Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: black beans

  • Vegan Black Bean Brownies

    Vegan Black Bean Brownies

    Last weekend my Mom asked if I could make black bean brownies. She had seen a recipe somewhere and it sounded good to her, plus once one of her coworkers had brought some in and she enjoyed them and she thought I might be able to make a vegan version. She isn’t vegan but she eats mostly plant based and is always up for healthier versions of things! I love the idea of using black beans in brownies. I have used chickpeas in my cheesecake batter before instead of cashews for a nut free version and to boost fiber and protein and that turned out awesome (you would not ever have guessed that they were in there), so why wouldn’t this work?

    Well, I was slightly nervous, because I was just modifying one of my existing recipes and I didn’t want the beans to screw up the moisture ratio and make them too dry, or make them too “healthy tasting”. I wanted these to taste like regular rich brownies. So I crossed my fingers, blended the beans in with the oil, and added just a tad more water. No, these are not low fat brownies. I don’t tend to like the texture when I have made brownies with apple sauce or something similar so I leave it in. These are after all a treat. I use avocado oil because it remains soft when cooled down, where as coconut oil gets too hard and makes brownies crumbly.

    The batter tasted good as I scraped what remained in the bowl after pouring it into the pan to ear it. It tasted like rich and delicious brownie batter and , I could not detect the beans. But would the texture be good and flavor be good after they baked? That was the question. They smelled amazing my home filled with the aroma of really good chocolate cake.

    I had to wait overnight for the brownies to cool down since I was making them at night but it was well worth the wait! They were super delicious! Fudgy, rich and filled with chocolate flavor, plus the chocolate chips to add even more goodness. You would never guess that they had beans in them! If you are up for trying something new, give these a try! They will satisfy your chocolate craving, plus give you a little extra fiber in your diet, which we could all use! My Mom loved them by the way, so they were a total success!

    Vegan Black Bean Brownies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 3 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee or filtered water
    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chopped or vegan chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling on top

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, oil and 8×8 inch pan and line it with parchment.
    2. Place the oil, black beans, sugar, flax seeds, and coffee in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
    3. Whisk in the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and stir until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.
    4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle more chocolate chips over it.
    5. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    6. Let cool before cutting into 16 bars.
  • Colorful Kitchen Review and Sweet Potato Skins Recipe

    Colorful Kitchen Review and Sweet Potato Skins Recipe

    I have been admiring Ilene Godofsky Moreno’s recipes from her blog The Colorful Kitchen for a long time, so when she offered to send me a copy of her new book “The Colorful Kitchen” to review I was excited!  I am always admiring her amazing looking sandwiches, bowls full of colorful veggies and decadent looking desserts.  Everything of hers always looks so delicious and vibrant, so I knew this would be a good book.   It has over 100 vegan recipes, almost all of which are gluten free and made without refined sugars.  It includes smoothies breakfast, salads, soups sandwiches, sides, snacks & appetizers, entrees and dessert.  So no matter what you are hungry for chances are you can find something to satisfy your craving in this book.

    As I paged through it I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the photography was.  This is a big draw for me, a book with lots of photos.  It is almost as important as the recipes as far as I am concerned and this is a book full of food art as much as it is recipes.  She has each one photographed so you know exactly what you are making.  The recipes themselves are very well organized and easy to read and follow. Also they are simple enough to make so that someone who is new to cooking will enjoy them and be able to make them as well as interesting enough that someone who cooks a lot will appreciate them.  So, there is something for everyone here. I should point out that this would be the perfect book for a new vegan who is looking to eat healthy and feel good. Because everything in this book is whole foods plant based and deliciously made breaking that stereotype that vegan food is boring and bland.  She has a list of main ingredients in the book as well explained so you will know exactly what you are using and preparing.  As I paged through the book I saw so many things that I wanted to make!  She has delicious breakfast recipes like Carrot Cake Oatmeal, salads like Crispy Chickpea and Kale Caesar Salad, Snacks like Coconut Crusted Avocado fries, desserts like Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches and main dishes like Sweet Potato Skins, which is the first recipe I made, and the one that she has allowed me to share with you today!

