Black Beans for dinner and dessert!

Black beans in a dinner dish isn't too weird. But, it may sound rather odd to some of you to use black beans in a dessert. Let me assure you both are delicious and healthy! I stumbled upon both of these recipes during my 3 month vegan trial. The dinner recipe is for "Vegan Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili" and the dessert recipe is "black bean brownies." These recipes are so good that I continue to make them even though I am no longer eating strictly vegan. Honestly, I make the brownies at least once a week. No joke. 

So here is the link to the Chili recipe: milkfreemom.com

This chili is so delicious and trust me, you won't miss the beef. It is very flavorful and fills you up. And with black beans, quinoa, and sweet potatoes it is packed with nutrients, protein and fiber. Here are a few pictures of my chili simmering in the pot. If only you could smell it!

Once everything has been added to the pot, you just have to stir occasionally and wait for it to thicken.



You can let it get as thick as you want, depending on your chili consistency. You could easily top it off with some sour cream or avocado, but it so good as is, that I just eat it straight with no extra toppings.

The black bean brownies are by far my most frequently made recipe in the last 8 months. I use it as my after the kids go to bed snack. It can be made healthy enough that it is practically guilt free, while still satisfying my chocolate desires. The link to the original black bean brownie recipe can be found here: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/
What makes these brownies so great? Well, in my opinion it is the fact that there is no flour or white sugar.
I make these brownies a few different ways. Seriously, I make it so often that I no longer refer to the recipe and change the sweetness depending on my mood. Below, I will post two different versions of the recipe. The first version I recommend if you haven't tried very many "healthy desserts." This version is more sweet and has a better texture. My second version is a much healthier version, so it is not as sweet and has no oil in it. I'm sure most people would probably find my second version a little gross, but oh well, consider this my warning. Make version one, before you even think about trying version 2.

Here are my black beans cooking. To save money, I usually buy them dry and cook them myself, but the easiest way to go is to just buy the can.

And here is the batter after being in my food processor for a few minutes. This recipe needs a food processor for best results. When my kids hear the food processor turn on, they come running to get a spoonful of batter, don't believe me...

They chow down on this stuff! I have to quickly get it in the pan and then the oven before they eat it all on me. I forgot to take a pic of the finished product, but you definitely want to use a small pan like an 8x8 for this and line it with tin foil.

Here is version 1:

One 15oz can if black beans or 1.5 cups drained and rinsed.

1/2 cup of quick oats or ground flax

2-3 tbsp of cocoa powder

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients for a few minutes in a food processor. Line small 8x8 pan with tin foil. Spread batter in pan and place in oven bake for 18minutes. Let cool completely before eating.

Even Healthier Version -try at your own risk

1.5 cups black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup ground flax

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Make and bake the same as version one.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

When it comes to breakfast, I have stayed away from cereals for the last couple years. After eating them almost every morning for breakfast for 20+ years, they have kind of lost their appeal.  I have gone through different phases when it comes to breakfast since giving up the cereal. I have done eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, etc for different periods of time. Currently, my usual breakfast is some toast with peanut butter made from home made whole wheat bread. It is simple, quick (provided that I already made the bread), and healthy.

But, one of my favorite treats to make myself for breakfast is Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. They are quick to throw together and only take 20 minutes to bake. Plus, they taste delicious and can be vegan, fat free, and sugar free (with the exception of the chocolate chips, which are totally optional). And they taste sooo good that I'll have them for breakfast and as a late night treat. 

My recipe is adapted from this: Healthied Up Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Her recipe is pretty healthy and she also has a second version of the recipe that isn't so healthy for when you want something a little more indulgent.

I took her recipe one step further and use applesauce as the main sweetener. Success? I think so. It is still tasty and it makes it even healthier. This bar is hard to describe. It is not fluffy. It is chewy, moist and dense. Not really muffin like or quick bread like. I guess you'll just have to try it and see for yourself.

What makes this recipe quick is it is a one bowl recipe. Just throw everything in the bowl and mix it. The first ingredients are some regular rolled oats and whole wheat flour. I grind my own wheat and use soft white wheat from Wheat Montana.

 And here are the rest of the ingredients in the bowl. The applesauce is sugar free. The chocolate chips are not sugar free, but you could omit them or use sugar free ones. The red stuff is some freeze dried strawberries. This makes them extra yummy and even more healthy! 

 My freeze dried strawberries are from Thrive Life. They have a ton of freeze dried berries to choose from. I think you could easily use freeze dried raspberries or blueberries instead of the strawberries, or even do a combination. Amber Larson is my consultant and you can order from her here.

 Once it is all in the bowl, just give it a quick mix. My kids love the batter and since there are no eggs, you could totally eat it as just batter.

 Here it is all ready for the oven. I like to line my pan with foil for easy clean up. This recipe makes a small batch for an 8x8 pan. If you have a big family, you may want to double the recipe. 

 And here it is fresh out of the oven. This tastes good warm from the oven, cold, or even reheated in the microwave. 

 Here is my breakfast. I love topping this with a little peanut butter and a glass of water to wash it down. It would probably be even better with a glass of milk, but as part of my healthier diet I drink only water during the day and stay away from dairy.

So here is my recipe:

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

§  2 C. Whole Wheat Flour (you could also try all purpose or GF flours)

§  1/2 C. Rolled Oats 

§  1 C. unsweetened Apple Sauce

§  1 T. Ground Flax Seed

§  1/2 C. Almond Milk

§  3 t. Vanilla

§  1 t. baking powder

§  1/2 t. salt

§  1/2 -2/3 C. mix ins of choice (I did 1/4 C. choc. chips and 1/4 C. freeze dried berries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Line an 8x8 pan with tin foil and press batter into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Be sure to let me know if you try it!

