Black Bean "Brownies" (Seriously!)

We don't eat alot of dessert, but every once in awhile, I get a sweet craving. I'm trying to avoid dairy and wheat right now (as an experiment to get rid of chronic sinusitis), so that cuts out ice cream and most baked goods. I stumbled across a black bean brownie recipe at Whole Foods, and was surprised how many good reviews they got - and how good the pictures looked. I figured it was worth a try. They are super-quick, especially if you have a blender or food processor.

Now in all honesty, I cannot say that these health-nut alternatives are seamless substitutions for the real thing. I think to call them brownies sets them up for failure. However, if you just think of them as a dessert that has some health potential, they're totally passable, even yummy. We don't usually eat many "real" brownies, so my kids didn't really have a frame of reference. They especially liked eating the batter before it was cooked. I had to snicker to myself a little seeing them literally lick drips of black beans off spoons and even try to shove their little heads into the bowl to get more. The finished product didn't meet quite the same enthusiasm from my son (always the pickiest one), but he had a few. My daughter liked them, and most importantly, I found them to be a great wheat free alternative.

I made some very minor modifications from the Whole Foods recipe. See below:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I like Eden Organics, since their cans are BPA free- btw the Canadian Government has recently passed a regulation to phase out BPA in all cans over the next few years.)
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecan-s (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the black beans, sugar, eggs, melted butter, cocoa, vanilla and salt in a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth (use a spatula to push the stuff off the sides). Pour into an 8″x8″ pan that has been greased. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top (optional). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly puffed and set. Cool and cut. Eat!!!

Bite Sized Lentil Snacks

I've been looking for some creative vegetarian options lately. Mostly because we're running low on our organic meat supply and are due for a trip to the farm. It's also healthy and easy and cheap. I was searching for lentil recipes, since I've fallen out of the habit of soaking beans, and lentils don't need to be pre-soaked. I came across a recipe at Just Bento that I modified to include what I had on hand (sweet potatoes and peas). I served them as part of a "make believe" dinner (which means a whole bunch of stuff thrown together). I liked to dip my lentil bites into guacamole, my daughter dipped hers in ranch dressing, and my husband used his like falafel in a pita with lettuce and tomato. My son, however, didn't like them. No surprises there.
I brought the leftovers for my lunch for a couple of days and if nothing else, they were WAY yummier than anything the cafeteria serves up. I do highly recommend some sort of dip or else they can be a bit dry.

Snacker alert--they are great to have in the fridge and just pop one if you're feeling snacky for something savory and want to avoid the temptation of junkier items.

Lentil Bites
2 cups uncooked red lentils
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 big onion or 2 small, chopped into teeny pieces
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil works too)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1-2 tbsp tamari, soy sauce or Bragg's liquid
Salt and pepper
Sesame seeds or flax seeds (or a combination of both)
Optional additions - 1 small sweet potato (diced - I pre-cooked for a minute in the microwave), 1/2 c green peas, 1/2 c cauliflower (chopped into tiny pieces), pretty much anything goes here.

Rinse the lentils, and cook them (put them in a pot and cover them with about an extra inch of water). Cook for 15-20 mins. Skim the goo off the top. Drain off any excess water.

In the meantime, put the chopped onions, garlic, spices and olive oil in a frying pan with any of the optional added veggies. Fry until the onions are softened. Add the brown rice and tamari or soy sauce.

Mix everything together. If you're not deterred by the sloppy look (see above), you can just eat it right now. Or, if you're in the mood for something more tidy looking, let it cool. Once cool, scoop it out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper into golf ball sized dollops. You can flatten them or roll them or just leave them alone. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or flax seeds. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the surface is a bit crispy.

Eat, freeze, or refrigerate, whatever works.