    I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes in any form, so this is the thing that caught my eye first.  They were super simple to make, and so good!  Roasted sweet potatoes have so much flavor, and filling them with things is one of my go to meals. Her recipe uses cooked lentils and black beans to stuff them with, and they are topped off with avocado and cashew sour cream.  This is the perfect balanced meal to keep you satisfied and feeling good.  It has it all, protein, fiber, veggies and healthy fats.  All of the recipes in her book are balanced this way, and if you eat this way, you will feel good.

    It is not often I come across a cookbook where I want to eat all of the recipes, but this one is that way.  Usually there are things in cook books that I say to myself, well that sounds tough to make, or it has ingredients that are hard to find, or things that I don’t think are that healthy but this book fits all of my nutritional needs as well as includes the types of things that I crave.  So you should definitely go check it out HERE!  Also, be sure to check out The Colorful Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram as well, it is definitely worth following! Guess what?! have another surprise for you!  If this book sounds like the sort of thing you will love, you can enter to win a copy of it for yourself!  Just leave a comment on this blog post!  Good luck! Giveaway ends February 9th.

    Sweet Potato Skins

    Ingredients:

    Sweet Potato Base:

    • 4 medium sweet potatoes
    • 1 batch Lentils (see below)
    • 1½ cups cooked black beans (or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
    • Salt and black pepper, to taste

     

    Toppings:

    • 1 avocado, sliced
    • Cashew Sour Cream (see below) or store-bought vegan sour cream
    • 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

     

    Instructions:

    1. To roast the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a knife to poke holes in the sweet potatoes, and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until tender. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, and let them sit until they are cool enough to handle.
    2. While the sweet potatoes cool, combine the Lentils and black beans in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat them until warm, about 5 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper.
    3. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out about half of the flesh from each Reserve the scooped-out flesh for another use. Spoon the lentil and black bean mixture into the sweet potatoes.
    4. Top each sweet potato half with an avocado slice. Top with the Cashew Sour Cream and green onions. Add any sauce you like, if desired.

     

    Lentils

    • 3 cups water or vegetable broth
    • 1 cup lentils
    • Dash of salt

     

    1. In a medium pot, bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and salt, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the water is absorbed. If you are not using the lentils right away, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

     

    Cashew Sour Cream

    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water at least 4 hours
    • Juice of ½–1 lemon, to taste*
    • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
    • 1–3 tablespoons nondairy milk
    • Salt and black pepper, to taste

     

    1. Drain and rinse the cashews. Transfer the cashews to a blender and add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup.
    2. Starting with 1 tablespoon at a time, add the nondairy milk as needed to blend, and blend until completely smooth. Add the salt and pepper and stir. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    NOTE: Use a whole lemon for a tangier sour cream and a half lemon for a more mellow version.

     

     

  • Roasted Yam, Coconut Bacon and Black Bean Salad with Miso Almond Dressing

    Roasted Yam, Coconut Bacon and Black Bean Salad with Miso Almond Dressing

    I made a potato salad with coconut bacon over the 4th of July holiday weekend and it was really good but I thought of something that would be even better.  Yams or sweet potatoes and coconut bacon.  A match made in heaven, sweet and salty together.  I had actually been thinking about this combination and how good it would be in the past, but never made it because I didn’t have a good vegan bacon substitute.  But then I discovered coconut bacon a few months back and it was perfect for such an application.  Coconut bacon is just the thing to top off salads, loaded baked potatoes and things like popcorn.  Not only that, you don’t have to kill anything to make it, and it keeps better than real bacon.  It is honestly the closest thing to real bacon that I have eaten.  And I used to be a bacon lover before I went vegetarian then vegan. So anyways, back to that roasted yam and bacon combo.

