Special Brownies...The Black Bean Kind

Diets are all the rage. Whether you're pretending you're a cave man or pretending you live in the Mediterranean, there is a fad diet for you to obsess over.

Recipes for these diets fill my Pinterest feed and I can't help but think that some of them actually sound decent. {And the photos aren't half bad either}

I have tried a few healthy dinner options and those work out just fine usually, because there are lots of things to supplement for fattie foods like heavy cream or a stick of butter. BUT - and that is a big but - I get really skeptical when it comes to "healthy" desserts, because how the hell do you make chocolate and sugar healthy and still taste good? <<VERY IMPORTANT

Well, since the summertime fat blues have officially kicked in, I figure it's time to try some, because sweets {chocolate specifically} are my weakness. I came across a great blog on Pinterest and hallelujah, it focuses on healthy food, desserts specifically!

Katie from Chocolate Covered Katie, is a girl after my own heart and now her recipes are gracing my kitchen counters! {Well one is...multiple to go}

This weekend I started my "healthy desserts" journey with her recipe for black bean brownies and I have to say that as I was adding the ingredients into my food processor, I was giggling to myself because I couldn't wait to serve these bad boys to everyone without telling them what they were.

Side note: I don't have kids yet, but I have a husband and sometimes I feel like he is a child... and I knew that if I handed him a brownie and told him it was made with beans he would immediately have turned up his nose and swore that he could taste them. In comes wife trickery...

So what was the verdict? 15 minutes after I cut them, there were none left!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular (10g) (add a little extra if desired)
• 1/2 cup quick oats (40g)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (Honey will work, but not for strict vegans.) (75g)
• 2 nunaturals stevia packs or 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
• optional: more chips, for presentation

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.

I loved this recipe because I got to use products I have never used and now have on hand for another new recipe. Next time I think I will add nuts and double the batch because the 8X8 didn't last long at my house!

And the best part is, these bad boys are only about 115 calories each! Thanks Katie - I can't wait to try these, these and these!

What healthy recipes were you skeptical about, but loved once you tried them??
- Lindsey Nicole

Lemon Caper Chicken

I love anything salty {much to the dismay of my cholesterol} and one of my favorite chicken dishes is lemon caper chicken.

I recently tried a new restaurant {Raffa's - for all my Lake Houston neighbors} and fell IN.LOVE with their Mediterranean chicken.

It had a lemon cream sauce and was topped with capers, mushrooms, olives, sun dried tomatoes and feta. It was to die for!

I decided that it was something I should try at home and so I began searching for a {somewhat trimmer} version of this dish.

Thanks to Jaime and Jen, at Jaime and Jen Dish I found a great, low-cal, recipe for a lemon cream sauce that was so yummy on grilled chicken.

 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

 

Heat the oil on medium heat and cook garlic on medium heat until soft (about 1-2 minutes)

 

Add your lemon juice, capers and lemon pepper and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes

 

Add sour cream and let simmer for additional 5 minutes. {Depending on how lemony you like things, you may want to add a tad more sour cream}

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

 

- Lindsey Nicole

Kitchen Cheat Sheet

I love food. I love to cook. I love everything that has to do with cooking and eating. Except for the parts I hate. Good thing I have picked up some sweet tricks of the trade to make kitchen duty easier. Take a look - here are a few amazing, quick kitchen tricks that everyone should know about:

Cinnamon Rolls: Grab a can of crescent rolls and before you instead of tearing the triangles out just roll the dough into a rectangle and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Now roll it up like a jelly roll and slice into however many rolls you need!

Icing/Glaze: Don't have any canned icing? Don't have time to make icing from scratch in the mixer? All you need is water and powdered sugar. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons water (depends on how thick you want it) and voila!

No more mess pancakes: I hate making pancakes because it is such a pain in the ass and makes a huge mess. {Especially when your husband makes them} Best fix ever: old ketchup bottle!

Quick Appetizer: Pour olive oil onto a plate and mix in your favorite spices. Dill, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, etc. Dip some yummy bread into it and your set.

Simple Syrup: Nothing is worse than sugar granules in your ice tea or lemonade. Mixing syrup in will get rid of that and taste just the same. Combine1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in sauce pan and heat until sugar is dissolved, mixing often. Once it's cooled mix it into anything that needs a little sweetening!

8 Minute Baked Potato: Who has time to wait for a baked potato to cook on the grill or in the oven?? Poke some holes in it and put in the microwave for 4 minutes and then turn it over and cook for another 4 minutes and it's done! (Unless it's a mutant potato, then it might have to a little longer)

Left over tomato paste: I have yet to find a recipe that calls for the whole can of tomato paste. And even though it's only like $.79, who wants to waste it? Just take tablespoon sized amounts and wrap them in cling wrap and freeze. When you some just unwrap and drop in the pan!

