Ultimate Black Bean Brownies (You REALLY can't taste the beans!)

I don't like black beans and neither does my toddler.  I was skeptical. Vegan, gluten-free brownies made with black beans and flax seeds? How can these be good? 

I admit, I wasn't convinced after they just came out of the oven. They were good, but not necessarily worth posting on my blog.  Then I put them away for the night in the refrigerator and... YUM! Straight from the refrigerator, they are sweet, creamy, fudgy and delicious. You can't taste the black beans at all. They take under 10 minutes to prepare. I'm a big fan.

Here is the recipe from MinimalistBaker with beautiful pictures.

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
• 2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)
• 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (I generally substitute cocoa for carob powder but wasn't convinced it would work in this recipe. I will try carob next time)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping 1/2 cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture (I used coconut sugar, finely ground)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
3. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
5. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. 25 minutes worked for me. Don't bother to use a toothpick, it won't come out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 140 calories Fat: 6 g Carbohydrates: 22 g Sugar: 9 g Sodium: 163 mg Fiber: 7 h Protein: 5 g

Gluten-free Ginger Spice Cookies

This fast, easy and delicious recipe was adapted from Roben Ryberg's recipe in her Gluten-Free Kitchen cookbook. I usually have all the ingredients on hand which makes it even more appealing. If you like ginger, you will be happy you tried it!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil and sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the flour and mix well.
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. The dough should look like traditional cookie dough.
5. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto the prepared pan. Lightly press the dough balls with a fork to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
6. Bake for 8 minutes until they brown at the edges. They will crisp more as they cool.

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and suggests leaving the vanilla out for more "bite". I much prefer 2 tablespoons, WITH vanilla. Adjust to your own preference for ginger.
• The original recipe calls for brown sugar which is usually refined. I don't keep it around. I mention it because not everyone has coconut sugar and others choose not to use it for sustainability reasons. I ran out of coconut sugar when trying to double the recipe this week and used part maple flakes ---  delicious. You could probably use all maple flakes if brown sugar and coconut sugar don't work for you.
• The first time I made the recipe, I forgot the xanthan gum. They came out much chewier but tasted great. As I always say, if you are sensitive to xanthan gum, leave it out.
• On a whim in San Francisco a few years ago, I bought Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice. I just finished it on this last batch of ginger cookies! What now? I might try this simple recipe or another one next time.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pancakes (Gluten Free)

These are my favourite pancakes! I'm not sure how this local, organic, gluten free pancake mix from Cuisine l'Angelique ended up in my kitchen cupboard but I'm glad it did. I'm sure you can make your own blend or find something similar in a store (l'Angelique is made with a blend of brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth flours; tapioca starch, ground flax seeds, baking powder no alum, sea salt).

The following recipe was included in the box and intended for a serving of two waffles. I make a few little pancakes instead or double/triple the recipe to serve a toddler and two adults.

• 5 tablespoons of Cuisine l'Angelique pancake and waffle mix
• 3 tsp of cocoa (I use carob powder)
• 1 tablespoon of ground hazelnuts (I keep these in the fridge and grind them in a coffee grider)

Mix all of the ingredients together. Then add the following:

• 2 tsp of maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons of almond milk
• 1 large organic egg
• 1 tsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Using a whisk, mix all ingredients together. Let stand for 15 minutes. Heat your cast iron skillet on low-medium heat and throw in some coconut oil.  Spoon in pancake mix and cook for a few minutes on each side.

Zucchini Bread

Here's a delicious way to add extra vegetables to your toddler's diet. This was a big hit for the adults in the house too. Zucchini bread can be served as a snack or as a side dish--- I indexed it as a side since I already have a lot of desserts on the blog!

I swapped the agave for maple syrup and used coconut instead of olive oil but otherwise followed the original recipe from Fit and Fab Life.

Ingredients

• 3 zucchinis, shredded. (Make sure they are well drained/dry as possible)
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed mixed with 5 tablespoons of water in a separate small bowl (this is your “eggs”)
• 1 1/2 cups of Gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup Olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (It's sweet. You can get away with less if you want)
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

(Optional ingredients include: Raisins, Walnuts, Chocolate chips…get creative!!)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F
2. In very small bowl, mix flax sees and water in bowl and set aside so it gets thicker and kind of “goopy”
3. Next, in large bowl, mix olive oil, vanilla, cinnamon, agave, “egg” mixture, salt and shredded zucchini into bowl. Mix well.
4. Then add flour, baking soda and baking powder into same bowl and mix until all ingredients are wet.
5. Coat baking pan with olive oil (i used a mini loaf pan), and pour mixture in and bake for about 20-30 min depending on how big the pan is. Bake till a toothpick or knife comes out clean without mixture on it.

Note: My toothpick came out dry after about 25 minutes. Shortly after the pan was taken out of the oven, the loaves drooped. When I cut into it, it seemed uncooked. I put it back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes and all was fine. Maybe it was the coconut oil? I will use olive oil next time and less sweetener too.

