Black Bean Brownies

I've been wanting to try these forever and we finally made them for FHE tonight. My kids all gobbled them up- but they also barely know what a real brownie tastes like so that helps ;) We made chocolate frosting and topped them with strawberries to counteract the beans.

Black Bean Brownies

Servings: 9

Dense, fudge-y and ultra-healthy, these brownies are a great alternative to traditional brownies! It's amazing how they taste like chocolate and fudge and not beans! Chef's Notes: Rolled oats run through the food processor may substituted for the instant oats. Use optional sugar if your bananas are still green and not very ripe.

Ingredients

• 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 whole bananas
• ⅓ cup agave nectar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup raw sugar (optional)
• ¼ cup instant oats

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x8" pan and set aside. Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scrapping sides as needed. Stir in the oats and pour batter into the pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing. Chef's Note: if you find these brownies are too soft or too fudge-y, add another 1/4 cup oats or flour.

RAWSOME

I've been reading about Raw eating again. There's so much to learn about it, but it's something I really enjoy doing. Today I learned that it's best to buy "unsulphured" dried fruit- I've always wondered about that. I also learned that prunes have way high antioxidant levels (even more than blueberries). We eat a lot of dates around here but I've never tried this easy little treat. Just stuff a date with a nut or any type of nut butter. Perfect little snack.

Another healthy tip is to eat garden potatoes raw with salt and a splash of vinegar. I LOVE all vinegars. 

Oh and you can chew lemon peels for better breath.

I gave the kids a short Raw foods lesson and then they each made one recipe.

Charlie LOVES dates so made these:

Cashew Maple Oatmeal Squares

10 Medjool dates

1 C raw cashews

1/2 c raw oats

1/4 maple syrup

cinnamon

salt

Blend. Roll into balls, then roll in coconut. Freeze.

Chocomole

5 ripe avocados
1.5 cups dates, soaked in water for 1 hour
2 cups raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
Raw organic honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Mash avocados until creamy.

2. Add chopped dates and vanilla. Mix well to bring everything together.

3. Add half a cup of cacao powder, mix well, taste, then add another half cup of cacao powder, and repeat until the pudding is chocolate-y enough for you. Be sure to take it in steps like this, as adding too much cacao can make the pudding somewhat bitter.

4. If the dates don't sweeten the pudding to your satisfaction, add a little raw organic honey, and give the pudding another good mix.

For extra texture and flavor, sprinkle a few raw organic cashews on top. Yum!

Enjoy this healthy and delicious chocolate pudding, courtesy of Jason Mraz.

**I just dump all the ingredients in the Vitamix and blend. Done.**

Treaty Treat

We make these regularly. They are fantastic. Tim especially loves them. 

Itty Bitty Carrot Cake Cookies

These mini cookies are soft yet crunchy, delicate, moist, bite-sized, and most of all, they taste just like carrot cake in cookie form!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cup shredded carrots, packed
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature (I used half agave)
• 1 cup coconut oil, warmed for about 25 seconds in microwave
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F and line 1 baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oats in a large bowl. Add in the nuts, coconut, raisins, and shredded carrots. In a small bowl mix the maple syrup, softened coconut oil, vanilla, and freshly grated ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Drop about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Shape into a ball with hands. Bake for about 12 minutes and cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack.

Yield: 30 bite-sized cookies.

Nutritional info: (per cookie): 54kcals, 2 grams fat, 8 grams carbs, 1 gram fibre, 1 gram protein, 5 grams sugar.

Breakfast Just Gets Better and Better...

We made this for breakfast today. Thank you Jenny for sending me the recipe. I LOVE when people send me recipes. We used strawberries instead of blackberries and brown sugar instead of maple syrup. The baked banana in it is so good. 

Healthy Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup (and more syrup for serving)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 bananas
• 1 1/2 cups blackberries (blueberries, raspberries, or a mixture)

Instructions

1. Mix together the oats, half of the walnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.
3. Generously butter the bottom of an 8-inch pan and add sliced bananas and half of the blackberries.
4. Add the oat mixture to the top of the fruit.
5. Pour the milk mixture over the oats. Use a spoon to make sure the milk mixture is incorporated throughout the oats.
6. Add the remaining walnuts and blackberries.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven with the rack in the top third of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The top should be golden and the oatmeal should be set.
8. Let the oatmeal cool for a few minutes and serve with maple syrup and if you are really feeling wild, more melted butter

Tried it, LOVED it.

