Ok, I know you are skeptical. I was too!!! But make them once and you will see that these taste delicious and best of all, no one will ever guess that black beans are the secret ingredient in this recipe! I stole this recipe from Whole foods and tweaked it a little bit....
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed **
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and carefully stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.
** Use the lowest sodium black beans you can find. Usually the organic, vegetarian ones are lowest in sodium. If you use the no salt added ones, then add 1/8 tsp salt to recipe
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Butternut Squash and Goulash Stuff
I love butternut squash. Not just like it… I really, really love it! I think it intimidates a lot of people at the grocery store because it is kind of weird looking and no one actually knows what the heck to do with it. Well, I am telling you now that it is a gem of a vegetable and you can do lots with it. So, here I will tell you how to cook it my favorite way and then you can eat it like that as a good side dish or top it with the recipe underneath--- sooooooo good!
To cut up a butternut squash: I usually lie it on its side and cut the top “stem off” to separate it from the “bulb-like” thing at the bottom that contains the seeds. I like to choose squash that have a HUGE stem because that is the easiest part to cut up and if I makes enough I just might not bother with the bottom. Set the stem on end and shave the knife down the outside all around to remove the skin. Cut the flesh into squares about ½ in x ½ in.
To cook it: Place the cubes on a plate and cook them in the microwave for about 5 min. Meanwhile heat a sauté pan on the stove with either a smidge of butter or a bit of olive oil. Drop the partially cooked cubes into the pan and sauté over medium high heat. Don’t over stir them, though. Let them sit in one spot for a few minutes, then move them and let them sit again. This way you get some browned spots. Season with salt and pepper or my personal favorite, seasoned salt.
Beef Goulash Topping stuff
This stuff is great because it uses up all the bits and pieces of veggies in the fridge You can use any combo of squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, carrots, eggplant, celery, spinach, whatever needs to be eaten. I will put my basic combo below, but know that any veggies work.
Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground beef, venison, ground turkey, or veggie crumbles
2 cloves garlic
½ onion
2 stalks celery
8-10 baby carrots
8 oz mushrooms. Sliced and chopped
1 squash or zucchini
2 T Bisquick, flour, or bread crumbs
Seasoned salt
Worcestershire sauce
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Spray a pan with cooking spray and sauté garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and squash for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and continue to cook stirring until meat is fully cooked and veggies are tender. Add a dash of seasoned salt, a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and Bisquick. Stir again. Spoon onto a plateful of butternut squash or rice and top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
To cut up a butternut squash: I usually lie it on its side and cut the top “stem off” to separate it from the “bulb-like” thing at the bottom that contains the seeds. I like to choose squash that have a HUGE stem because that is the easiest part to cut up and if I makes enough I just might not bother with the bottom. Set the stem on end and shave the knife down the outside all around to remove the skin. Cut the flesh into squares about ½ in x ½ in.
To cook it: Place the cubes on a plate and cook them in the microwave for about 5 min. Meanwhile heat a sauté pan on the stove with either a smidge of butter or a bit of olive oil. Drop the partially cooked cubes into the pan and sauté over medium high heat. Don’t over stir them, though. Let them sit in one spot for a few minutes, then move them and let them sit again. This way you get some browned spots. Season with salt and pepper or my personal favorite, seasoned salt.
Beef Goulash Topping stuff
This stuff is great because it uses up all the bits and pieces of veggies in the fridge You can use any combo of squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, carrots, eggplant, celery, spinach, whatever needs to be eaten. I will put my basic combo below, but know that any veggies work.
Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground beef, venison, ground turkey, or veggie crumbles
2 cloves garlic
½ onion
2 stalks celery
8-10 baby carrots
8 oz mushrooms. Sliced and chopped
1 squash or zucchini
2 T Bisquick, flour, or bread crumbs
Seasoned salt
Worcestershire sauce
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Spray a pan with cooking spray and sauté garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and squash for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and continue to cook stirring until meat is fully cooked and veggies are tender. Add a dash of seasoned salt, a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and Bisquick. Stir again. Spoon onto a plateful of butternut squash or rice and top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
PIZZA Night!!!
