gluten-free mix if you prefer)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or 1 15 oz. can), rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk, vanilla if possible
- 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or water
- 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
- 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed mixed with 2 tbsp. warm water
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 5 peaches
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. cardamom
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- Sweetener of your choice, to taste
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Add the puree to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. you can cook a few at a time, but make sure not to crowd them in the pan. Cook until you can see a few bubbles on the top and the edges are dry, then flip and cook a few minutes more until the pancake is cooked through.
- Cut the peaches in half, remove the stone, and remove the peel. If the peaches are ripe enough, the skins will peel off easily. Cut into small pieces.
- Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the fruit is cooked through.
- *I made the batter up the night before, stored it in the refrigerator and the pancakes cooked up beautifully. - Annie
ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF THE GREAT VEGAN BEAN BOOK!
Everything seems absolutely delicious! A must to try out. Thanks 🙂
Kathy’s recipes never fail to please!
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It looks like a great & tasty vegan bean book! I read the review over @vedgedout already & Somer loved this book too!
The foods that you shared look absolutely stunning & really appetizing too! These bean pancakes with that added chai spiced peach compote rocks! I must get my hands on that fab book! I will be making this stunning recipe soon! x
This would be a fantastic book for your shelf, Sophie!
So true, Annie. I made this tasty recipe & it tastend Amazing & just fabulous!
Oh wow. I love the look of that chai spiced compote… I’m a bit obsessed with soy chai lattes at the moment! Thanks for introducing us to this lovely book. Great idea to actually have a book that helps utilise the wonder of beans! 🙂 I hate the fact that I’m ineligible to enter (being an Aussie, waaaah!) but I’ll look out for the book anyway! Thanks again Annie! x
Your current obsession makes complete sense! Chai soy lattes are wonderful. I wish you could enter the giveaway :-(.
Haha… oh well. I’ll just have to invest in a copy for myself! It’s all for a good cause (supporting the author!) 🙂
My favorite bean is undoubtedly the garbanzo. What a perfect little legume!
One of my favorites, too – use them all of the time – though I think I have to go with black beans for my top pick.
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Wasn’t sure where to post my favorite bean, but it is chickpea!
Oh thanks, Deanne! Meant to add to leave a comment on the blog ;-)!
Wow, you put me to shame. I haven’t tried nearly as many recipes as you (continue to bookmark more, though!) but the ones I have tried have been delicious. 🙂
I had a head start since I’d pre-ordered the book a long time ago :-). Still SO many to try…
Black bean fudgesicles?!? Oh my, those sound incredible. This book definitely sounds like a must-have and I’d be thrilled to get my hands on a copy. I adore all beans and they make up a lion’s share of my diet but I do have to concur that the mighty little chickpea takes the cake! Thanks for sharing this and so many other wonderful recipes. I’m a subscriber and really your blog. Keep up the great work!
I know – I HAD to make those! Thank you so much, Natalie. I appreciate your support :-)!
I have been searching for a pancake recipe because I AM CRAVING them so badly. I am so happy you chose this recipe to post!! YES!
There ya go!
You’ve outdone yourself my dear. Your love for Kathy’s food totally shows itself in this post. If this isn’t the most gorgeous advertisement, than I don’t know what is! Lovely!
Thanks, babe. Good food is inspiring :-).
Those pancakes look really yummy, especially the chai peach compote. What a yummy combo!
My favorite bean is probably the cannellini bean. It’s just so darn versatile!
They’re great – and love how creamy they get.
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Wow I can see how it’s easy to fall in love – I just have 🙂 It looks absolutely fantastic!
Love love love!!!!
Wow. This book looks amazing. A vegan can never have too many ways to eat beans. They’re such an amazing food and so easy to store. I have to say I love chickpeas the most. Probably one of the first beans I remember eating , they’re so creamy and delicious.
Another vote for chickpeas! They really are wonderful.
I have a chickpea shrine in my kitchen, hehe!
Seriously, I love chickpeas. So versatile and delicious. Thank you for the giveaway!
Haha! Seems like the favorite bean so far is the mighty garbanzo!
I’ve made pinto bean waffles before, but these pancakes look heavenly! Will have to try them soon as well as the others you’ve shared. Or maybe I can win the cookbook? I hope so! I love beans!