We gobbled these up. They are fantastic.

 I'm planning on stocking the freezer with them for Timmy to grab before work for breakfast. 

Homemade Granola Bars

Basic Ratio for TRIO Bars:

1 cup toasted or raw nuts (e.g., cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts), coarsely chopped 

1/2 cup seeds (e.g., green pumpkin seeds (pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)

1/3 cup chopped dried fruit (any variety/combination to create different tastes; this also includes unsweetened coconut)

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 cup brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, or light cane syrup (e.g., Lyle's Golden syrup) 

(note: honey will not work--bars will be sticky, not crispy) 

1.     Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8-inch square pan (9-inch is too big* see note below) with foil and lightly spray with (do not skip these steps!). 

2.     In a medium bowl, combine the chopped nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

3.     Add the salt and syrup and stir to coat.

4.     Scrape/dump mixture into prepared pan. Now, to press it out evenly: Tear off a good size piece of foil  (around the size of the pan or slightly smaller). Lightly spray it with nonstick spray. Use the sprayed side of foil to press and spread evenly into pan. Works like a charm!   

5.    Bake for 18 minutes (the bars will not be hard at this point). Place pan on cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes (give or take) until partially set up (it will depend on how hot or cold the kitchen—just don’t cool completely). Use the sides of foil to lift the bars from the pan. Do not try to remove from foil—they will stick like crazy. Cut into 8 bars.

6.     Go and do something else until bars are completely cooled. Once cooled, the bars will lift right off of the foil. Wrap in parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.  

Turkey Time

 I'm more of the "do one thing a year that scares you" type... but I did cook a turkey this month and it was scary. I feel like I have to admit that I bought a turkey breast roast which was all white meat, no bones and no guts or anything weird. Plus, it cooked in less than 2 hours. By the way, Pura Vida Farm will have good for you turkeys ready for Christmas (if you are local).

The kids were so into the candlelight idea.

Homemade ice cream. No sugar. So good. Homemade Raw apple crisp. SO GOOD. No sugar, or butter. Email me for the recipe. We loved it.

I will always do this at Thanksgiving time from now on. Its a "Thankful Tree".

Charlie and Jane gathered small sticks and branches from outside and we put them in a glass jar to make our tree. Then they cut out little paper leaves and strung them with embroidery thread. Then we set the tree out with the little leaves next to it so that we could write something we are thankful for throughout the day and it turns out we'll be doing it all month because its so much fun. Its so cute to see the kids writing and funny spelling on the little leaves. It makes my heart happy every time I pass by it.

I posted so many pictures of this little tree because I just like it so much!

Pumpkin Should be in EVERYTHING

I've made this bread 4 times in three days. Its rare that all four kids love a recipe and they all love this one. Its easy to make and your house will smell like an autumn dream.

Pumpkin Bread

by Angela Liddon

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 50-55 mins

Ingredients (one loaf)

• Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cups white flour  
• 1/2 cup Sucanat or packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 cup canned butternut squash or canned pumpkin (I used pumpkin)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 ground flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water, mixed) (I used one egg)

To stir in

• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped and toasted if desired

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a loaf pan with parchment and then lightly grease with oil.
• In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and stir well until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over mix. You want to stop stirring just when it comes together. Fold in the nuts.
• Place the pan into the oven preheated to 350F. Bake for approx. 50 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pan for about 30 mins. 
• Note: this is a dense, heavy bread.

Woah Marvelously Woah Good

From ohsheglows again!

 I am so not a natural in the kitchen, so when I find healthy recipes that taste good and that even I can make perfectly, then it must be a good recipe.

I made this for  the treat after Jacob's super duper FHE lesson tonight. He did such a sweet job at teaching all of us. Near the end of the lesson he said that he wants to go on a mission and after adoring him the whole time he taught us, I wasn't so sure I liked him saying that. I had a nice little cry at the thought of him leaving for 2 years someday and then we had tasty fruit pizza. 

