Quick Black Bean Brownies

If you have never heard of black bean brownies, don't be scared. They taste just like real thing, but with an added nutritional boost and an extra fudgy texture. These are a great way to sneak some vegetables past kids or the vegetably challenged adults we all know and love. There are tons of "from scratch" recipes floating around the web, but this is a quick trick that I heard of by word of mouth over a year ago. Trust me, no one will ever know...unless you tell them.

Quick Black Bean Brownies

1 - ~20 oz. box brownie mix
1 - 14 oz. can black beans

1. Drain beans and rinse well.
2. Put beans back in the can, and fill it up the rest of the way with water.
3. Puree beans and water in a blender until very smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bean mixture and brownie mix. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish, and bake according to the package instructions.

Can't stop thinking about 'em...

I've updated the cooking directions for the Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers, and because they turned out so well I had to write a special post just to tell you about it. You couldn't even tell that the filling had been frozen for 2 months. I love meals that I can make in large batches and freeze for later. Nothin' like an easy weeknight meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. Next time, I might even make a double batch and freeze a whole bunch. These will definitely be a regular on our dinner table. Make them. Tonight.

P.S. Get your quinoa from Trader Joe's. From what I've seen, they have the best price around. Unless you buy in bulk, of course...

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

What I am not going to say again, is that I am sorry for not posting in such a long time. I'm not going to apologize for the craziness that has been my life for the last 2 months, while working full time, and taking a statistics class 4 nights a week. I will however share this delicious salad that I had for dinner the other night. What I will apologize for is the lack a variety in these last 3 posts. Quinoa, then asparagus, then quinoa + asparagus. They're just too delicious, and I have been on a mission the last two weeks to spend as little $$ as possible on groceries, and use up what we have in the pantry and freezer. The exception is fresh produce, which I could never go a week without. Here's the result:

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

For the salad:
3/4 c. quinoa
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 bunch of asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces (about 1 1/2 c.), steamed
1 medium vine tomato, seeded and diced (about 1/2 c.)

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Using a sieve, rinse quinoa under cold running water.
2. Bring quinoa and 1 1/2c. water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until tender and all of the liquid is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Pour cooked quinoa out onto a large plate to cool (about 10 minutes).
5. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, asparagus, and tomato. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture, and stir to combine.
6. Serve topped with parmesan or feta cheese (optional).

Makes 2-3 entree size portions or 4-6 for a side dish.

Note: If you would like a hot salad, skip the cooling step. Alternatively, if your preference is for a cold salad refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving. My preparation was served room temperature.
P.S. It's even better the next day! Just put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to take the chill off.

Grilled Asparagus

I was so excited to find some of the first fresh MICHIGAN asparagus in the grocery store the other day. That means that Farmer's Market season is rapidly approaching. I can hardly wait for our first trip. Anyway, this is by far my favorite way to prepare asparagus. Yes, even better than in that pasta. It's so simple, so fresh, and just makes me happy. Remember what I said about grill flavor. I look forward to warm weather vegetable grilling almost as much as kids do the ice cream man.

Grilled Asparagus
There are no real measurements here, just add spices until it "look good," and if your not into spicy, you could substitute paprika for the cayenne pepper, or omit it altogether. 


1 bunch fresh asparagus
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
garlic powder

cayenne pepper

1. Preheat grill. (I turn our little Weber to medium-low b/c it gets really hot!)
2. In a 13 x 9" baking dish or other shallow pan, whisk together oil and spices. Set aside.

3. Clean, and trim woody ends from asparagus and toss in the oil mixture, coating well.

4. Lay asparagus directly onto hot grill. Turn every couple of minutes until desired doneness, about 10-20 minutes depending on how hot your grill is and the size of the asparagus. If your not particular about presentation, place grilled asparagus back into your olive oil dish. It will only pick up more flavor.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

After preparing a lunch-something very similar to this-for a crowd of hungry volunteers, and receiving rave reviews, I was reminded how much joy it brings me to help people get excited about healthy food. A few very satisfied customers made the comment that I "snuck vegetable on them." Yesss! Healthy food truly can be delicious, and it doesn't have to be complicated either. This recipe is a serious veggie sneaker and a crowd pleaser, if you can convince them to try quinoa that is. If you run into that challenge, I don't see why you couldn't substitute brown rice. I always tell curious people that quinoa kinda tastes like brown rice anyway. This recipe makes quite a bit of filling, so be prepared. I made the full batch, filled six pepper halves, and still had plenty leftover for freezing. My only critique of these little masterpieces is that the peppers turned out really mushy far too overdone for our taste. The recipe calls for a full hour in the oven even before topping with cheese. In retrospect, it seems like an awful long time to bake peppers considering that the filling is already cooked. When I pull the leftovers out of the freezer for round two, my plan of attack will be completely different. I plan to grill the peppers for a few minutes, then fill, top with cheese, and place in the oven or broiler just long enough to melt the cheese and create a slight crust on the top. Mmmm...everything is better with a little grill flavor.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
adapted from vegetarian times

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.) - I pressed mine
1 6-oz. package fresh, baby spinach
2 15-oz. cans diced No Salt Added tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed.

