I MIGHT NOT BE MUCH OF A COOK...
but I like to eat. So, here's something the kids and I cooked up the other day in our attempt to add vegetarian selections to our lives.

THE RECIPE
Sweet Potato and Fruit Medley
8 servings, egg-free

5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 1/2 Tbs. butter
2 bananas, sliced
1 apple or pear, cored, peeled and chopped
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 cup chopped dried apricots (6 1/2 oz.)
6 Tbs. thawed frozen apple juice
concentrate
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 475 [degrees] F. Pierce each sweet potato in several places. Place on sheet of foil and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add bananas, apple and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; set aside.

3. Remove sweet potatoes from oven. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice. Add to banana mixture along with apricots, apple juice concentrate and lemon juice and toss gently to mix.

4. Spoon mixture into 11 x 7-inch glass casserole, cover with foil and bake until hot, about 35 minutes. Serve right away for best results.

PER SERVING: 177 CAL.; 2G PROT.; 4G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT) 35G CARB.; 10MG CHOL.; 49MG SOD.; 4G FIBER
COPYRIGHT 2000 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved.

THE REVIEW
I LOVED it -- it was like eating pie it was so sweet. It had great texture to it, too, between the sweet potato rounds and the dried apricot bits. Aubrey DIDN'T like it. For probably the same reasons I loved it. This kid doesn't even like jam. Mick LIKED it. And Dane gave it a thumbs SORT-OF up.

THE FINE PRINT
Don't eat too much at a time. It'll make you gassy -- at least that's what I, um, heard. And don't snack on the dried apricots while you make it. That only offers predictable repercussions as well.