Ingredients (8-12 slices)

I doubled the crust part but not the avocado part. This made enough crust for one cookie sheet and there was lots of avocado whip left even though it was not doubled.

Cinnamon-sugar pizza crust

• 1 cup + 3/4 cup white bread flour, divided 
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 2 & 1/4 tsp pizza yeast (no proofing required)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2/3 cup very warm water
• more flour for kneading dough

Avocado-Lime Whip

• 4 avocados
• Fresh lime juice from half a lime (approx 1 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1-2 tbsp coconut milk (We didn't have any so I left this out)
• 12 tbsp icing sugar (confectioner’s)

Fruit

• Fruit salsa: Chop up a mixture of strawberries, mandarin oranges, mango, kiwi, and raspberries. Add in blueberries too. You will want about 2-3 cups of the salsa.
• Fruit layer: Mandarin, strawberries (sliced), blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi (sliced), mango (sliced), and whatever else your little heart desires! Peach would be good too.

Instructions

For crust

• 1. Preheat oven to 500F. I did 425 F In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, plus the salt, sugar, cinnamon, yeast. Stir well. Now quickly add 2/3 cup very warm water along with 3 tbsp oil. Stir well. It will be very sticky but not to worry.
• 2. Now add in 3/4 cup- 1 cup more flour, gradually, as you stir. Once the flour is in, grab the dough and place on floured surface.
• 3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding flour as it gets tacky. After 5 mins the dough should be smooth and not tacky. Form into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover the ball with a bit of oil so it doesnt dry out. Now cover the bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours. You can punch out the air halfway through.
• 4. After rising time, punch air out and spread into an oiled pizza pan I used a cookie sheet or you can place it directly onto a preheated pizza stone. Sprinkle with lots of sugar and bake at 
• 500F 425 for 14-15 mins. until golden. Cooking time may vary so watch carefully.

For avocado whip

• In a food processor, add in the avocado, lime juice, and agave. Process until smooth. Now add in the vanilla, melted coconut oil, and coconut milk. As the last step, add in the icing sugar very gradually until the consistency you want is achieved. Cool in fridge for about 30 minutes before using. Spread over the base of cooled & cooked pizza crust.
• The avocado whip is AMAZING! I couldn't believe how good it was. I made lots of extra fruit salsa and we just dipped fruit in the avocado whip after the pizza was gone. Its will be my new fruit dip recipe from now on.

For Fruit

• After you have spread on the avocado-lime whip, it is time to layer on the fruit. I started with an outer layer of fruit salsa, followed by a layer of sliced fruit. After those two layers, I did a very small layer of sprinkled coconut, followed by a layer of raspberries, and then finally fruit salsa. I left the inner circle open as I was going to put a large strawberry there, but then we ate it and that was that!

Food Glorious Food...

I feel like I've been posting lots of recipes lately- I think its because food was so disgusting for so long that I'm excited to like cooking and baking again.

This date squares recipe is MAGICAL. If you are in to date squares, you'll never go back.

5 Ingredient No Bake Vegan Dates Squares! 

By Ohsheglows

5 Ingredient No Bake Vegan Date Squares

Adapted from KB Blissologist.

Crust:

• 1.5 cups whole raw almonds
• 1.5 cups regular oats (for Gluten-free, use GF oats)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Date filling:

• 25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (~2.5 cups)
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8 in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry. I didn’t need to though! Remove from processor, set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.

2. Grab your pitted and roughly chopped dates and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. You can add a tiny bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.

3. Sprinkle on the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate in the fridge until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Make These Now

5 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Chews

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Crisp Rice cereal (I used Granola)
• 1/4 cup smooth all-natural peanut butter
• 3 tbsp organic brown rice syrup (I used half Agave and half maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Directions: Line a plate with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the peanut butter, brown rice syrup, 2 tbsp chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. Microwave on high for 35-45 seconds. Stir well and immediately add in the 1 tsp cocoa powder. Stir until incorporated. Immediately stir in the rice crisp cereal until all rice crispies are coated (I did all this in a pot on low heat.)