    I made a super delicious salad with that combination a few nights back.  It was crave worthy.  I tossed some chunks of yam with olive oil and sea salt and roasted them to crispy perfection in the oven.  This is one of my all time favorite things to snack on anyway, and it is amazing on a salad. I made some crispy coconut bacon, which was good for snacking (I probably ate half the pan before I made the salad) and awesome with the yams. I decided to add some black beans too for protein, since I always like full meal salads. I added in some greens, and bell peppers for color, and then I needed a delicious dressing to drizzle over it.

    I used one of my all time favorite dressings, a creamy almond miso. This is actually something that I keep in my refrigerator at all times, and I make it weekly.  I have instructions for a smaller batch below though in case you don’t want a giant jar of something, and I have also included instructions at the bottom for a large batch like I make if you become a fan. I like it served over pretty much any type of veggies, it is creamy and garlicy and just a tad sweet from the miso and it is honestly like nothing I have ever had.  It was amazing over this salad with the salty crunchy bacon and roasted yams.  A crave worthy salad may sound like an oxymoron, but it totally isn’t when it comes to this.  Trust me, you need to try it.  It was so good I am going to have to make it for Eric soon too because I did not share this batch.

    Roasted Yam and Chickpea Salad

    Serves 2

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Yams:

    • 1 large yam, diced
    • olive oil
    • sea salt

     

    Dressing:

    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1 small garlic clove, minced
    • 2 tsp white miso
    • sea salt to taste

     

    Salad:

    • 1 cup cooked black beans
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 4 cups arugula leaves

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    3. Raise the temperature of the oven to 400F degrees.  Toss the yams with just enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with sea salt, then spread out onto the pan.  Roast for about 20-30 minutes until softened and browning at the edges.  Once the yams have finished cooking let them cool to room temperature.
    4. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk together until smooth (or, I like to use an immersion blender in a tall glass measuring cup if you have that).
    5. To assemble the salad, scatter the arugula on the bottom of the plates, then top with the beans, yams, bell pepper and some of the coconut bacon. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!

     

    *If you want a large batch of dressing like I keep in my refrigerator:

    Miso Almond Dressing:

    • 1 cup almond butter
    • 1 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 3 small garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 Tbsp white miso
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste

     

    Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth (or whisk together if you don’t have one).  Keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

  • Vegan Roasted Squash Black Bean Tacos Recipe with GOODFOODS Guacamole

    Vegan Roasted Squash Black Bean Tacos Recipe with GOODFOODS Guacamole

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    Vegans love their avocadoes.  So, it comes of no surprise that we scope out the best guacamole!  Because sometimes we want to just grab it and go, not sit and scoop out avocadoes and add all of the seasonings.  This is why I am happy I discovered GOODFOODS guacamole!  I picked some up at Super Target (in the deli area of the store) earlier this week, two different varieties, Chunky Guacamole and Pineapple Poblano Guacamole.  They other varieties to try as well, which I will be picking up next time, because I love my guac!  Why did I pick this brand?  Well, simple, it is made with good ingredients.  Nothing you can’t pronounce, no preservatives, chemicals or additives.  Just avocadoes, and veggies (or fruit if you get the pineapple) which is really important to me!  I want to be putting good things into my body and GOODFOODS guacamole fits the bill!  This stuff is packed with nutrients to keep you feeling good, and it is always fresh, never heated because they use a special process. Not only is it made with good ingredients, but these guys care about the environment as well, they compost all of their avocado skins and pits and hope to become a zero waste to landfill facility! It is not often you hear about companies that do that.

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    Their guacamole is wonderful for snacking with chips, but it is also good for Holiday entertaining.  Whip out a container of this for your guests with some chips and veggies, and I can guarantee they will be happy.  So easy! My Grandma always used to set out tables of snacks before our Holiday meals while she prepared them, and this would have been a good and healthy addition.  I always love it when snacks are healthy, guilt free, AND good. But not only is it a good snack for the Holidays, it is going to be a part of my main dish as well!  So, how does guacamole fit into my Thanksgiving meal?