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking dish with cooking spray.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until peppers just start to soften. Turn Broiler on Low setting. Top each pepper with remaining cheese and broil 5-10 minutes until cheese is a bubbly, golden brown.

Notes:

-The original recipe calls for a 10-oz. pack of frozen spinach, but I really wanted fresh. Your choice. If you do use fresh, it will take longer to reduce the liquid as described at the end of step 1.

-The original also calls for reduced-fat cheese, so if you're watching fat or calories keep that in mind when reviewing the nutrition facts published by vegetarian times.

-As far as the cheese goes, buy a brick and shred it yourself. It's usually cheaper than the pre-shredded stuff in the bags, and it melts and tastes better too.

-I love recipes like this one that give both measurements and quantities. It makes shopping so much easier. I recommend that you do this with your own recipes.

-I was only able to get about 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture into my peppers, they must have been small.
Enjoy!

*Update*-7/14/10-The cooking times and photo above reflect my changes after round two with the leftovers. They turned out much better this way. The peppers were hot and cooked, but still had a little crunch, and the broiled cheese topping made the dish. Didn't end up grilling...it was rainy. As for the frozen filling, I transferred it from the freezer to the fridge the night before to start the slow thaw, then defrosted/heated it in the microwave before filling the peppers.

Elvis Oatmeal

Long time no blog! I'm here, and we are still eating, just not anything terribly exciting. (Though I do have a few backlogged items that I'll get to ASAP.) Dan got a new job 4 weeks ago teaching Middle School social studies at a charter school, which has proved to be a very challenging task. He has spent countless hours toiling at the computer leaving me with almost all of the housework, zero computer time, and a lot less sleep. I been so tired and lacking any serious motivation, but we're adjusting and getting used to things now, and I'm regaining my zeal for the hunt...for recipes! Last week I discovered a new blog (Kath Eats Real Food) that became an instant favorite. The author is my age, an RD student, and is devoted to healthy eating. I love it. She takes her oatmeal very seriously, and inspired me try something new. I already eat oatmeal for breakfast at least 4 times a week, so this simple modification was the perfect way to ease back into my culinary creativity. I have been trying to find ways to incorporate a wider variety of seeds, grains, and nuts into my diet and oatmeal is the perfect vehicle, especially when topped with Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, which I discovered on my last trip. Since PB is another staple in the Amy diet-I don't know what I would do if I had a peanut allergy-I can kill two birds with one stone (not that I'd want to). I highly recommend this product as a baby step into the world of flax seeds, since they are deliciously coated in healthy, natural peanutty goodness.

Elvis Oatmeal
inspired by KERF

For 1 smallish serving:

1/3 c. quick cooking oats
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. organic, skim milk
1/2 of a medium banana, mashed
1 tsp. mini chocolate chips
brown sugar
peanut butter

1. Combine water and milk in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Stir in oats and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add mashed banana and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or to desired consistency.
3. Serve topped with a dollop of peanut butter, sliced banana, chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of brown
sugar. 

So filling I couldn't even finish the bowl.

Mexican Breakfast with Tomato Avocado Salsa

This is one for the rotation. I want to eat it everyday. We were literally head-over-heels in love at first bite, and...it's a complete meal. Not a side, not a dessert as I seem to have been making these days. However, the following is more of a guide than a recipe, a little of this a little of that-I warned you. This "guide" was adapted from a cookbook (more on that later) that I got for Christmas and have been dying to use. This dish just makes me even more excited to try more. Think a cleaner, brighter, simpler huevos rancheros. The salsa was the key; my own, crazy simple, yet euphoria-inducing little concoction. Instead of a rich tomato and onion stew-like sauce, the salsa brings a fresh flavor to the mix, the best part being the major kick of lime.

Mexican Breakfast
adapted from The Family Chef, the recipe titled:
"jill's favorite mexican breakfast"

4 corn tortillas
canola or peanut oil for frying
1 c. black beans (from a can), drained and rinsed
cumin
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 c. shredded cheese - we used a combo of colby-jack and cheddar
4 eggs, fried, poached, basted, scrambled whatever you prefer

1. Prepare the salsa (recipe below). Set aside.
2. Preheat a tablespoon or two of oil in a skilled over medium-high heat. You can test the oil by putting a strip of tortilla in it. Once it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is hot enough. Fry one tortilla at a time until golden brown and crispy. Remove tortilla from the pan and place on a plate or cookie sheet lined with paper towels.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, season the beans to taste with a sprinkle of cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper and smash them up with a fork or potato masher. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until hot. (You can do this on the stove too, but I was trying to save a little time.)
4. Divide the crispy tortillas onto plates. Spread 1/4 c. of beans on each tortilla. Add cheese, dividing evenly.
5. Place one egg on each tortilla. The heat from the eggs and beans will melt the cheese.
6. Top each one with a spoonful of salsa. Enjoy!
Serves 2-4

Tomato Avocado Salsa

1 avocado, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
the juice if 1/2 a lime
onion powder and salt and pepper to taste

I cut into this one, but Dan likes to pick them up like a piece of pizza.