Photo from Barefeet in the Kitchen. She has a lot more amazing tips and YUMMY recipes you should check out!

What kitchen tips do you swear by??

- Lindsey Nicole

Healthy! Crockpot Bourbon Chicken

One of my favorite parts of going to mall is walking through the food court and unselfishly sampling from each place offering it - for the good of the company you know!

One of my FAVORITES is the bourbon chicken...I'm sure other people call it other things and if you don't live under a rock, you have probably seen the recipe on Pinterest recently. And surprisingly enough, it's not going to put you in the grave. 

{Unless you have high blood pressure - then stay away from this salt mine!}

Note: I absolutely, positively HATE cooking with chicken thighs. They give me the heeby jeebies - I guess I am more of a breast woman.

Another note: Because I use breasts, I chose to cook it on the stove so it wouldn't dry out. That, and I was being lazy and didn't want to come home at lunch and do the whole crock pot thing.

- Lindsey Nicole

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

Everyone who is "trying to eat better" eats A LOT of chicken and eventually trying to find new ways to cook chicken is like trying to find an outfit for an important event in your own closet!

We all know it's easier to just go buy something new right?! Same with eating - easier to just go pick something up!

But that defeats the purpose - so I have been scouring Pinterest and other blogs to find new healthier recipes that may or may not involve chicken.

Here is one I made the other day that was a winner:

Courtesy of Kitchen Meets Girl - she has so many yummy recipes!!!

Note: I chose to just cook mine in the skillet because I live in an apartment and grilling requires driving to the pool area.

Another note: I only marinated for 1 hour and I felt the flavors would have been stronger had I gone longer.

ENJOY!

A date with pie - Valentine's Day recap!

Happy post-Valentine’s Day!

Hopefully everyone had a good night --- whether you spent it with a loved one or with your cat

*I really think it’s a useless holiday that annoys single people and attached alike, because let’s face it --- most men don’t “do” Valentine’s Day well. I.E. – the story of the $400 teddy bear gift I heard on the radio this morning….fail

 Anyways --- the husband and I usually just cook something yummy together (well this is the first year he did more than just eat while I cooked --- 2pts for him!)

This year’s menu was crawfish enchiladas {my fav} and a new dessert, thanks to Ms.PW herself via Ms. Darby over at Life with the Hawley’s!

 

{best enchiladas out there --- hands down --- seriously click here and make them}

 But let’s get back to this pie

 

Critics say “It will change your life”

{and by critics, I mean Darby}

 

Here we go

 

Crust:

25 oreos

4 tbsp melted butter

  

Filling:

1 cup of peanut butter

1 box of cream cheese

1 tub {that’s the technical term} of cool whip

1 ¼ cup of powdered sugar

 

Crush the oreos in a food processor {I used a blender because, I am, apparently the only person in ‘Merica that doesn’t own a food processor}

Drizzle the melted butter over the very fine cookie crumbs. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate. {I used the bottom of a measuring cup}

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes to set the crust

 

While the crust cools, whip the peanut butter and the cream cheese in your mixer until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. {sorry no pic of this part}

 

 *PW cracks me up because at this part she says “You can sift it if you want…but why? I hate sifting powdered sugar—I’m just gonna say it.” I agree PW, I agree!

 

Next dump the whole tub of cool whip in and mix on high until fluffy. Scrap sides and mix again. {It’s a heavy consistency --- not as light as whipped cream, but not as heavy as cream cheese --- understand?}

 

If your pie crust is cool, plop your filling into your pie plate and smooth to your preferred texture {mine is somewhere between OCD smooth and forget it, my hand hurts smooth}

 

Next, draw a cute little heart with your finger, because boys care so much about details, and refrigerate for at least an hour.  

 

Seriously --- having the whole pie for two people was a-ok with me after my first bite!

Diet starts Monday - I SWEAR!

 

- Lindsey Nicole

Simple healthy vinaigrette dressing recipe

While I was traipsing around the Big Apple, someone made a homemade balsamic that was to die for, so I decided to try it for myself and it turned out pretty yummy.

I found a basic recipe with ingredients I had in my kitchen already:

For my yeastfreers - you can replace the balsamic with apple cider vinegar, the dijon mustard with mustard powder and the sugar with stevia

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

About 1 tablespoon of sugar {depends on how sweet you like yours}

 

But this is secret ingredient...I felt this recipe needed something extra so I added about a tablespoon {you can start with less and add to taste}

The pre-shake look

 I'm all shook up

 

Play around with different spices --- in this batch I added a little ginger, dill and thyme

GET CREATIVE!

