My Vegan MoFo 2012 theme is to offer tips and tricks in the kitchen.

When I went vegan, I used lots and lots of vegan cookbooks! So today I am delighted to review a new cookbook, Sweet & Easy Vegan by Robin Asbell, to offer one of her delicious breakfast recipes as part of a Virtual Potluck, and to give you a chance to win your own copy of this terrific new cookbook!

I took a cooking class with Robin Asbell last year at the Natural Gourmet Institute. I bought a copy of her book Big Vegan and love it. I was so excited to be invited to be a part of her Virtual Potluck to launch her latest book.

Sweet & Easy Vegan is the perfect book for me. Long time readers know I love me some junk food but not so much when it comes to sweets. In fact when it comes to dessert I lean far more toward the savory side of sweet. Robin Asbell offers treats using whole grains and natural sweeteners that completely speak to me. There is a heartiness and healthfulness that make these sweet bites enticing.

Sweet & Easy Vegan includes the following delicious sections:

Sweet Breakfast Treats : Includes Pine Nut Polenta with Cherry Sauce, Espresso and Nut Butter Chunks, and Coconut-Banana Granola ( recipe below! ).

: Includes Pine Nut Polenta with Cherry Sauce, Espresso and Nut Butter Chunks, and Coconut-Banana Granola ( ). Scones, Muffins & Quick Breads : Includes Apple Pecan Scones, Righteous Raisin Muffins, and Zucchini Bread with Pecans.

: Includes Apple Pecan Scones, Righteous Raisin Muffins, and Zucchini Bread with Pecans. Fruit-Based Desserts, Kantens & Puddings : Includes Green and Red Grapes in Champagne, Sweet Cinnamon Tortillas with Sweet and Fruity Salsa, and Pumpkin-Date Pudding.

: Includes Green and Red Grapes in Champagne, Sweet Cinnamon Tortillas with Sweet and Fruity Salsa, and Pumpkin-Date Pudding. Crisps, Cobblers, Pies & Tarts : Includes Spiced Sweet Potato Bake with Coconut Crumble Topping, Peach Pie with Streusel, and Black-Bottom Chocolate Pudding Tart.

: Includes Spiced Sweet Potato Bake with Coconut Crumble Topping, Peach Pie with Streusel, and Black-Bottom Chocolate Pudding Tart. Cookies, Bars, Cakes, Cupcakes & Other Sweet Treats: Includes Barley-Almond Cookies, Olive Oil Cupcakes with Hazelnuts and Gianduja Cream, and Cornmeal Shortcakes with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Kantens? Well, now that I’ve read Sweet & Easy Vegan I know that kanten is a traditional Japanese dessert, like a gelatin but Robni points out “thankfully, is made from sea vegetables instead of animal hooves.” I love Robin’s recipes because they are rooted in whole foods and I have so many of the ingredients on hand (because I never met a grain I didn’t love). The Sweet & Easy Vegan Virtual Potluck kicks off today with breakfast! I am honored to be serving up Robin’s tasty Coconut-Banana Granola alongside these fabulous people: Shaina Olmanson of Food for my Family Blog is making Mocha Scones with Cacao Nibs

Julie Hasson of Julie’s Kitchenette is making Sweet Polenta with Cherry Sauce

Leinana Two Moons of Vegan Good Things Blog is making Jumbo Buckwheat Cakes with Strawberry Sauce. But back to my dish!

Coconut-Banana Granola

by Robin Asbell from Sweet & Easy Vegan

Makes 12 cups/2.8 L

Coconut milk and dried coconut give this granola wonderful richness and texture. Their tropical flavor is further enhanced by the addition of banana.

6 cups/600 g rolled oats

1 cup/90 g unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1/2 cup/65 g whole-wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 banana

1 cup/240 ml coconut milk

1/2 cup/120 ml coconut oil

1/2 cup/100 g granular palm sugar, palm sugar paste*, or Sucanat

2 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C/gas 2. Lightly oil two rimmed baking sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, flour, and salt and stir until well mixed. In a food processor, purée the banana. Add the coconut milk, oil, sugar, flaxseeds, coconut extract, and almond extract and process until thoroughly combined. Pour into the oat mixture and mix well; your hands may work best for this.

Distribute the mixture over the prepared baking sheets, squeezing to form loose clumps. Bake for 1 hour, rotating the pans and turning the granola with a spatula every 20 minutes. The granola will be browned but still feel soft; it will crisp up as it cools.

Cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring to an airtight container or zip-top bags. Stored at room temperature, the granola will keep for about 2 weeks.

*Tip: To measure palm sugar paste by volume, first chop, mash, or grate it, then pack it into a measuring cup. This makes it easier to stir the palm sugar into dry mixtures or helps it dissolve in unheated liquid mixtures.

I enjoyed a bowl of granola with coconut milk

and it rocked my morning meal world! What I love most is that it is very lightly sweetened. The coconut and banana flavors is fantastic. The oats, flaxseed and whole wheat flour make this breakfast bowl incredibly filling – a little goes a long way and I have lots stored in mason jars! The gently browned granola pleased me and my omnivore husband! Don’t miss the next stop on the Virtual Potluck, Dessert, on October 22 featuring:

PB and J Crisp hosted by Micaela Preston of Mindful Momma

Mindful Momma Orange Plum Bars hosted by Lia Huber of Nourish Network

Nourish Network Cashew Blondies hosted by Nava Atlas of Veg Kitchen

Veg Kitchen Nectarine Cobbler hosted by Robin Robertson of Vegan Planet

Vegan Planet Sweet Potato Coconut Cupcakes hosted by Jennifer St James on Tiny Kitchen Stories

Would you like to win a copy of Robin Asbell’s Sweet & Easy Vegan? This giveaway, open to U.S. residents, is sweet and easy to enter. Just leave a comment here and tell me your favorite vegan dessert! Leave your comment by November 15 (12:01 a.m. EST) for a chance to win!