Back on Track - Black Bean Brownies?

Well I was perusing the Dr. Oz web site and ran across a recipe for... black bean brownies??? Yep. Black bean brownies.

Here is my version that actually tastes great and is healthful. I used Quinoa flour so it is gluten free.


Michel's version of Kim’s Midnight Brownies

Ingredients
1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp vanilla
3 egg whites
6 tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. I n a food processor, blitz the black beans until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients (except chips) together. Process until smooth. Clean off sides and blend for another 20 seconds. Add the chips in and stir well. Spread into the 8x8 baking dish. Cook for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 1 hour in dish at room temperature. (I used a 7x9 baking pan and it took about 27 minutes.)

Frosting
Ingredients
6 oz fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee granules stirred into 1 Tbsp water
2 tbsp semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions
Mix the chocolate chips into the coffee until melted. With a whisk attachment on an electric beater and blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add the agave and vanilla and blend again until smooth, with mixer running on low slowly add the coffee/chocolate mixture. Slowly raise the speed and blend until light and fluffy. Let sit for 5 minutes the beat again for 2 minutes. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled brownies. Allow it to set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Apple Cider Fritters

It is amazing the amount of information we can find on the Internet - and surprisingly amazing disappointing at lack of other information. I am speaking about apple fritters. Not apple rings... big, luscious apple fritters. So I read about donuts and slept on it a few days and here is what I came up with.

Please be respectful of your hot oil. I can't teach common sense, but keep your fingers out of it, and for goodness sake, don't "drop" your fritters into it, as this may splash hot oil onto you. When all else fails, read the manufacturer's instructions.

Apple Cider Fritters (makes 16)

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup sugar (divided)

4 1/2 tsp yeast

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)

4 small Macintosh apples, diced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

11 Tbsp butter (room temperature)

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp cinnamon

peanut oil (for frying)

Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 - 1/3 cup water

Bring apple cider and 1/4 cup sugar to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to 115 degrees F. Sprinkle yeast over and stir slightly. Let dissolve 5 minutes then stir in 1 cup of flour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sponge develop for 1 hour.

Mix lemon juice with 3 cups water. Dice the apples into 1/4-1/2" chunks and place in the acidulated water.

Mix together the butter, 1/4 cup remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and lemon zest until well blended. Stir this into the sponge until well incorporated. Sift together the remaining flour and cinnamon. Drain the apples and pat dry. Slowly fold the flour and apples into the sponge. (You do not want to over stir as this will develop too much gluton and the fritters will be too dense.)

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let rise at room temperature until more than doubled (around 3 hours). Place in 1 gallon zipper bag and squeeze out the air. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove the bag from the refrigerator and divide the dough into 16 equal portions on parchment paper. Let the fritters rest for about 1 hour.

Heat oil to 375 degrees F. Place cooling rack over waxed paper.

Mix glaze. Sift the confectioner's flour into a cereal bowl and add enough water to make a thin glaze, mixing with a fork.

Using a metal spatula, dip the spatula into the hot oil for about 10 seconds, then use the spatula to pick up the fritter and carefully slide it into the hot oil.

The fritters will take about 7 minutes to cook through. Half way through (3 1/2 minutes) turn over the fritter and cook on the second aside. Use tongs to remove the fritters from the oil, allowing the oil to drip back into the pot before draining on three layers of paper toweling, blotting both sides. Dip the presentation side of the fritter into the glaze and place, glaze side up, on the rack to drip and cool.

I took my fritters up to happy hour to share with my friends and get their opinions. These had very good reviews... but then everyone was enjoying happy hour ;-)

Easy Mini Cheesy Chilidog Pizza (revised)

This is my latest creation. I've been thinking about this for quite some time now and trying to decide whether to mix the chili sauce into the cream cheese or not... Decided I am going to mix it in together instead of trying to spread chili sauce over the hotdogs. My first attempt making 1 large pizza was a little hard to eat the center pieces. So here is the newly revised version.

Easy Cheesy Mini Chilidog Pizzas

1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Classic Pizza Crust (13.8 ounce)
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 ten ounce can hotdog chili sauce
4 all-beef hotdogs diced into 1/4" dice
1 small onion chopped finely (about 1/2 cup)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Oil a baking sheet with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Open the pizza crust and cut into 8 equal rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 20 minutes. Spread each dough into a circle with a slightly puffy edge (to hold the filling).

Beat cream cheese and mustard until light and fluffy, beat in chili sauce. Spread an equal amount of filling onto each pizza. Top with cheese. Sprinkle each pizza with diced hot dog and onions.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until desired doneness.

Place pan on cooling rack and allow to cool 10 minutes before eating (to allow filling to set up).

