recipe: black bean brownies

you may not think that black bean brownies are particularly fashionable, but i will vehemently disagree.  it's often trendy to be vegetarian/vegan (mostly as represented by celebrity culture). i've been both in my life, and i simply could not stick to it. serious props to all of my life-long vegetarian and vegan friends. i still don't eat a ton of red meat and other carnivore heavy foods, but i do enjoy myself a good burger every now and again. but, i digress...

brownies are supposed to be delicious and guilty delectable treats. right? right? these brownies really are an amazing invention. i'm always on the lookout for ways to enjoy sweet treats without all of the added bad stuff (butter, loads of refined sugar, calories, etc.). these brownies do just that! the black beans replace the flour, so friends with gluten allergies can still enjoy these babies! and with only eggs, the animal products are limited.

ingredients:
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder*

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup white sugar

*i added the baking powder based on some of the reviews of the recipe, to make the brownies more cake-like. i also omitted chocolate chips and instant coffee from the original recipe.

instructions:

preheat oven to 350

lightly grease 8x8 square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

combine black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and baking powder into a blender (i used my food processor)

bake in preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, approximately 30 minutes.

nutrition information: calories: 126 | fat: 5.3g | cholesterol: 40mg

enjoy!

easy as pie. rather: easy as pasta.

this is one of my "go to" meals for busy week night dinners. how easy is it to brown some ground turkey (add a tablespoon of italian spices), cook pasta (whole wheat linguine for us) and assemble a salad? yes, that easy. the result is delicious and nutritious. yes, i meant that to rhyme.

xoxo,
pilar

home skillet

tonight husband made dinner. gotta love when my hubby cooks. and tonight he was so proud of these potatoes he could hardly stop smiling to eat his dinner. confession: we are 'home fries' fanatics. our most favorite place to brunch in the city m.henry. their house potatoes are out-of-this-world amazing. while we can't brunch there everyday, we do, every so often try to re-create their masterpiece at home. these potatoes (by far) have come the closest to meeting the match of the m.henry potatoes. and all the credit goes to hubby. well, and rachel ray because that's where he found the recipe:

ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grill seasoning (hubs used rotisserie chicken flavoring)

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

instructions:

preheat oven to 500 degrees 

coarsely chop potatoes and transfer to a nonstick baking sheet. toss with oil, peppers, onions and seasonings and place in the oven for 25 minutes, turning twice. 

enjoy!

to finish the meal, hubs added scrambled egg whites (with ground turkey and shredded cheddar), and a salad. yum!

xoxo,

pilar

on fire

to celebrate the end of the weekend and the start of the work week, i decided that we should create a new tradition: pizza sunday! usually we order in or pick up a few frozen pizzas. this week i decided we should re-instate another old tradition (and by old, i mean something that we did more frequently when we were first married... 4 years ago) homemade pizza. it's so simple, and really delicious. the best part is that you get to pick your own toppings! this way you can control the ingredients, flavors, and calories!

ingredients: 

store-bought pizza dough (i highly recommend whole foods' fresh dough - it's so yummy!)

olive oil

pizza sauce

shredded mozzarella

favorite toppings for us: sliced onions, chopped spinach, and turkey pepperoni 

preparation:
pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
let dough sit out at room temperature until soft
spray pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray
stretch dough across pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to coat top of dough (it adds a lot of flavor!)
assemble pizza: sauce, cheese, toppings
cook pizza for 17-20 minutes until cooked through

serve:

i love cheese, so i add freshly grated parmesan while it's still hot

red pepper flakes are also a great way to spice up a slice

... perhaps the most perfect way to top off the meal: a glass of wine. 

(this is one of my favorites: the naked grape's pinot noir)

happy work week!

xoxo,
pilar

into the kitchen

brunch: a combination of breakfast & lunch. invented in the late 1800s, it remains a favorite for lazy weekends & city people. as a kid, i thought it was fabulous because i could order breakfast or lunch. this recipe is my favorite brunch to make at home: asparagus & fontina frittatas.

a family favorite, they are simple & delicious. although traditional frittatas are made in a skillet, i prefer to make them in individual servings. they are easy to serve and eat.

ingredients:

6 large brown eggs

12 ounces of asparagus, trimmed, cut to 1-inch pieces

3 ounces of fontina cheese, diced

1 vine ripened tomato (seeds removed), cut to 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup milk

*for the highest quality, use all organic ingredients, and the freshest veggies & eggs that you can afford.

preparation:

pre-heat oven to 375

beat eggs, add milk, salt & pepper

sauté asparagus in 1 tablespoon olive oil until tender; add tomatoes until softened

spray 12 count muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray

combine cheese, asparagus & tomato; divide evenly among muffin tin

cover with egg mixture, divide evenly among muffin tin

bake for 20 minutes or until egg mixture puffs & has set in the middle

sprinkle with parsley before serving

eat!