Magic Brownies

January 26, 2012
English: Picture of Azuki Beans. The ones show...

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That’s right boys and girls I am giving your a magical brownie recipe this week. I know you are thinking these are going to be the type you would enjoy in Amsterdam, but you would be wrong. What makes these brownies magical – beans! That’s right, beans, beans, the magical fruit make these brownies so terriffic!

I got this recipe from the No Meat Athlete Blog - a great blog with lots of wonderful vegetarian and vegan recipies. (Actually, their recipe was for mocha hazelnut brownies, but I decided to start simple and just do a basic brownie). Here is what you will need:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 1/4 cups raw sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and filled with new water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup of water (eyeball it by filling up half the empty can)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the dry ingredients. Drain a can of black beans and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.  Return the black beans back to the can and fill with water.  Puree the beans and water.  Add the puree to the dry mix along with the vanilla and extra cup of water.  Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan around halfway through.  When the brownies are finished they should be firm in the center and the edges will be slightly puffy and starting to pull away from the sides.  They should take about 30 minutes to bake.

I of course added 1 cup of nuts to mine, because I believe brownies should have nuts; but that is your call. These were WAAAY better than Gwenyth Paltrow’s Brownies from My Father’s Daughter Cookbook.

Let me know what you think

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Productive Pulp – Carrot Muffins and Carrot Juice

January 3, 2012

CarrotsOne of the things that makes me sad when I juice is that so much of the fruit and vegetables used, are wasted away in to the pulp bag. I was thinking about things I could do with that extra vegetable pulp. The Breville Fountain’s instruction and recipe booklet gives some ideas however, today I came across a carrot muffin recipe on Cook4Seasons that I decided to try. You should check out their site. There are some really interesting recipes including Quinoa Pancakes, Chocolate Coconut pudding, Detoxifying Beet Soup, and Raw Tri-Colored Truffles which look pretty amazing!

Here is the recipe (again courtesy Karen at Cook4Seasons - Check out her site for this recipe and the ones I mentioned above)

Carrot Muffins ~ a delicious way to get your veggies and a healthy dose of fiber, starting at breakfast:)

Makes 12

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 1 Teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 Teaspoon nutmeg
    • 2 Teaspoons baking soda
    • 3/4 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
    • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 2 Teaspoons vanilla
    • 4 medium to large pastured eggs, beaten
    • 2 cups carrot pulp - If you can’t use the pulp right away, freeze it in a plastic bag and defrost before baking. You can also use grated carrots – equal amounts apply.
    • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease approximately 12 muffin tins thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients first. In separate bowl, mix sugar with olive oil, water and vanilla.  Add beaten eggs and blend thoroughly. Lightly incorporate the carrot pulp and nuts.  Finally add dry ingredients.  Put into muffin pan and cook  for about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

Some Souzapalooza notes on this recipe -

    • I used brown sugar (I dont know what sucanat is and I had brown sugar on hand.
    • I used spelt flour rather than whole wheat (I had some left over from my Gwyneth Paltrow Brownie Recipe – I never blogged about making them because honestly, I thought they sucked, but her fish tacos are awesome – check the post out here).
    • I also added some flax seeds for an extra bit of goodness.

I will say, these muffins are not the sweetest, but they are very good. I think I would like to try them with an apple carrot pulp mixture and see if that sweetens them up a bit.

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Skin Deep

November 15, 2011

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I am starting to think about my Aunt Sweetie’s Chocolate Pudding Pie. She makes it the best. My stepmom tries to make them, but her pie is always compromised by her desire for pudding skin. My step mom enjoys the skin but the rest of us are anti-skin.

I don’t understand the pudding skin fascination.  George Costanza started a project of creating pudding skin singles with an exacto knife. This slimy chew layer just doesn’t need to be on my delicious dessert.

Can someone please explain the pudding skin fascination? 

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Quinoa – Not Just a Great Scrabble Word

August 31, 2011
Quinoa is not a grass, but its seeds have been...

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Patti over at Run4Joy59′s Blog had a tasty looking recipe for Quinoa corn cakes on Sunday (that sadly I only got around to reading about last night). I’m excited to try it soon!