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    Well, although this is a wonderful time of the year, the beautiful season, getting together with friends and loved ones you haven’t seen in a while, and good meals.  But it can also be kind of stressful if you are the host for Thanksgiving (or any other Holiday meal) and you have to prep and cook all of the food.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather focus on the spending time with the people I love part.  Which is why in past years I have simplified my Thanksgiving meal with one great main dish, maybe a side and dessert.  Now, I know it is traditional to cook a meal with many different dishes, but I am a little non-traditional and creating new traditions is ok too.  So, this year I am going with something a little creative, but everybody loves, tacos.  I mean, who doesn’t love tacos?!  You can be creative with them, fill them with all sorts of different ingredients and toppings, and even use seasonal ones!  Which is what I am doing.  Roasted Squash and Black Bean Tacos with GOODFOODS guacamole to top them off, which I am sharing the recipe for at the end of the post!  Because in my opinion ALL good tacos contain guacamole, and I love that I can just open a container, and not have to make it myself.  These tacos are pretty simple to make, and would go great with either of the GOODFOODS guacamoles that I bought, the Pineapple Poblano if you are extra feeling festive or the Chunky Guacamole if you want it more traditional.  Also, I might add, this Thanksgiving meal will leave you feeling good, and not in a food coma.  So you can spend quality time with your family after dinner as well!

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    If you are not into the whole serving tacos on Thanksgiving day thing, how about the next day if you have guests staying over that you need to feed in between shopping on black Friday?  Either way get yourself some GOODFOODS guac!  I encourage you to find some GOODFOODS guacamole in your area!  You can locate a store near you that carries them on their website HERE. They are in many stores including Target, Costco and Walmart among others, it is not hard to get your hands on.  Make this guacamole part of your Holidays!  Share the Goodness with GOODFOODS!

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    Vegan Roasted Squash Black Bean Tacos Recipe with GOODFOODS Guacamole
    Serves 6

    Ingredients:

    Squash:

    • 2 large butternut squash, peeled and diced
    • olive oil
    • sea salt to taste

     

    Beans:

    • 2 cups cooked black beans
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • sea salt to taste
    • 1 Tbsp chili powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1/8 tsp chipotle powder
    • 1 garlic clove, minced

     

    Assembly:

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
    2. Toss the squash with just enough olive oil to coat then spread out on a sheet pan, and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes until the squash is tender and starting to brown at the edges.
    3. Meanwhile, toss the black beans together with the olive oil, spices and garlic and set aside.
    4. When the squash is done roasting, to assemble the tacos, spoon some of the beans and squash onto each tortilla, then sprinkle with cranberries, top off with GOODFOODS Guacamole, sprinkle with some scallions, garnish with cilantro, and drizzle with hot sauce.  Serve!

     

  • Vegan Loaded Chili Yam Fries

    Vegan Loaded Chili Yam Fries

    Yam fries are my favorite thing in the world. I know I have mentioned it before, but I could eat them for every meal of the day. So, I decided that I needed to make a legitimate (well sort of) dinner out of them and make it a full meal with other things besides just the fries. I have made a chili topped off with yam “croutons” before, but I decided to make chili yam fries. People put chili over regular fries, of course it is usually filled with disgusting meat…but mine wouldn’t be. It would be vegan and filled with delicious healthy black beans. I was dreaming about this dinner all day at work. Yam fries are easy to make, so is chili, so it was the perfect weeknight meal!

    Chili Yam Fries 1

    So, I made my yam fries the usual way, tossed with just enough olive oil to lightly (and I mean very lightly) coat them so that they don’t get soggy and oily. The purpose of that is to get them nice and brown at the edges. I just add a little sea salt and it is honestly the best thing in the world. Well at the time when you are eating them at least, so good. When I make them at work, there are always some missing from the pan, because everyone likes to “quality control” them. They are pretty addictive, good luck getting them to the table when making them at home, people like to stand around them and graze. Myself included.