Grandma Geri's Molasses Cookies

Fall is in the air and there is nothing like a soft, classic old-fashioned molasses cookie. I thought I would make my Grandma Belding's recipe that I scribbled down in my twelve-year-old hand, some 35 years ago. I stood by her side and fantically tried to keep up as she expertly mixed the ingredients and then added the flour a little at a time until it was just the right texture to dollop a "glob" onto her open, flour-covered plam to shape the perfect cookies.

As I was mixing up this batch, I was already thinking of ways to make it my own, changes, updates, whatever you want to call it. But when I tasted the first one, all the memories came rushing back. These needs no changes, no updates. The only concession t the "future" here is measuring the amount of flour for convenience. And, while I did "shape" the first half in Grandma's time-proven method, I opted to use a 2" scoop for the other half. While the classis method did yield a slightly fluffier cookie, the scoop was much less messy...

In my mind these are the quintessential molasses cookie.

I hope you enjoy them too.

Grandma Geri’s Molasses Cookies (makes 28 cookies)

1 cup Crisco

2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down as necessary. Add molasses.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt & spices.

Add flour in thirds to creamed mixture and stir until smooth between each addition.

Shape cookies using a 2” scoop, leveled, place on leveled side down on baking sheet 2” apart.

Bake 15 minutes until lightly brown on edges.

Remove pan to baking sheet and let cool 2 minutes. Remove cookies to rack.

Simply Delicious Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Simply Delicious Pumpkin Spice Cookies (makes 24 cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
2 cups minus 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp corn starch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Tbsp (3/4 cup) confectioner’s sugar
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) maple syrup
12 pumpkin candies cut in half.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down as necessary. Slowly add pumpkin. Add vanilla.

Sift together flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt & spices.

Add flour in thirds to creamed mixture and stir until smooth between each addition.

Shape cookies using a 2” scoop, leveled, placing level side down on baking sheet 2” apart.

Bake 15 – 17 minutes until light brown (will spring back to touch).

Remove to baking sheet and cool completely.

Mix confectioners sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Frost the top of each cookie and garnish with pumpkin candy.

Creamy Cannellini Bean Artichoke Dip - Leftover Wonder! Chicken Pizza

"Leftover" Cannellini Bean Artichoke Dip makes a great base for a quick thin crust pizza in lieu of tomato sauce.

I used Pillsbury's thin crust refrigerated pizza dough and slathered it with Creamy Cannellini Bean Artichoke Dip, topped with shredded leftover chicken, thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, 2 slices precooked bacon chopped into thin slices, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a little mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Wow was this good!

I was so excited I almost forgot to take a picture.

Savory Mediterranean Spinach Phyllo Rollups with Feta & Nuts

Here is the answer to Corinne's challenge to create a low fat (? - kinda) spinach and feta phyllo appetizer...

I like to use the spray instead of brushing with butter because it is faster, somewhat healthier (if you use the olive oil spray) and it doesn't pull and tear the phyllo like the pastry brush.

Hot capicola is a delicious spicy cooked ham coated with paprika and spices. (Kroger has their own Private Selections brand in a sliced 3 ounce package for $4.59.) I like to use it in a creamy pasta with peas instead of using prosciutto.

Folding over the phylo and sprinkling with a little cheese and then nut layer helps keep the phyllo flakey. Using a blend of pinenuts and walnuts gave a great depth of flavor, but Art equally enjoyed the all walnut and parmesan version.

Have fun!

Savory Mediterranean Spinach Phyllo Rollups with Feta & Nuts

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 four ounce package shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped fine
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 ounce hot Capicola chopped finely (spicy Italian cooked ham)
1 cup stock divided (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1 six ounce package baby spinach leaves
1 eight ounce package non-fat cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup Parmesan
3/4 cup toasted pinenuts or walnuts or a combination of the two chopped finely
1 five ounce package feta cheese (or additional Parmesan)
Butter flavor cooking spray

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent. Add the nutmeg, pepper, pepper flakes and salt. Turn up heat to medium high. Add 1/3 cup of stock and cook until evaporated and mushrooms start to brown.

In the mean time, remove any large stems from the spinach. Pile up and roll the spinach and cut into fine ribbons (it took me about 8 times to cut all the spinach).

Pile the spinach on top of the mushroom and pour the remaining 2/3 cup of stock over all. Stir occasionally until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat to cool.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat the cream cheese until light and smooth. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth, scraping down as necessary.

Fold in the cooled spinach mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Chill.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

Unroll thawed phyllo sheets, cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Take one sheet of phyllo and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place 1 1/2 Tbsp of spinach filling in the center end of the long end of the phyllo. Fold over the left side third over the filling, spray and sprinkle with feta. Fold the other third over the feta and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with nuts. Roll the phyllo from the filled end. Spray the seam end with spray and place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Spray exterior with spray.

Do not overcrowd the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove to baking rack to cool.