Avocado Brownies (with Walnut Butter Icing)

There’s a difference between sneaking vegetables into food, so that children will unknowingly consume them and packing recipes with nutrient-rich and unexpected ingredients to “up the ante”. We could debate which approach is better but frankly I’m all for anything that results in an end product that’s healthier assuming it’s just as tasty.  Carolyn’s blog and twitter handle is OneSmartBrownie. Her last name is Brown if you’re trying to connect the dots “one smart cookie” ok hopefully you get it. Anyway, we thought it was time for C. to tackle her namesake food and make it Foodtrainers’ friendly. She played with ingredients and came up with these Mung Bean, Avocado Brownies. Don’t knock them until you try them; I tried them and I’m glad the portion left in my office wasn’t too large.

No pressure, Lauren suggested I come up with an amazing brownie recipe "something people haven't seen before" oh and "gluten free" with attributes beyond deliciousness. I had heard of black bean brownies so I figured sprouted mung beans would work. Mung beans cook quickly, have amazing nutritionals and we use them on our Dine and Detox program. Why not detox while brownie-ing? As for avocado, I was late to fully jump on the avocado bandwagon. It took me a whlie to like texture but it's one of my 2012 obsessions.

I’m not going to lie, I was shocked these were so good. But because people don’t trust nutritionist's taste buds so I brought them to a concert and my friends demolished them. Who knew mung bean brownies were the new bar food?

Avocado, Bean Brownies with Walnut Butter Icing

Ingredients:

1/2 c sprouted mung beans (used TruRoots)

1/2 avocado

1/4 c dark brown sugar (used Muscovado)

3 organic omega 3 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder (used Equal Exchange Organic)

1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips (used Sunspire)

2 tbsp. organic virgin coconut oil (used 365 organic)

Pinch Himalayan sea salt

Walnuts (DIY walnut butter) or Artisana's Walnut Butter for "icing"

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins with oil.
2. Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Boil mung beans for 4 minutes and then remove from heat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Drain any remaining water.
3. Place beans, avocado, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, oil, eggs and sea salt and in a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Add chocolate chips and pulse until broken into tiny small chocolate bits.
5. Pour evenly into mini muffin tins and bake for 10-14 min.
6. Let cool, then "ice" (lightly) with walnut butter.

2 mini muffin brownies with walnut icing 125 calories, 2 grams fiber (sans icing 90 calories- quite a “100 calorie pack”)

Two Smart Brownies 

Do avocado brownies scare you? Any healthy baking tips or swaps? What do you think of "upping the ante" of recipes or sneaking veggies in? 

Time-saving Breakfast: Microwave Egg Poaching and Scrambling

On my most organized days, I blend a smoothie while making the kids breakfast and pour it in a jar to take to work. Though clients complain about a lack of time in the morning, I find the actual scrambling of an egg or tossing veggies in the juicer doesn’t take all that long. Having said that, I generally have eggs boiled in advance  (click for instructions) and a couple Organic Avenue concoctions for really rushed days. My clients want quick and usually shy away from meals requiring extensive clean up at 7am.

In our house, the microwave should be called the defroster. The only items that end up inside it come from the freezer (chili, pancakes I made and froze, peas for kids’ pasta). Oh and yes, at times popcorn (not in the nasty bags) is popped in there too. I have been intrigued by the recent egg ads suggesting the microwave for scrambled eggs.  I tried this with a little Greek yogurt in place of the milk called for. I then tested it with a little Parmesan cheese.

I was also intrigued by The Kitchn’s suggestion to poach an egg in the microwave. I followed suggestions to poke the yolk so it didn’t explode and to add a little water and vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar). Changing the power level is beyond the scope of my microwaving abilities but it didn’t matter after 60 seconds I had a poached egg, my first poached egg I might say. I liked this even better than the scrambling method as I love a good runny yolk. Remove the egg from the mug with a spoon and transfer to plate.  I enjoyed my egg over leftover sautéed mushrooms. Any cooked vegetables or even salad greens would work. Since I’m not generally a poacher I would add this method to my morning routine

After a few tries:

Poached Eggs a la Microwave

Fill a mug to 1/3 full with water. Add a dash of vinegar. Crack an egg into the mug. Poke the yolk gently with a fork (or toothpick). Place cup in microwave, cover with a plate to avoid a really bad clean up job. Microwave 60 seconds or continue in 20-second intervals until set. Remove egg from vinegar water and spoon into plate. Viola.

 I’ve found something to cook in that microwave and my smoothies have some competition.

Have you tried the mico-egg thing? What do you use the microwave for? Any microphobes out there? What are your time-saving breakfast tips?Try this and let me know what you think.
*If you think this post could use a few pictures, let me just say GO GIANTS!*

Cutting Cauliflower and Ina Love

Last Friday,  I had my cooking chums over. We enlisted the help of Jenna Helwig of Rosaberry who merges our recipe requests and designs a delicious menu. Everyone assembled at my apartment at 11am and we got to work on our first recipe. Jenna took out the ingredients for Balsamic Parmesan Cauliflower. Before she could say a word, three of us asked, “what’s the best way to cut cauliflower?” It seems I wasn’t the only one who had botched this task ending up with odd shapes and tons of cauliflower confetti.  There actually is a right way to cut cauliflower and because I didn't capture Jenna's technique on camera I had her explain:

First remove the leaves. Next stand the cauliflower on its base and cut into quarters. Cut the florets from the stalk. To make smaller florets, don't cut from the top of each cauliflower cluster; that makes too big a mess. Instead cut the stems and the florets will break apart much more cleanly.

