Dessert - Don't be afraid!

I had a client ask me for a sweet treat idea, and so I needed to get creative on this one.  Part of eating healthy is keeping an open mind and exploring new options, so here goes:

Vegan Black Bean Brownies (I combined a couple of recipes to make this one.  Others had too much fat or sugar)

Servings: 9

These brownies are a great alternative to traditional brownies!

Warning: Because there isn't any flour they come out pretty dense in case you are looking for a cake brownie.

Note: Rolled oats may substituted for the instant oats. Put the rolled oats in the food processor.  Use optional sugar if your bananas are still green and not very ripe. (I used ripe bananas that were a perfect sweetener!)

Ingredients:
•15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
•2 whole bananas
•⅓ cup honey or for a rich taste maple syrup or molasses
•¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
•1 tbsp cinnamon
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•¼ cup raw sugar (optional)
•¼ cup instant oats (you can definitely use Gluten Free 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.

If you find these brownies are too soft, add another 1/4 cup oats or flour.

If you give the recipe a try, let me know what you think!!
mer

Super Simple Sloppy Joes

In taking advantage of our beautiful venison meat, I decided to make sloppy joes this past week.  As I told Paul what was on the menu, he asked if I was going to buy, "Manwich?"  After spending a moment trying to figure out what Manwich was, I realized that I might not actually know what a "real" sloppy joe tastes like.  The only ones I have had are either homemade from scratch or from Mother's, a Veggie Restaurant in Austin.  So, please, be the judge and let me know if these are real...either way they sure were tasty!

Super Simple Sloppy Joe's

1lb Ground Venison, Turkey Breast, or Veggie Crumbles
1 diced medium white onion
1 diced small green pepper
1 large can pure tomato paste, no salt
1 can diced tomatoes, no salt
cajun seasoning or spicy seasoning of your choice

In a large sauce pan on medium/high heat, saute onion and green pepper until softened.  Add ground protein source until cooked through.  Add diced tomatoes and seasoning.  Season to taste.  Add tomato paste, 2 T at a time and mix in.  Let cook over medium/low heat continuing to stir for about 5 minutes more, and serve!

Lots of Cooking!

Or should I say, "lots of photo downloading."  We aren't going hungry here that's for sure.  I just haven't been on top of the photo downloading game.  Like with any new routine, it just takes some time.

Last week we ran into our friend, Derick, who said, "when are we having gnocchi again?"  No better time than the present so I was excited to present a lovely meal for our wonderful friends Saturday night. 

On the menu:
Spinach and Fig salad
Gnocchi with Hot Italian Beef Sausage and Mild Turkey Sausage - with sundried tomatoes (if you want to keep this meal vegetarian you can replace the sausage with chopped fresh peppers and some hot italian seasoning)
A new spin on Boston Cream Pie

The Spinach and Fig Salad was a super easy hit.

Spinach

Figs (sliced)
Parmesan Shaved (optional)
2 slices of Fresh Sourdough Bread cut and toasted for croutons
Balsamic Vinegar

To make the dressing, I reduced balsamic vinegar with about 6 figs and mashed the figs as the vinegar thickened.  I then strained it.  It was a thick and rich dressing.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Sundried Tomatoes
3 lbs Gnocchi (I can give you the recipe if you would like to make it from scratch or you can buy it at Central Market or Mandolas Italian Market)
4 Hot Italian Beef Sausages (Fresh not Packaged)
2 Mild Turkey Sausages
1 jar sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
20 Sundried tomatoes rehydrated and not packed in oil
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (high quality italian)
large bunch of fresh basil

1) Cut up the sundried tomatoes not in oil and put them in a container.  I like using my kitchen sheers to do this.  Then open the jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, cut them, and add the tomatoes and oil to the container.  This saves about $5+ in sundried tomatoes and gives plenty of olive oil flavor to all of them. (Extras keep beautifully in your fridge, so don't be afraid to make bonus...you will note that I used the remainder to roast chicken yesterday!)

