Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

CHOCOLATE BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
from Mennonite Girls Can Cook, but introduced to me through Tina:
http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2012/08/chocolate-black-bean-brownies.html

Put all the following in a food processor:

1 can (19oz) of drained and rinsed black beans
3 eggs
1/4 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Puree all ingredients until very smooth.
Pour batter into greased pan.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. It is best to take them out while they are still gooey in the middle.

Serve alone, or with coconut cream if you are feeling decadent. :)

Enchilada Lasagna

ENCHILADA LASAGNA

Sauté:
Onion – medium size chopped
Garlic - a few cloves finely chopped
Ginger root - maybe a Tbsp grated?
Can of Beans – drained and rinsed (I used Fava, but I think anything would work)
1 serrano pepper – finely sliced

Spices (I don’t actually measure… but here is a guess at the amounts:
cumin (2 Tbsp?), chilli powder (1 Tbsp?), oregano (1 Tbsp?), salt (1/2 tsp?), pepper (1/2 tsp?)

While the above is cooking chop (whatever vegetables you have on hand):
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 zucchini
1 or 2 cups broccoli florets
3 or 4 tomatoes

Add all the chopped veggies to the bean mix and cook all together for a few minutes (not all the way. They are going to be baked yet).

crumbled goat fetasoft corn tortillas
tomato sauce
green salsa (salsa verde or green enchilada sauce)

Line a large casserole dish with corn tortillas (the veggie/bean mix above is likely enough for 2 medium sized casserole dishes). Pour in the slightly cooked veggies and beans. Sprinkle with crumbled feta. Cover with more tortillas. Pour 1-2 cans of tomato sauce and ½- 1 cup green salsa on top.

Cover and bake at 425 for 40 minutes or so.

Miso Gravy

MISO GRAVY
Based off of various recipes aiming for Naam-like flavour

4 Tbsp Miso paste
2.5 cups water (or vegetable broth)
3 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil - other oils would work too. Sesame oil would be delicious)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
3 tsp hot sauce (sriracha was recommended by various recipes, but I use Frank's hot sauce)
4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in cold water)

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch+water mix. Whisk on medium heat until combined/smooth (smooth except for the garlic, of course). Then whisk in the cornstarch+water mix, ideally before the gravy gets hot.

Whisk occasionally until the gravy is bubbling and thickened.
Remove from heat and enjoy! Wonderful on dragon bowls (potatoes, steamed vegetables, cheese and gravy).

If you want thicker gravy, use less water or add more cornstarch.

Hummus & Variations

HUMMUS & VARIATIONS

Into a food processor put all the following:

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 - 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
2 - 4 cloves of garlic
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
a little bit of water
a drizzle of oil (optional)

Depending on how soft your chickpeas are, you will need more or less water to make a smooth paste. Just add a little bit at first and puree everything together. If it seems a bit crumbly rather than creamy, add more water. You can also drizzle a little bit of oil which also gives it a nice texture. Always add the oil at the last minute if you are using it.

Both the salt and cumin should be added according to your taste. Add them a bit at a time.

Note: if eating with something salty, like tortilla chips, I leave out the salt. But if eating with fresh veggies, I do put in the salt.

VARIATIONS:

BEANS: I make this recipe using different beans, such as blackbeans, kidney beans, etc or even a combination of beans if I am making a double batch.

VEGGIES: In addition to garlic, I sometimes add other veggies, such as tomatoes, peppers, fresh cilantro, parsley or dill. When adding tomatoes, leave out the water because the tomato will provide more than enough moisture. Sometimes I roast the garlic and/or tomatoes.

SPICES: In addition to cumin, I sometimes add other spices such as chili powder or chili flakes, oregano, or black pepper. You can also add more lemon juice if you want a more lemony dip.

DECORATION: Sometimes I drizzle a little more oil on top to decorate the dip once it is ready to serve. It looks especially pretty with a few chili flakes and a bit of olive oil on top.

Example variation recipe:
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

1 roma tomato (it could be any tomato, but romas have less juice, so they work nicely)

3 cloves garlic
a small handful of fresh cilantro
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp or so chili poweder/chili flakes

a drizzle of oil (optional)