The key here is to cut florets from the base of the cauliflower not from the top. Directing your knife where the cauliflower branch meets the base and voila’, no more mess. Another good tip is to wash the cauliflower after you cut it when you can access all surfaces. Perhaps you, my savvy readers already had correct cauliflower cutting down pat but this was news to our group. I am now wondering how many other prep jobs I'm mangling in the kitchen. 

cooking snacks: fennel and finger radishes

As we cooked, we talked about our favorite recipes and ingredients. When it came oregano, my friend C asked Jenna “I see you’re using fresh oregano but Ina (Garten) prefers dry, it’s the only herb she prefers dry.” It soon became clear C knows an awful lot about Ina. We tried to stump her reciting Ina recipes we loved and she knew and had made them all. Roasted Shrimp Cocktail Yum. Brisket? Of course. Butternut Squash Soup? A classic. First there was Julie and Julia and now C and the Contessa. I asked C for her top 3 Ina inspirations, her reply “only three? Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Lemon Chicken and Garlic Cauliflower.” I agree wholeheartedly about the Lemon Chicken but personally would have to add Roasted Brussels Sprouts to the Greatest Hits list.

After a couple of hours, our cooking was complete and we sat down to eat. We made spaghetti squash with olives and cilantro, a lemony red lentil soup, parsley-Dijon salmon, coconut kale and of course our cauliflower. We tasted everything and commented. First place, if I recall, went to the soup and the salmon with the cauliflower close behind. Can’t wait for next time.

Kale Goodness

Spaghetti Squash or Tushy Squash?

Cauliflower before being balsamic-ed

Balsamic-Parmesan Cauliflower

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 Tablespoons EVOO

½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cauliflower on the baking sheet cut side down and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until starts to brown.

Stir the balsamic vinegar and Parmesan into the cauliflower and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Yield: not enough cauliflower for five veggie-loving women, you may want to double the recipe depending on your audience.

Be honest, did you already know how to properly dismember your cauliflower? Are you an Ina-phile? Favorite Ina recipe? Favorite cookbook? Favorite cauliflower preparation? 

Post Halloween Baked Apple "Methadone"

For those of you having trouble saying goodbye to the Halloween candy, we’ve passed the 48-hour point and it’s time for your stash to go. We realize this may be traumatizing and so, as a healthy consolation prize, we’re offering up one of our fall favorites.  Here are the results of Abbie’s baked apple test kitchen.

Many clients say fruit doesn't "do it" for them when it comes to dessert. With that in mind, the Foodtrainers crew decided that what we need is a fruit-based dessert that is easy, delicious, and healthy. Luckily, I had a bushel of apples from my local CSA, so I set out to formulate a baked apple recipe that could satisfy any sweet tooth. The other directive was to make something speedy, which meant recipe testing with the microwave. Who wants to wait an hour for a baked apple when it can be ready in less than five minutes?

At first I expected the microwave to dampen the flavor or make the apple mushy, but I found that it actually kept the apples tender without falling apart. The trick is to cook the apple in the microwave with some liquid, a touch of sweetener, and some dried fruit and spices, then top it with toasted nuts and a dollop of yogurt after cooking for some added depth of flavor. So next time you are looking for something healthy to satisfy your sweet cravings, look no further than your bowl of apples (which, of course, you always have on hand), and your microwave! I prefer the Honey crisp apples for this recipe. They hold their shape and are just sweet enough,

The following recipe is an adaptation of the Baked Apples recipe from Eating Well and a few other recipes. 

Microwave "Baked" Apples

1 serving*

Ingredients:

1 apple

1/4 cup apple cider or water

2 teaspoons dried fruit, chopped, such as cranberries, raisins, or dried apricots

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Pinch of cinnamon

dollop of plain yogurt

2 teaspoons toasted nuts, chopped, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds

Preparation

1. Core the apple, leaving about 1/4 inch at the bottom. 
2. Place the apple in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour apple cider or water around it, there should be about 1/2 inch of liquid filling the bowl.
3. Spoon the dried fruit into the apple, pour honey or maple syrup inside the apple, and sprinkle the inside with cinnamon.
4. Microwave, uncovered, on high power until the apple is tender, approximately 3-5 minutes. Test with a fork at 3 minutes and cook in additional 1-minute increments if necessary as all microwaves differ. 
5. Allow the apple to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
6. Serve topped with a dollop of yogurt and toasted nuts.

*Add 1 minute of cooking time for each additional apple.

Note: If you prefer to use the oven for this recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the apple in a small baking dish instead of a microwave safe dish and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

The result is a delicious, comfort food dessert much better for you than a Butterfinger.

Is your Halloween candy still around? Do you like fruit desserts? Have you made baked apples? How does your recipe differ? Here are some pictures from our Halloween celebration.

Cheers! Dark and Stormys with Strawesome straws

All dressed up.

With friends, yup that's me 1/2 Amy Winehouse and 1/2 Ghostbuster

My ghostbuster and stay puff man, XO

Our giveaway candy, went fast greedy trick or treaters this year

My whole wheat "fingers" came out a little chubby, who ya gonna call...Foodtrainers!