Wet hands thoroughly and shape the mixture into ‘golf-balls’. Press mixture together firmly into balls so it will hold. Wet hands after each ball is formed so the mixture will not stick to your hands. Place the balls onto parchment paper and freeze for 5 minutes. You can keep these chews in the freezer in a sealed container. Let the chews sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before consuming. ( I pressed mine into a small cake pan instead. I was too lazy to make balls. Then I put them in the fridge for half an hour and they were perfect.)

Makes 7 golf-ball sized chews. ( Double it for the perfect family size.)

Press firmly into balls and place on a plate or small baking sheet lined with parchment. Freeze for about 5-10 minutes.

For Chickpea Lovers Like Myself

From my favorite cooking blog:
Oh She Glows

Easy Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned chickpeas*
• 3-4 cups white vinegar
• 1 tsp Coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Take chickpeas and vinegar and place in a medium sized pot. Add a dash of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Let sit in pot for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425F. Carefully drain chickpeas. Place on lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Massage with fingers until fully coated. Roast for 45 minutes, flipping once half way through. Keep a careful eye on them after 35 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t burn. The goal here is crispy and golden chickpeas, not black…lol. Enjoy as a high protein snack or as a side to a lunch or dinner.

Also note: When I brought the cooked chickpeas to a boil, some of the peas split open and some of the skins came off. Not to worry if this happens-it will turn out regardless!

I loved these! The salt & vinegar taste was amazing and really came through.

Yummy Raw

Dessert

Nut Butter Cups

makes about 8 cups ~ 

1/2 cup almond butter (I made peanut butter)

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (I didn't have any of this)

2 tablespoons agave

pinch salt

1/2 cup coconut oil (make sure it's a quality brand)

3/4 cup raw cacao powder (don't worry it's only a million dollars a bag)

6 tablespoons agave (I added honey to sweeten it up)

pinch salt 

This is a very basic version of the nut butter cup. Mix together the almond butter, nutritional yeast, agave, and salt. Form into round disks that will fit inside cupcake liners (I rolled small balls then flatened them with the back of a spoon) and place on parchment paper. Stick in the freezer until chilled well.

Melt the cacao butter or coconut oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Pour a thin layer of chocolate into cupcake liners and then put in the freezer to chill to harden. 

Put the nut butter disk on top of the frozen chocolate layer and pour on another layer of chocolate. Freeze this for about a half hour. Guilt free Reese PB cups- what more could you ask for in this life...

Dinner

Pad Thai

(as in Raw Pad Thai, not King and I on Whyte Pad Thai- 

my fave restaurant ever. Thanks for the good times Voravongs...).

2 medium zucchini

1 carrot

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

large handful mung bean sprouts

(I added asian cabbage)

sauce

4 tablespoons almond butter 

1/2 in piece ginger, peeled

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon agave

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (thanks Corrine for the real deal hot spice mix from Italy. Worked like a charm!)

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons chopped cashews

This dish made me fall in love with raw food all over again and is something I can see going over well with non raw friends and family.

Noodle the zucchini and carrot using a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer. Toss with the bell pepper, green onion, and bean sprouts.

In a bullet type blender, puree all the sauce ingredients until very creamy. Pour over noodles, toss lightly, serve.

Our Honey Bear Family

We don't use any white sugar at our house, instead we go through pails and pails of honey. We use honey for everything! Tea, toast, cookies, pancakes, bread, granola... I often find Jacob sneaking in the honey pot. While in Banff, I found these Honey Stinger energy chews. They come in a few flavors and they are so so good and 95% organic. They have an easy to use website where you can order a case for $22.50 Below I have copied the ingredients.

Raw

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
• 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Directions

1. Place avocado, banana, soy milk, cocoa powder, agave nectar, lemon juice, and coconut into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Divide into small containers, and store in the refrigerator 1 hour until set.

Sometimes I use honey instead of agave but sometimes I just leave it without sweetener b/c the bananas are good enough. I have never tried the coconut. I use normal milk if we don't have soy milk and it works fine too. My kids LOVE it.