What athlete doesn’t love pizza? And the best thing about pizza is that it can be kid friendly AND healthy AND full of all the good stuff your body needs to power through hard workouts and daily life. I usually make pizza dough in the morning and then set it out on the porch (covered) after work while I go run with a group or bike or whatever. To make it faster, you can also cut up the onions, peppers, etc beforehand or use a rotisserie chicken from the store instead of grilling chicken breasts.
Crust: This makes either 2 very thin pizzas or one thick crust pizza on a standard cookie sheet.
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C unbleached white flour, plus extra as needed
1 T sugar
2 Tsp garlic salt
¾ C very warm water (as hot as you can get from the sink)
1 pkg. active yeast
2 T olive oil
Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix well. Dump the package of yeast in a heap off to one side of the bowl. Pour the water right onto the yeast and add the olive oil. Mix everything well. If mixture is very moist, add some white flour a little at a time until it forms a ball. At this point the dough can be refrigerated, covered, for about 24 hours. Place the dough in the bowl in a warm place covered with a clean dish cloth or plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 45 min to an hour. Punch down and roll out on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Allow to rise on the pan or stone for another 15 minutes and then bakes at 425* for 14-20 minutes or until desired crispiness, depending on thickness.
Topping: Pizza has so many possibilities for flavor combinations, but this is my personal favorite.
Pizza Sauce—I prefer the RAGU sauce with no sugar added (light? Maybe)
Chicken breasts, thawed
Plum or Roma Tomatoes, cut into slices
Red pepper and green pepper, cut into strips
Onion, thinly sliced
Sliced mushrooms
Fresh garlic, diced or minced
Fresh Basil, chopped, 5-7 leaves
Feta cheese, ½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese, 1-2 cups
Heat a pan over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is heated through, add the chicken breasts. They should sizzle upon contact. Salt and pepper as desired. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cover to done. Meanwhile, lightly sauté the peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic until the veggies are crisp-tender.
To construct the pizza, spoon sauce over crust and top with sliced tomatoes. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly over crust. Slice chicken breast and distribute over pizza. Sprinkle basil, feta, and mozzarella on top. Bake at 425*until cheese is melted. Then broil for an additional 5 min or until cheese bubbles and begins to lightly brown.
Ta-Da! Enjoy pizza perfection!
Crust: This makes either 2 very thin pizzas or one thick crust pizza on a standard cookie sheet.
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C unbleached white flour, plus extra as needed
1 T sugar
2 Tsp garlic salt
¾ C very warm water (as hot as you can get from the sink)
1 pkg. active yeast
2 T olive oil
Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix well. Dump the package of yeast in a heap off to one side of the bowl. Pour the water right onto the yeast and add the olive oil. Mix everything well. If mixture is very moist, add some white flour a little at a time until it forms a ball. At this point the dough can be refrigerated, covered, for about 24 hours. Place the dough in the bowl in a warm place covered with a clean dish cloth or plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 45 min to an hour. Punch down and roll out on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Allow to rise on the pan or stone for another 15 minutes and then bakes at 425* for 14-20 minutes or until desired crispiness, depending on thickness.
Topping: Pizza has so many possibilities for flavor combinations, but this is my personal favorite.
Pizza Sauce—I prefer the RAGU sauce with no sugar added (light? Maybe)
Chicken breasts, thawed
Plum or Roma Tomatoes, cut into slices
Red pepper and green pepper, cut into strips
Onion, thinly sliced
Sliced mushrooms
Fresh garlic, diced or minced
Fresh Basil, chopped, 5-7 leaves
Feta cheese, ½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese, 1-2 cups
Heat a pan over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is heated through, add the chicken breasts. They should sizzle upon contact. Salt and pepper as desired. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cover to done. Meanwhile, lightly sauté the peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic until the veggies are crisp-tender.
To construct the pizza, spoon sauce over crust and top with sliced tomatoes. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly over crust. Slice chicken breast and distribute over pizza. Sprinkle basil, feta, and mozzarella on top. Bake at 425*until cheese is melted. Then broil for an additional 5 min or until cheese bubbles and begins to lightly brown.
Ta-Da! Enjoy pizza perfection!
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