Salsa & Brownies

Jul 17, 2010

No….the title is not a typo. Delicious vegan brownies are mere seconds away!!

Let me start with last night. Myself and three other interns have been taking salsa dancing lessons every thursday night since the summer began and we finally decided to strut our stuff at a random hotel bar with latin music latin club. In my mind I looked like this…
(Source)

In reality I probably looked like this…

(Source)

It was so much fun!! Our Latin class instructors, a very talented couple, were truly amazing to watch. It was like being in the audience of Dancing with the Stars!!

I encourage everyone to try some kind of dance class at some point in their lives. Country, ballroom and Latin dance are fun to watch, but its 100x’s more fun to get out there and actually be on the dance floor.

Last night was a blast but definitely left me reaching for the ‘Strong’ coffee in the break room this morning. For lunch we went out to a nice restaurant on the water front called Lighthouse. I ordered the Grilled Vegetable Napoleon. It was delicious!! Mushrooms, roasted red peppers, onions, yellow squash, zucchini and roasted tomato polenta with a balsamic reduction…heaven on a plate.

After work, I was craving something chocolate, moist, and decadent. Behold the best vegan brownies you will ever eat!!! Not to mention the healthiest ;)

They have been approved by “the boys” I work with and my critical, non-vegan roommates.

Disclaimer: Weird ingredients, decadent results and no animals were harmed in the process.

Vegan Brownies

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa
1/4 cup unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 cup instant oats (non-instant works just fine)
1/4 cup sugar*
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F
  2. Grease 8×8″ pan liberally with cooking spray
  3. Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor and blend until smooth
  4. Stir in oats and pour into baking pan
  5. Bake for 30 minutes

* I typically make these without adding the sugar and they still turn out really sweet. But opt for adding the sugar if serving to people who typically cringe when they hear the word ‘vegan’.

Enjoy!!!

I’m off to scarf down enjoy some brownies, hang with “the boys” and hit the sack. Tomorrow is farmers market and shopping with the girls.

What are some deserts that you wish were healthy, yet every bit as tasty?


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New Roots

Jul 15, 2010

This past weekend I traveled to upstate New York to the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market. I love the atmosphere of Farmers markets, the excitement that comes with knowing you are supporting local farmers and the plethora of colorful fruits and vegetables that are on display. I find that my food is more pleasurable when I shake the hand of the farmer who made it and ask how to best prepare what I have just purchased.

I learned that most of the farmers had pesticide-free farms!! This was a sigh of relief because I just read an article on CNN that the fruits and vegetables deemed the “dirty dozen” contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving if non-organic. Their soft skin is believed to be the reason they absorb more pesticides.

The Dirty Dozen

  • Celery
  • Peaches
  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Domestic blueberries
  • Nectarines
  • Sweet bell peppers
  • Spinach, kale and collard greens
  • Cherries
  • Potatoes
  • Imported grapes

However, some non-organic fruits and vegetables have little to no pesticide levels. This is because their strong outer layer provides defense against pesticide contamination.

The Clean 15

  • Onions
  • Avocados
  • Sweet corn
  • Pineapple
  • Mangos
  • Sweet peas
  • Asparagus
  • Kiwi
  • Cabbage
  • Eggplant
  • Cantaloupe
  • Watermelon
  • Grapefruit
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Sweet onions

I try to buy organic as much as possible. However, being a college student, I find that the prices make me cringe. I usually splurge on organic spinach and kale  if available. I never buy organic apples because the typical price is is almost double that of conventional apples.

With that in mind, I was determined to buy 1) organic and 2) something I had never tried before. This leads to my healthy habit #1: buy and prepare a new vegetable each week. Go crazy! Buy the weirdest looking vegetable at the store and experiment with new cooking methods…you might just find your new favorite food.

I followed my own advice this weekend and bought celeriac (aka celery root) at the farmers market. It was screaming ‘I need a face lift’ a  gorgeous looking vegetable….

…I took the charity case home.

Sautéed Celeriac

 

1 Celeriac root
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3 t. Thyme
2 Cloves garlic, minced
3-4 T. Vegetable stock

 

  1. Peel the celeriac by slicing 1cm off the bottom of the celeric, roll it into its flat edge for stability, and run your knife down all sides to peel skin.
  2. Dice into ½”-ish cubes
  3. Heat 2 glugs of EVOO on high heat, add celeriac, thyme and garlic. Cook for ~5 min.
  4. Turn heat down to low. Add the vegetable stock and place lid on pan. Simmer for ~25 min. or until the celeriac is tender
  5. Eat cubed or mashed*

 

* The celeriac will have the consistency of mashed potatoes but will be very reminiscent of celery in flavor.

** Mashing would make a great vegan alternative to mashed potatoes.

…What do you think?….Top-notch vegetable-surgeon in the making?

I ran into Meagan selling her nut butters. They are so good!!

What is the scariest looking vegetable you have ever tried? Do you buy organic fruits and vegetables?

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