For those of you unfamiliar, quinoa (pronounced kinwah), is a grain like crop. It isn’t a true grain because it is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like swiss chard, spinach and beets. Quinoa comes from South America and was prominent in the diets of the Incan Indians. Unfortunately, when the conquistadors from Spain took over, growing quinoa was prohibited. The food gained an interest in the 1980′s when two americans realized quinoa’s nutritional value. Quinoa is a complete protein containing all 9 amino acids, unusual for a plant-based food, which makes it a great protein option for vegetarians and vegans.

One of my favorite recipes using quinoa is one that I found on a blog I read called Eating Bird Food (FYI – Eating Bird Food’s Blogger, Brittany, is an IIN graduate like I will be this time next year!). The recipe is called Berry Flax Hot Cereal which incorporates quinoa, oats, and flax seeds. Here is the recipe per Eating Bird Food:

Berry Flax Hot Cereal

Adapted from Quinoa 365

  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp quinoa
  • 2 Tbsp old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp flaxseed, ground
  • 2 Tbsp berries, fresh or frozen and thawed
  • Almond Milk, to taste

Preparation

  1. Place the water and quinoa in a small saucepan, bring to boil and cover. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes.
  2. Stir in the oats, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the oats are tender.
  3. Remove from the heat. Stir in the maple syrup and flax.
  4. Fold in the berries and top with a small pour of almond milk.
  5. Serve and enjoy!
Side notes from Souzapalooza -
1) Make sure you rinse your quinoa before adding it to any recipe. Quinoa contains a bitter-tasting coating that needs to be rinsed off before cooking.
2) I skip the almond milk and the maple syrup. Usually the fruit is enough to give me a sweet satisfaction, but if you need a little extra sweetness, go for it.
3)In addition, if I am using frozen fruit, I just throw it in the pot frozen a minute before I am ready to turn off the heat. Stirring well, the heat from the cooked grains usually warms the fruit and the coldness of the fruit helps the grain cool down so I can eat it without burning myself and enough time to head out to the train.
Do you have any quinoa recipes you’d like to share? 
Please check out both Run4Joy59′s and Eating Bird Food’s Blogs.
They write good stuff! 
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Pigging Out With Pork – A New Recipe

August 10, 2011

Ok, I am not pigging out, but the play on words was a catchy title…

I don’t eat a lot of pork. It has nothing to do with religion, or Samuel L. Jackson proclaiming pigs as filthy animals in Pulp Fiction, I just prefer other meats. (This clip as explicit language, viewer discretion is advised)

My friend “The Foodie” thinks pork should be its very own food group (along with wine) but it just isn’t my meat of preference. I have the occasional helping of Pork Fried Rice or Boneless Spear Ribs from the local chinese take out joint, I make a great pulled pork in the crock pot (click here for the recipe), and  I think bacon is amazing, but should only be an ocassional indulgence.

That being said, I did try to open my mind to pork last night and it was pretty good. I picked up some strips of pork loin at Stew Leonard’s and decided to do a stir fry with them. Here’s what you will need if you want to try my “Pork and Veggie Stir Fry”:

1lb of Pork (mine was stir fry strips which I cut smaller in to more of a diced size, but you can keep yours larger if you like)

1 Tbs of cooking oil

1 Tbs Ginger Root (grated or minced small)

1 Tbs Garlic (minced)

1/2 a small onion

2 Tbs of Hoisin Sauce

1 Tbs of Soy Sauce

10 oz of sliced mushrooms

10 oz of snow peas

Basically, you can’t get a recipe any easier than this…. get out your wok or large pan, heat and add your oil. When the oil is hot, add in ginger, garlic, and onion and let them brown slightly. Add in your pork, stirring ocassionally to make sure the meat is cooking through. When the meat is browned on all sides, add in your hoisin and soy sauces and stir to coat the meat. Add in your mushrooms and snow peas (or what ever veggies you choose, string beans or brocoli may also be nice options). Cover and let the veggies cook for a few minutes. Toss the mixture of some brown rice for a well rounded meal.

Does anyone have any pork recipes to help me love the other white meat more?

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Zucchini Bread

July 25, 2011

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”

My Organic Zucchini from Stone Barns

This weekend, the Farmer’s Market at Stone Barns had zucchini for $1 each… just ONE dollar! not per pound, per zucchini! I got two, one that is 15 inches long, and one slightly smaller at 13 inches long.  So what am I going to do with these beauties? Make one of my most favorite things, Zucchini Bread! I got my recipe from Simply Recipes – it is for muffins, but I use it to make loafs in greased loaf pans.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
  • 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

METHOD

You don’t need a mixer for this recipe.