    Chili Yam Fries 2

    I made a simple chili that takes only 20 minutes to top off these fries, with black beans because I had some on hand. I used that to top off the fries, and also a silky avocado sauce. Which sort of served as the cooling element (you know, like sour cream would be). Now I know I could have topped these off with cheese instead of the avocado, but I was really craving the avocado and not in a cheese mood. Lastly some green onions and cilantro. It was so good, just as it was. If you are looking for a legit way to have yam fries as a main dish for dinner, try this out! Sooo delicious!

     

    Vegan Loaded Chili Yam Fries
    Serves 2

    2 medium sized yams, cut into fries
    olive oil
    sea salt

    Chili:
    1/4 cup onion
    1 clove garlic
    1/2 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp chili powder
    1/4 tsp chipotle powder
    1 cup diced tomatoes
    1 Tbsp tomato paste
    1 Tbsp cider vinegar
    1/4 cup filtered water
    1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
    3/4 cup cooked black beans

    Avocado sauce:
    1 medium avocado
    juice of one lime
    sea salt to taste
    filtered water as needed

    Cilantro leaves and sliced green onions for garnish

    Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the yams with just enough olive oil to coat them, along with sea salt to taste, and spread them out on a sheet pan. Roast yams for about 40-45 minutes until tender and browned at the edges.

    Meanwhile, to make the chili, add all ingredients but the beans to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes are falling apart and the flavors have combined, about 20 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until heated through. Keep warm.

    Blend up all of the avocado sauce ingredients until smooth in a food processor (adding as much water is needed to make it a creamy but pourable consistency).

    To serve, place the yam fries on a plate, spoon the chili over them, and top with the avocado sauce, some cilantro, and green onions. Enjoy!



  • Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Bowl

    Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Bowl

    It is exciting when more produce comes into season and becomes more readily available.  The Farmer’s markets are going to open soon, which I am excited about since nothing beats local produce picked that day.  Asparagus and pea season is almost here, and so I am in a spring vegetable eating sort of mood.  Last night I decided to make a quinoa bowl loaded with fresh Spring vegetables.  They may not be local yet, but it was still satisfying and delicious.

    Black Bean Quinoa Spring Veggie Bowl 2

    I love quinoa bowls.  I started loving bowls of things when I first tried a chipotle burrito bowl about 5 years ago, I thought it was the greatest thing ever.  All of those veggies and beans, it was a big bowl of happy.  So now I make my own bowls of different sorts, but they usually have quinoa because I am not a huge rice fan.  I love that quinoa has more protein and is lower glycemic than the rice. Anyways, this bowl came together really quick, because I already had black beans on hand, and the sauce I used for it is one I use often for other salads so I had that on hand as well.

    Black Bean Quinoa Spring Veggie Bowl

    It was a big bowl of delicious, and so pretty with all of the veggies.  Things like this make me happy, who doesn’t love a bowl full of good food though.  I will be making this often now that the weather is warming up and I am not all about stews and hot things every night.  If you are making this, feel free to use the veggies that you have on hand! Radishes and mushrooms would be good in it too.

     

    Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Bowl
    Serves 2-3

    2 cups water
    1 garlic clove minced
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 cup quinoa, rinsed
    1 cup cooked black beans
    3/4 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
    1 cup red cabbage, cut julienne
    1 medium carrot, cut julienne
    1 cup snap peas
    2 scallions, sliced

    Sauce:
    1/2 cup walnut butter
    1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1 tsp ground cumin
    1/2 tsp dried thyme
    1/8 tsp dried chipotle pepper
    sea salt to taste

    Place quinoa, garlic and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.

    Spoon the quinoa into bowls, then top with the beans and veggies.

    Whisk together the sauce ingredients, adding water to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the veggies and bowl. Serve!



  • Chipotle Black Bean Chili Stuffed Yams

    Chipotle Black Bean Chili Stuffed Yams

    I haven’t met a yam I didn’t like.  Especially when roasted to perfection, the sweetness and flavor brought out.  I love yams just like that, and I would eat them plain all day like that, but it isn’t really a balanced meal then, so I like to add other components to them. My favorite thing lately is to stuff them.  I have made this a few times lately for me and Eric and lets just say we were both really hungry and they tasted so good that we practically inhaled them.  This recipe involved black beans in a sort of chili sauce laced with chipotles, and topped off with avocadoes, oregano, and scallions. It is so good.  Filling, and both savory and a little sweet so that you don’t feel like you need dessert after.