 

And that's it --- super simple and super yummy on just about anything! 

Oh and I guess it's healthy too ;)

- Lindsey Nicole

"I don't have any wrinkles because I fill them with pie"

Let's talk about food for just a second

I can - with pride - say that

I love nothing more than trying a new recipe or a new menu item or a new restaurant

{for that matter it doesn't even have to anything new lol}

I don't know what it is about food that I just get like a little girl with her first Barbie happy to eat it

Is it that I like the flavors? Or the whole concept of out to eat dining? Or enjoying something yummy with people I love? All of the above?

All I know is that life wouldn't worth living without good food.

{And my body hates me for that comment}

I also know that my wonderful, loving, annoying husband tends to not agree! {gasp!}

This guy tells me that of the following two foods, neither sounds better to his brain

{1.} 8 oz beef filet grilled medium topped with grilled shitake mushroom and a garlic butter sauce

OR

{2.} A peanut butter and honey sandwich

SERIOUSLY? 
How is that humanly possible - I just don't get it!


I mean how can mushy white bread with gooey honey and peanut compare?! 


And this is why cooking at our house is so ridiculous - because this is the answer I always get when I ask how he likes it....no matter what it is


Him - "It's good babe"
Me - "Gee thanks...glad I spent 2 hours cooking it"


Okay off my soapbox about why it's waaay better to live to eat rather than eat to live - now let's look at some recipes that I {the food snob} am currently craving!


stuffed mushrooms

via


deep fried avocados

via


lemon pull apart bread

via

pizza cupcakes

via

Now that I have gained 47 guilt pounds just for looking at these pictures and recipes, I am going to go soothe myself with some chocolate cake celery sticks and ice cubes.

- Lindsey Nicole

No cinnamon rolls?!

Ever get up at 1130am early on Sunday morning and crave warm gooey cinnamon rolls? Ever realize you didn't have them? Ever cry tears of sadness?

Love me later, but here is the easiest solution to making cinnamon rolls appear out of thin air.

Grab that can of regular crescent rolls {that everybody keeps in their refrigerator} and roll them out without breaking the triangles apart. 

Sprinkle as little or as much cinnamon and sugar as you like all over the rectangle of dough. 

Roll the dough back up and use a knife to cut the log into however cinnamon rolls you want to make. 

Pop them into the oven and cook as directed on the crescent roll package. 

{While they are cooking mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water to make the yummy icing that goes on top}

Drizzle the icing on the hot rolls and watch them disappear --- seriously you will eat them all. 

{cheat sheet cinnamon rolls!}

Do you have a cheat sheet recipe that you run to in a time of desperate need? SHARE!

- Lindsey Nicole

Easy Peezy Salsa

Go ahead and thank me now...here is the easiest/yummiest salsa recipe!

{Courtesy of my fellow salsa lover Ms. Savell over at Not So PTA!}

This veggies in this list of ingredients cost me all of $5 - so it's even better, because we all know how good cheap feels! {HA - that is not what I meant!}

{I cut the recipe in half because it's only me and the mr. wonderful, but here is the full recipe}

4 tomatoes
1 onion
1-2 jalapenos {depends on how brave you are}
2 limes {just the juice}
3-4 cloves garlic
1/3 of a cucumber {I'm not a fan so I didn't include this}
Handful of cilantro
Splash of distilled white vinegar
Salt to taste

Blend them all together in the blender/food processor to the consistency you like and enjoy with a bag of salty chips and cold 'insert beverage of choice here'! {Mine was a frozen strawberry margarita...mmm yes ma'am}

- Lindsey Nicole

sopapilla cheesecake

it's thanksgiving time and everyone knows that means eating baking lots of yummy things!

i wanted to share a recipe that i ABSOLUTELY love to eat make when i have people over!

introducing Sopapilla Cheesecake

pictured here you will need the following:
2 rolls of regular crescent rolls
3 8oz. bars of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 stick melted butter

topping:
2 tsp. cinnamin
1/2 cup sugar

Step 1: Whip cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until completely mixed

Step 2: Roll out one can of crescent rolls into bottom of greased 9X13in. baking dish

Step 3: Spread cream cheese mixture on top of crescent rolls in pan

Step 4: Roll 2nd can of crescent rolls on top of cream cheese mixture

Step 5: Brush on melted butter; sprinkle cinnamin/sugar topping over entire cheescake

Step 6: bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Be prepared for people to say "Oh my gosh, this is so good! Was it hard?" This is where you reply, "Yes I spent all day making it!"

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Love always - Lindsey Nicole