2) In a large suace pan, cook the sausage to just done.  Strain out the juice or any excess oil, wipe the pan and put the sausage back in on low/med heat.  Add both sets of tomatoes and about 1T of the reserved olive oil (this is the only oil in the dish).  Again, with the sheers, cut the cleaned fresh basil in strips directly into the pan.

3) Let simmer until all the flavors are on spot.  The hot sausage will add a nice kick

4) Cook the Gnocchi al dente (do not over cook or it will be mush), and mix the gnocchi into the sausage meal.  We got 4 servings + 2 large bonus servings for the men + 2 meals of leftovers from the above!!  Makes lots of food

Boston Cream

Paul's favorite part of a Boston Cream Pie is the Cream which is a Bavarian Cream.  Mine was always a big hit until we went to Tartine in San Francisco.  (An absolute MUST if you are there).  The two Eclairs he has had have been stamped in his memory.  The Cream filling is a vanilla bean filling.  So to honor this, I created a vanilla bean bavarian cream.  Since I didn't want it to get lost in the heaviness of cake, I created layers of pastry, cream, and then chocolate ganache.  Here is the finished product.

I took the extra cream, and pastry, and made my first Napolean for a party on Sunday night.  It didn't stand a chance, so I am hoping it was a hit!

Happy Bellies!
mer

Back to Cooking!

No time like the present to get back on track with my entries. 

Last week I made one of my easiest flavorful meals: Enchiladas and Re "Fried" Black Beans.  Paul loves this meal, but don't know if he knows just how easy it is :)



Old Pic of Same Dish (will add another tomorrow)



Enchiladas



Ingredients:

1 bag frozen fajita mix peppers (no seasoning or sauce)

1 can no salt added black beans, strained and rinsed



1 container pre-made Pico de Gallo from the produce section of the grocery

¾ cup low fat Mexican Blend Cheese (I often skip the cheese)

10 Fresh Corn Tortillas

1 Jar of your favorite low sodium salsa

Instructions:



Preheat oven to 375. On the stove top, pour the pepper mix in large pan over medium/high heat. Once heated through, add in Pico de Gallo and black beans. Once heated through, add in ¼ cup of cheese and let it melt. In an oven proof pan, coat the bottom with salsa. Place a large spoonful of mixture into tortillas and wrap and place seem side down in pan. When complete, top with remainder salsa and cheese and place in oven for 10-15 until cheese is melted.

Tip: can be prepped and stored overnight. Prior to serving heat in oven for 20 min or until heated through.

Nutrition for 2 Enchiladas:

Calories: 215cal, Fat: 4g, Protein: 15g, Carbohydrates: 44g

Re"fried" Black Beans



Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 ½ cup chopped green onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ tsp cumin

2 (15-oz) cans black beans, no salt added, undrained

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro



Instructions:

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender. Stir in cumin and beans, and partially mash mixture. Cook until thick, stirring frequently. Finally, stir in cilantro.

Nutrition for ½ cup servings:



Calories: 167kcal, Fat: 2g, Protein: 9g, Carbohydrates: 28g

Meals from my weekend dinner company to come tomorrow!

mer

Thank Goodness for a loaded freezer!

There is nothing worse than being sick and still needing meals prepped.  This week I have been ill, and was so thankful for my constant inventory.

So far this week:

- I have been able to enjoy leftover soup from the freezer.
- Paul has been able to work his way through: leftover pasta from the weekend; beans and rice from the freezer; and chicken pre-prepped from the freezer

This has allowed me a break from cooking, not having to expose Paul to my germs, and not having to eat out when I am not feeling well.  When you are ill, you still have to eat and having a back-up this week has been a life-saver!

Do you have back-up in your freezer?  This is a good week to get there if you don't!

I'll be back with new meals at the end of the week!
mer

Quick Dinner and BEETS!

I had to do a quick check and make sure I hadn't titled another post with beets.  I don't want to scare off my five readers!

Over the past few days I have eaten out more than I typically do over the course of two months.  My preference is to eat home-cooked meals, but with celebrations and out of town guests sometimes eating out has to happen.  But, much to my very pleasant surprise I have been able to have beets at 90% of my outings!