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    The best thing about these is they come together quick, so they are perfect for a busy day or when you get home late.  The yams can be popped in the oven while you are doing other stuff, and the topping can be made in the meantime.  If everyone knew about meals like this, I don’t think they would think vegan food is boring, I think they might consider eating this way!

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    Chipotle Black Bean Chili Stuffed Yams

    Serves 2

    2 medum sized yams or sweet potatoes

    2 tsp olive oil

    1 small red onion, diced

    1 red bell pepper, diced

    1 garlic clove, minced

    1 tsp chili powder

    1/4 tsp chipotle powder

    1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes (or you may use fresh if you have them)

    sea salt to taste

    1/4 cup fresh orange juice

    1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

    2 scallions, sliced

    2 Tbsp fresh oregano or cilantro

    1 avocado, diced

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prick the yams all over with a fork, and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour until tender, depending on how large they are.

    Meanwhile, to make the chili beans, heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, and add the onions and bell pepper.  Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, sea salt, tomatoes, orange juice and beans.  Cook for another 10 minutes until the flavors have blended, stirring often.

    Once the yams have finished cooking, cut in half lengthwise (but not all the way through to the bottom.  Spoon the black beans into the open yams, top with scallions, oregano, and avocadoes, and serve!



  • Vegan Mexican Jalapeno Black Bean “Meatballs” with Cheese Sauce

    Vegan Mexican Jalapeno Black Bean “Meatballs” with Cheese Sauce

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    New years eve is almost here, and I don’t know about you, but I like to celebrate with cocktails and appetizers.  When I was in high school, I always had new years parties with lots and lots of food, all snacky type stuff.  You know, the 10 layer Mexican dip, and mini BBQ meatballs, and chex mix.  Not a lot of healthy stuff I can tell you that.  But it was tasty, and I enjoyed it.  In the spirit of that, I thought I would make an appetizer type dish, some vegan meatballs.  I know someone is going to be all like…”Those are not meatballs, cause they don’t have meat!” But too bad, I am calling them that cause I can. I usually make lentil walnut Italian meatballs, but I wanted to try something a little different this time.  I had lots of black beans cooked off, and I love spicy Mexican food, so I went that direction.

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    I added fresh jalapenos to them, and they ended up tasting like really damn good refried beans.  Which I am a fan of. I baked them in the oven until they were nice and warm, then decided that they would be even more awesome with a nacho cheese sauce.  So I whipped up a batch. It was a delicious combination. I wish I had healthy and delicious appetizers when I was younger!  The best part about these is they are quick to make.  If you prefer to serve them as a main dish, whip up a Mexican red sauce and serve over pasta instead of with the cheese.

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    Vegan Mexican Jalapeno Black Bean “Meatballs” with Cheese Sauce

    Makes about 18 meatballs and about 2 cups sauce

    Meatballs:

    2 cups cooked black beans

    1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

    2 tsp chili powder

    2 garlic cloves

    a good pinch cayenne pepper

    2 Tbsp pumpkin seed meal (ground pumpkin seeds) or as needed

    2 scallions, sliced

    1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

    Cheese Sauce:

    2 medium carrots, chopped

    2/3 cup raw cashew butter

    1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

    2 Tbsp cider vinegar

    2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

    1 garlic clove

    filtered water as needed

    1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

    For the meatballs, combine all ingredients but the jalapeno and scallions in a food processor and blend until smooth and holding together when squeezed (if it seems way too sticky, add a little more pumpkin seed meal.  You want it to be soft, but not too soft). Add the jalapenos and scallions and pulse to distribute evenly but not blend up (you want flecks of green color).  Shape the mixture into about 1 1/2 inch meatballs, and place on an oiled baking sheet.  Place in a 375F degree oven, and bake for about 20 minutes until heated through.