Wow! Pinto beans! Good for you!
Those all looks so delicious, and the pancakes especially! A must try!
Every photograph looks so good, Annie, all those healthy tasty beans! I love the idea of chai spiced peach compote, very much up my street. That book looks wonderful, too.
Same here – that’s why I was so happy when Kathy said I could share that recipe!
I love Kathy’s books – and I loved the mini full color pamphlet of her recipes we got in our swag bags at VVC!
Oooh, nice!
These pancakes look delicious! I love swapping some or all of the grain for beans in baking, so this is a great idea…. and the compote looks absolutely amazing. Can’t wait for local peaches to use!
I think I need to make a habit of subbing beans as well. Sad to say I never thought of it myself!
Striving to be WFPB Vegan! Loving pressure cooked black beans right now but wish I had more exposure to different heirloom beans and how to make them. This is my first time on your blog and I just love it. Thank you so much for providing such a great resource.
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for coming by and commenting. I apparently need a pressure cooker! I know people just love them but I’m scared to death of them!
Temptress. 😉 Looks lovely.
It’s a come hither post, isn’t it??
LOL. Indeed. I’m about to get in the car. Set the table.
I love red lentils–they cook up so quick and easy, and they are pretty too 🙂
Courtney
Oh, red lentils!! Those might be my favorite bean…
Too bad it’s impossible to read your blog with the annoying follow this blog box traveling all over the page and blocking text. Sigh.
Gosh, Pat, I’m sorry to hear that. I wasn’t aware of the problem and haven’t heard from anyone else about it. I’ll contact WP support and see what they have to say.
My favorite bean is the black bean!
that salad, the soups , the dip and the cookies and pancakes look awesome!
man there are too many recipe i have marked to try, i need to narrow them down before i forget to make any:)
This sounds simple, healthy and delicious. I think I’ll do this one for this Sunday. Btw I just entered the raffle. My fave bean is Mung bean!
I really need the recipe for that salad! Oh that looks so, so, so good!
It’s super – it gets nice and creamy from the tofu feta.
My fave is chickpeas- thanks so much for the chance to win this book!
Thanks for entering!
The fudgesicles look amazing! Thanks for having the giveaway 🙂
Thank you, Anu!
All the recipes look delicious! Thanks for having the giveaway!
Thanks for entering, Aimee :-)!
I love this concept of a bean cookbook!
I know, right? It’s amazing what one can make!
Forget the food….I want that green flower plate!!! Okay, and the food. LOVE this Bean Book ;0
One of my favorite plates! Got a set of four at Anthropologie in Georgetown years ago.
Sounds like I need this cookbook!!
Bonnie, you do!! Good luck and thanks for entering the giveaway!
My favorite bean right now is the tiger eye–it’s an heirloom, creamy, mild, kind of sweet. Plus, it’s gorgeous when dry–glossy cranberry and caramel swirls. Thank you for the opportunity to enter your giveaway!
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you commented and entered – have a great day!
Thank you for sharing the recipe! I think I will try the pancakes with some sweet parsnip hummus too. Yumza!
Wow that all looks amazing! I love the idea of putting beans in pancakes. I would enter but I already have more cookbooks than I know what to do with 😉 Wonderful review my dear!
Those chocolate chip cookies look amazing!
They’re delicious!
I know it’s cheating a little…but my favorite bean is the Vanilla Bean!
I like the idea of this book, I tend to make the same types of bean recipes over and over again.
Me, too! This really gets you thinking about how versatile beans are. Thanks for visiting!
The cacao bean!
Good one ;-)!
Looking forward to making the pancakes for my mom, who is a diabetic. My husband and I are new to the vegan world after watching my dad die of cancer. We’re hoping to get my mom choosing healthier foods too. I have to say as a newbie, white beans are one of my favorites–so creamy.
Hi Amanda – I applaud you and your husband for taking charge of your health! I don’t think you will ever regret making the move to a plant-based diet. I, too, wish that I could convince my parents to at the minimum include more whole foods in their diets, but they say they’re too old to change – even though they both suffer from the “standard American diet” ills. By the way, if you haven’t yet read Whole by T. Colin Campbell, I highly recommend you do so. It will confirm why it is essential to consume a whole foods plant-based diet! Thanks for visiting!
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