First stop: Uchiko 

Amuse Bouche (mouth amuser) was a bit of strawberry and red beet.  I ended up with two "bites" and my mouth was quite amused.  What a lovely tangy and and sweet taste.  (I am seeing a strawberry and beet salad in the future)

Salad: Golden Beets with micro greens!  WOW!  It was so light and flavorful.  They even crisped some of the beets, which just added to the texture.  I must admit to being very tempted to skip tasting any other food and just ordering another salad.


Next Stop: Black Star Co-op
We can skip the discussion on what the actual benefit to being a member is...still waiting for someone to fill us in on that.


BUT, they really hit a home run with their menu!


While the beet salad was tempting, I don't eat blue cheese or candied pecans so it seemed a bit of a waste.  Instead, I ordered the side salad and asked them to put beets on it.  Score!  The beets were super fresh and tasty.


I ordered the grilled vegetable sandwich (minus the aioli) and to my utter surprise it was filled with grilled BEETS, among other tasty vegetables.  Grilled golden and red beets, thinly sliced and pure heaven.  WOW!  Paul enjoyed the beet juice soaked bread, but I was perfectly content with just enjoying the inside of the sandwich.


Of course, we can skip the moment when my father-in-law ordered some plate of tempura fried vegetables and I had to see a lovely beet covered in batter.  It just made me sad for the beet.  And, let's be honest, the fried broccoli just didn't look edible.


Since we were going to be eating out so much, I kept things simple at the end of the week.  One of the staples in my freezer are the flash frozen wild fish that are available at HEB and Whole Foods.  They go straight from fresh to flash freeze, and really taste quite good.  I suggest sticking with the white fish or salmon, as the Tuna Steak is just best totally fresh.  I made a quick dinner of:

Grilled Mahi Mahi, Spanish Rice, and Smashed Beans
Mahi Mahi filet
Brown Rice

Frozen Peas

Smashed Beans (Black and Pinto)

Onion

Salsa (low sodium)

Mahi Mahi Filet: I just grilled on the stove-top

Spanish Rice: Brown Rice mixed with Peas, Cayenne, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, diced tomato optional (you can also just toss the rice and vegetables with salsa if you prefer)

Smashed Beans: I was fortunate to have fresh beans in my freezer from my mom (her specialty), but you can use canned beans strained and rinsed, heat them until soft, and smash them (think refried beans but better) add onion or salsa for flavor as you would like.

Super easy meal that you can throw together from your pantry and freezer in about 15 minutes!!

Happy Monday!
mer

Soup for the Cold

I made soup last week for the cold weather that blanketed Texas.  It has become one of my favorites: Vegan Tomato Artichoke Soup.  Don't let the Vegan part scare you!!  The Artichokes add the texture to leave the soup really just tasting like a rich Tomato Bisque.

So Very Easy!!

- 28oz can crushed tomatoes (I use organic no salt added)

- medium onion diced

- tomato puree (of course you can puree your own)
- garlic (about 3 cloves chopped)
- Italian Seasoning/ Herbs de Provence (tons)
- Artichokes in water (sometimes hard to find, so if you find them in oil just strain and rinse them)
- 14oz can diced tomatoes (drained)

This time around I also added some fresh spinach and white beans (cannelini beans) just to test them out with the recipe....fantastic addition!  Next time around I will add a 14oz can of the beans and probably 1.5 cups of spinach.

In the pot heat up 1tsp or less of olive oil on the stove top.  Saute the onions until soft.  Add all the other ingredients and bring them to a soft boil.  Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until a nice thick soup forms.  Add the beans and spinach, let them get soft and then run the blender again.  That's it!

If you are using a regular blender, work in batches and be careful with the hot soup.

 Paul, of course, wanted his with the addition of a grilled cheese sandwich.  I used Provolone cheese, his favorite :)

Stay warm tomorrow, and stay tuned for Black Beans, Spanish Rice, and Mahi Mahi tomorrow night!
mer