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the zucchini mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins or cranberries if using.

2 Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Note from the recipe author: If you are including walnuts and dried fruit, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins. I got about 14 muffins from this batch, and that included filling the muffin cups up as far as they could possibly go (above the surface of the muffin tin). For those of you who prefer to use oil over butter, be my guest (use 1 cup vegetable oil instead of the butter) but I have to tell you, I’ve made these both ways, and the butter version just tastes better.

Note from Souzapalooza: I use the oil and walnuts to make my version muffins. I exclude the dried fruit. In addition, I like to sprinkle a few extra chopped walnut pieces over the top of my bread to a decrotavie touch.

Do you have a version of zucchini bread you would like to share? I have quite A LOT of zucchini to work with! 

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Brownies – Sweet & Spicy (Just Like Me)

June 15, 2011

I don’t know why, but the past few weeks I have been craving brownies. Brownies may be my favorite baked good. There is nothing like a home-baked brownie. I like thinner, fudge-like brownie, and they MUST have nuts in them. I remember when I was little, my mom had this one pan that was perfect for brownie making, and is now so old and has score marks from the batches upon batches that have been baked and cut in it over the years.

Mom's Brownie Pan...A LOT of brownies have been made in this pan during my 32 years!

Since it was rainy and a bit on the cooler side this past weekend, I decided to give in to my craving and bake brownies. I decided to make Souzapalooza’s Spicy Brownies and share the recipe with you. (Don’t worry, it is super simple and really tasty). Here is what you will need:

  1. One box of Brownie Mix – Store brand, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, it doesn’t matter. I personally prefer Duncan Hines, however I buy what ever is on sale (Pillsbury was 10 for $10 at Stop & Shop so that is what I used)
  2. Eggs – (per the instructions on the back of the box)
  3. Oil – (per the instructions on the back of the box)
  4. Water – (per the instructions on the back of the box)
  5. 1 Tbsp of Cinnamon – Cinnamon is actually an amazing spice because it can be used for both sweet and savory cooking. Per Wikipedia, Cinnamon has a broad range of health applications including boosting cognitive function and memory, treating rheumatism, helping with digestion and relieving certain menstrual disorders. In addition, when added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
  6. 1/4 tsp of ground Cayenne Pepper – The Cayenne Pepper is a red chili pepper. When consumed, the capsaicinoids (natural chemicals in the chili) bind with pain receptors that sense heat in the mouth and throat which send a message to the brain that something hot has been consumed. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins. Chili consumption is used as a ritual for warriors in Japan and has been studied as a way to experience a “contained risk” allowing the consumer to experience extreme feelings without risk of harm.

Now, I like spicy, however those who aren’t huge fans may want to start with a dash of the pepper in your first batch and slowly add more as you figure out what the right balance is for your taste. If you are taste-testing your batter, your batter will always be spicier than your cooked brownie.

7. One final ingredient for nut lovers – 1 Cup of Pecans! I know brownies usually have walnuts, but I think the pecan is a better flavor complement to the spiciness of the brownie.

So mix up all your ingredients, follow the baking instructions on the back of your box and enjoy! (Told you it was an easy recipe!)

Anyone have any new twists on classic recipes?

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Sunday Night Mexican Mix-Up

May 22, 2011

This weekend I worked for the Red Barn at the Stone Barn’s Farmer’s Market. Even though the market is open from 1 – 4pm, it is quite and exhausting day of talking to people, telling them about the products, answering questions, collecting payments, and refreshing products. So, when I finally made it home, I was quite tired, and didn’t really want to focus on putting together a meal. I was going to make an omlette with the eggs I got at Stone Barns, or perhaps french toast with the rustic bread I got from Red Barn, but I wasn’t feeling like breakfast for diner.

I had some ground turkey in the fridge so I decided to make a dish I call Mexican Mix-up. I diced up half and onion and add a spoon full of minced garlic and browned it in a pan with a touch of olive oil. Then I added the ground turkey, stirring it well so it will crumble in to small pieces. I added in a can of black beans and a jar of Trader Joe’s salsa.

I threw this in a bowl and melted some shredded mexican blend cheese on top of mine. However, this mix is great in a taco shell, wrapped in to a burrito, over rice, or even using it with some tortilla chips like a very hearty dip.

Try it out and let me know what you think

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