"Go To" Arm Exercise video

So, as many of you may know, I went on a vegan diet a few months ago to help me lose weight. I am down 23 pounds from when I changed my eating habits, something I will probably blog about in more detail another time...
While dieting, I also tried to kick my exercise routine up a notch. I have always been pretty good about exercising regularly. My usual routine is to jog/walk on my treadmill for 20-30 minutes depending on how much time I have. But, that is just cardiovascular. When I started my diet, I also tried to do more strength training exercises. I didn't go crazy or anything. With two kids (3 and 14 months old) I lack the time and energy to go all out.
Shortly after beginning my diet, I found a great arm workout video on YouTube by Tracy Anderson, and it is my "go to" arm workout when I am exhausted, but want to get some arm toning in before I collapse on the couch. My husband calls it my "Eagle Workout" or "bird workout" because you do a lot of arm flapping and it may feel kind of ridiculous at first, but this workout is no joke. I love it!

What I love about this video:
1. It is less than 8 minutes.
2. No equipment.
3. It ia a quiet workout. Great for when I am waiting for the kids to fall asleep.
4. I sweat a little while doing it, but don't get drenched.
5. It tones your whole arms and burns while you do it!

I am not kidding about number 5, I got a couple compliments on my arms after just doing this video for a few weeks. At first, I did it 3 times a week and it was my only arm workout. Now I do it about once a week along with lifting weights to build my biceps and triceps. This is a great mini workout on its own or a great addition to your preexisting arm workout. But, don't take my word for it. Stand up and give it a try right now!

Banana Ice Cream

I was talking to a friend the other day about healthy eating and she mentioned wanting to try this banana ice cream. The conversation gave me the idea to write about my experience with this recipe on my blog, so here you go!
I have been making this for a few months; ever since I started trying a lot of vegan recipes. This recipe does not have to be vegan, since it can be adapted to fit your tastes, but for people who are vegan or who are trying to stay away from dairy, this is a great ice cream alternative.
 I learned how to make banana ice cream from this blog post: http://userealbutter.com/2010/08/12/single-ingredient-ice-cream-recipe/.
When I use bananas to make "ice cream," I usually make a peanut butter, banana ice cream because it is simple and healthy. If you are not a fan of peanut butter, you can make this with or without. Both my 3 year old and 14 month old love it! My 3 year old starts chanting "ice cream, ice cream" whenever I make it for him.

To make this ice cream and get a good, "soft serve" consistency, you need a high quality food processor. Personally, I  use the 9 cup Cuisinart food processor. Food processors can be a pain to clean, but I LOVE mine and use it a couple times a week. It opens up so many recipe possibilities! I actually didn't even own a food processor until 7 or 8 months ago, but this recipe is one of the reasons I decided to splurge on one.

You also need some cut up, frozen bananas. I keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer, so that I am ready to go whenever I feel the urge to make this. When I have bananas sitting on my counter that are turning a bit too brown to eat (and I don't feel like using them to bake), I peel them, cut them into 1 or 2 inch discs and freeze them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once they are frozen (after about an hour), I transfer them to a freezer, zip lock bag for later use. And don't fret if they turn a little brown after being stored in the freezer for a few weeks, they still work great for this recipe!
To make enough for 4 good sized servings of banana "ice cream," you will want to get your hands on about 3 or 4 bananas worth of banana pieces. Put the frozen banana discs in the food processor. I like to add a splash of almond milk or soy milk to help speed up the process. (You can use cow's milk or omit the milk altogether) Then, pulse the bananas until smooth and there are no more chunks. It will take a few minutes, so be patient and stop every once in a while to scrape the sides of the food processor.

 At this point, you could eat it as is! I like to add a tablespoon or two of PB2 for some flavor and protein without adding a lot of calories. This gives the "ice cream" a yummy peanut butter taste while keeping it pretty darn healthy! Haven't heard of PB2? Well, you are missing out if you are a peanut butter lover! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE peanut butter. But, I don't love all the calories in just two small tablespoons. I came across PB2 on amazon.com. It is powdered peanut butter made with peanuts and a bit of salt and sugar. 90% of the fat is removed.  PB2 is great to use in smoothies, recipes, whatever; definitely one of my favorite finds on Amazon this year.
Don't like peanut butter? That's cool too, you can be as creative as you want: cocoa powder, chocolate chips, mint extract, nuts, candy etc. Just add whatever you want to the food processor and pulse a few more times or stir the mix ins by hand.

 Once your mix ins are stirred in, eat it up before it melts! Here is my little girl enjoying her ice cream! (No, she is not two years old yet and YES, I did give her the peanut butter ice cream. Nut allergies don't run in our family, so I have been slowly introducing it to her.)

And, now it is time for me to eat some ice cream! No guilt, but still yummy! Be sure to let me know if you give this a try and share what mix-ins you use!

recipe:

Banana Ice Cream

2 or 3 frozen bananas cut into pieces
a splash of milk
Mix ins of your choice

Pulse bananas in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides as needed. Add in mix ins by hand or by pulsing a few times. Eat and enjoy! You can try freezing whatever you don't eat right away, but I personally do not care for the texture when it is refrozen. So, I usually just make enough to eat right then and there.