Mini veggie frittatas (toddler approved!)

My little one used to eat anything I put on her plate. It was a good run. As she approaches 2.5, she's becoming a lot pickier with her vegetables. I need to find ways to sneak in more veg. (Note: I always tell her about the "hidden" vegetables and still serve whole vegetables for her to eat).            

As I searched for inspiration, I found a number of frittata recipes that I thought could work with a little modification--- most recipes contain lots of cheese, many have cow's milk, ham/bacon and flour.

If you don't spend much time in the kitchen and need a precise recipe, this post is not for you. I am sharing an approximate version of what I made along with one recipe that I used for inspiration. Martha Stewart recommended minis as an appetizer (great idea) and posted a beautiful picture of what they look like. Surprisingly, mine weren't so far off!

Great finger food, no morning mess. My daughter ate at least 10 of these. I've never made frittata before and am not much of an egg eater - I thought these were delicious too!

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1.5 cups of grated or chopped veggies (carrots, cauliflower, sweet potato - whatever you have on hand)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (+ some to grease the pan)
• 1 large handful of fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil and rosemary from my garden)
• 4 organic eggs
• 2-3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F  (you can probably bake at 400F for less time)
2. Grease a mini muffin pan with olive oil  (24 mini muffins). Warning: even though I used a non-stick pan and greased well, they still stuck a little)
3. Saute the onion with olive oil until translucent (about 1 tbsp oil)
4. Add the grated veggies and cook until soft 
5. In a high speed blender, puree the onions, veggies and herbs with the almond milk (they don't need to be pureed. It was a last minute decision for me- a way to hide the veggies)
6. Add eggs to the blender - a few seconds in a Vitamix should do.  Ideally, you would lightly beat the eggs with a whisk and mix in the rest of your ingredients. I was too lazy).
7. Add remaining olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper -  give it a quick blend
8. Spoon the whole mixture into the muffin tray, filling to the rim
9. Bake for about 15 minutes. Broil for 5 to get it a little crispy on top
10. Remove the mini frittatas and serve. 

Lemon squares (gluten and dairy free)

I love lemon desserts. I love anything with lemon, actually. Growing up, my mother made the BEST lemon squares in the world. While it's tough to compete with the taste of butter and white flour in baking, these Meyer Lemon Bars are truly amazing. I did not change a thing.

The crust will come out nice and crispy, but as some commented on the original post, it will get soggy after after a few days. Eat up! Also, the recipe calls for Meyer lemons, including the peel. You will need extra sweetener if you use regular lemons which are not as sweet.

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour, aka almond meal
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon Topping:

• 1 whole organic Meyer lemon, washed (organic or unsprayed)
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (approx 2 additional lemons)
• 4 large organic eggs, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons tapioca starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (make sure it isn’t too hot when you add it in, you don’t want it to cook the eggs)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut for topping or the traditional powdered sugar works, too.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. 
2. Line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going in each direction. 
3. In a medium bowl, mix all of the crust ingredients together. You may want to get your hands in there to really get it mixed together well. This will be a thick crumbly crust that you will need press onto bottom of pan. Make sure it is even and gets into the corners. 
4. Place in oven to pre-bake the crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven.
5. While the crust is baking, cut the whole lemon in half, remove the seeds, and cut the lemon into chunks. Put the chunks of lemon in a food processor or blender (Vitamix works well!) along with the honey and additional lemon juice, and let it run until the lemon is completely broken up. 
6. Add the eggs, arrowroot powder, salt, and melted coconut oil and blend until almost smooth. (A few tiny bits of lemon pieces are ok and totally encouraged.)
7. Once the crust comes out of the oven, lower the temperature of the oven to 300ºF. Pour the lemon topping over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes or just until the filling is no longer jiggling and is barely set.
8. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely. Once totally cool, carefully lift out the bars out grasping the parchment paper. Cut the bars into squares or rectangles. 
9. Add shredded coconut or sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving, if desired.

These bars will keep covered or in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days (I prefer them cold, from the fridge). The crust will definitely get soggy as they sit, however. You can also freeze the lemon bars for up to one month, letting them come to room temperature before serving.

Almond Sugar Cookies

Another quick, superb and simple cookie treat by Detoxinista. I've never made her frosting but it looks great.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 cups almond flour (I use homemade)
• ¼ cup coconut oil, softened (or use vegan butter instead)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the frosting:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie ingredients until a thick, creamy batter is formed.
3. Using a cookie scoop, drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Press and shape the dough with your fingers to desired shape (note: To make cut-out cookies, it helps to chill the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes first!)
4. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350F, or until the edges turn golden brown.
5. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the frosting, simply cream together the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract and salt, until well combined. If the coconut oil starts to melt (it melts at temperatures above 76 degrees), briefly place the mixture in the fridge to help it set.
7. Frost the cooled cookies, and let them set in the fridge for a more solid-frosting.

Notes

I recommend storing these cookies in the fridge, to prevent the frosting from getting too soft and sticky, but they are delicious when served chilled or at room temperature!