    Meanwhile, to make the cheese sauce, combine all ingredients but the jalapenos in a high speed blender and blend until smooth (adding a little more water if too thick). Add the jalapenos, and buzz for a second at low speed to incorporate.

    Serve the cheese sauce with the meatballs to dip them in.



  • Black Bean Jalapeno Hummus

    Black Bean Jalapeno Hummus

    One of my old coworkers at the deli used to call a big pot of black beans on the stove a “pot of doom”.  It does sort of look like a witches brew…the beans coloring the water an almost blueish green black bubbling away.  Funny, because one of my friends once asked if we cackle as we stir our big pots on the stove.  No…but I still think of that every time I see a big pot of black beans and it makes me laugh.  One of those moments where the people around me are wondering why the heck I am laughing when I was previously silent.  Anyways, black beans are some serious deliciousness when prepared correctly, and really they turn from a pot of doom to a pot of black savory goodness once drained.

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    I made a bunch at home last week for a recipe and I had extra, so I decided to make some hummus with them.  I am on a huge hummus kick lately.  I like it for my afternoon snack with veggies, and it is a good dose of protein and fiber. This last batch was so good that I decided I needed to share the recipe with you.  It is a little spicy, since I added jalapeno and chipotle powder, but that is just how I like it.

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    It is good with veggies as I said, but I also like it with crackers.  It would be good on sandwiches, or as a dip to serve to company over the Holidays and for the Superbowl with tortilla chips.  It is super easy to make if your beans are already cooked, and of course it keeps well for at least a week, so you can even make it ahead of time.  I know it would not win any beauty contests, but if you wanted to jazz up presentation, sprinkle it with some sliced green onions or pomegranate seeds.

    Black Bean Jalapeno Hummus

    Makes about 2 1/2 cups

    2 1/2 cups cooked black beans
    1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
    1/4 cup almond butter
    1/4 cup lime juice
    2 tsp cumin seed
    1 tsp dried thyme
    1/2 tsp ground chipotle or to taste
    sea salt to taste

    For the hummus, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.



  • Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing

    Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing

    Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing 1

    When I was out for my run this morning, I noticed a few people have set out pumpkins on their steps as decoration.  Not surprising, official pumpkin season is officially here!  I even got one in my CSA box this time.  Although it was pretty, and I thought I might want to just display it, I decided to eat it instead.  That is so me.  Nothing is ever too pretty to eat if it is tasty and edible.  I decided to roast the pumpkin into little cubes of deliciousness, and combine them with black beans and kale in a salad.

    Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing 2

    This became dinner for me and Eric.  I tossed it all in a groundnut dressing.  If I am confusing you by saying groundnut, it is the same as peanut.  I used to make this really good groundnut spiced stew with garam masala (an indian spice blend) that was so good, I drew inspiration from it for this salad.  I knew the pumpkin, black beans and kale would be perfect with the dressing.  The roasting of the pumpkin is really the only thing about this recipe that takes a little time, the rest comes together in a breeze if you have cooked beans on hand already.

    Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing 3

    Roasted Pumpkin and Black Bean Salad with Groundnut Dressing

    Serves 2-4

    1 medium pumpkin, seeds removed, skin removed, and cut into cubes

    olive oil

    sea salt

    2 cups cooked black beans

    1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

    1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

    Dressing:

    1/2 cup smooth organic natural peanut butter

    1/2 cup filtered water

    2 Tbsp cider vinegar

    1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)

    2 tsp garam masala

    1 garlic clove, minced

    1 tsp red pepper flakes

    sea salt to taste

    To prepare the pumpkin, pre heat the oven to 400F degrees, and oil a sheet pan.  Toss the pumpkin with just enough oil to coat and spread out on the pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast until the pumpkin is tender and starting to brown at the edges, about 30-45 minutes.  Let cool until just warm.

    Place the kale, beans,  seeds, and pumpkin in a large bowl.

    Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, then toss with the ingredients in the other bowl until coated.  Serve!