Black Bean Brownies

In my last year working at Mariposa School, I received a bag of Black Bean Brownies  as a holiday gift from one of our lovely families.  My initial thought was, "ugh", but they were so tasty and that I tried to get the recipe but somehow we never connected. So, I went to the internet and found this one on the No Meat Athlete website. One of the essentials I was looking for, in deference to my significant other, was the absence of animal fat. This one fits the bill. At first, I was skeptical because I think my standard  brownie recipe, with its butter and eggs, is non pareil! Truth be told, I still prefer them, but I think you should try these out. They are rich, dense and surprisingly fudgy. 

Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Adapted from No Meat Athlete
nomeatathlete.com

1               15-ounce can black beans
                 Water
1 1/2         Cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1                t Salt
1                t  Baking powder
2 1/4         Cups sugar
1 1/4         Cups cocoa powder
1                t vanilla extract
1 1/2         Cups chopped nuts (optional)
1               Cup dark chocolate morsels (optional)

Set the temperature of your oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the middle. Drain and rinse the can of black beans in clear water. Return the beans to the empty can and re-fill with clear water. Puree the contents in a blender or food processor. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add the pureed beans, one additional cup of water and vanilla extract. Gently stir until batter is thoroughly combined. Stir in the optional nuts and/or chocolate morsels. Pour mixture into a greased 9X9 or 9X13 baking pan. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Check the brownies after 20 minutes, turning the pan 180 degrees to ensure even baking. Keep checking for doneness every five minutes or so. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. When done, let the brownies cool in the pan on a rack; then, cut into squares or bars.

Bumper Crop of Tangerines

What do you do with a bumper crop of sweet and juicy tangerines? I love to simply peel and devour them au naturelle. Eating fresh fruit in its simplest form is so rewarding, however a little creativity can enliven even the finest produce. The other morning I felt like having a light breakfast and glanced at the bowl of tangerines sitting on the butcher block. And, I remembered the "boat" of delectable strawberries from the farmer's market stowed in the refrigerator. The prospect of making a simple ambrosia came to mind. So, I got to work slicing the strawberries along with a banana and peeling and sectioning a couple of tangerines. After putting the fruit in a  bowl and I sprinkled the melange with unsweetened coconut flakes. It was the perfect way to get the day started, both tasty and satisfying. 

Vegan Experiment

Dear Friends,

It has been quite some time, hasn't it?! The Kitchen has been undergoing some revisions since entering into my current domestic partnership. That will be food for future posts. 

Today is Day Two of my post-vegan experiment. I was inspired by two books I read recently about Ultra Running culture, Born to Run and Eat/Run, that promoted plant-based diets as instrumental in high performance. I am merely a casual runner (no fifty-milers for me!) but I thought I would try out veganism for the month of January. I didn't notice any beneficial effect to my performance from eliminating all animal products from my diet, but I didn't notice any adverse effect, either. Although I missed Greek yogurt, feta cheese, honey, and the occasional fried egg the most, I felt satisfied and content being an herbivore. I enjoyed the vegan recipes I prepared and will continue to seek out more, even though I have returned to being a mostly plant-based omnivore. The illustrious ultra-runner, Scott Jurek, who authored Eat/Run ends each inspiring chapter of his memoir with one of his recipes. My favorite just might be his Lentil-Mushroom Burgers. They look just like beef burgers while sautéing in the old cast-iron skillet and are rather satisfying in taste and texture. Check out his book for this recipe and more. Even if you aren't interested in eating just plants, Jurek's personal journey is quite a good read!

My intention is to return to the Diary more frequently. Daily is asking too much of me, but I still love cooking and would love to share my adventures in the kitchen with you! 

Keep cooking it up!

Back to the subject of good food and cooking it!

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe or an essay about food. For a couple of years, I simply didn't cook... except on rare occasions. You see, I lived in a small rented room. I had kitchen privileges but I didn't want to interfere with my landlord's family life. So, I kept it simple by consuming mostly Trader Joe's prepared salads (one favorite was the Italian Country Salad) or tossing together my own veggies purchased from a local farmers market. Breakfast and lunch were eaten at my desk while at work. But, I missed being the mistress of my own culinary space.

Circumstances changed. I moved in with my sweetheart and have been slowing transforming his utilitarian, functional and selfishly convenient kitchen into a place I can call mostly mine. (Plus, it was quite homely.) You would think the previous adjectives would imply a highly organized space. You would be mistaken. I will grant there is a peculiar logic to his unusual method of storing foods, cookware and utensils, but multiplicity and saving every single plastic food container doesn't work in mine. Multiples of the same tool, measuring cup or spice, for example, could be found tucked away in numerous drawers or cabinets in the east, north, south and west quadrants of the kitchen. I surmised this was so no matter where he's working (prepping bread for the bread machine--that's another story!--or making his personal version of hot cocoa), he would find what he's looking for. Sometimes he did; but, sometimes he didn't. So, I've been organizing, consolidating, discarding rusty utensils, replacing old plastic containers with glass for food storage, alphabetizing the spice cabinet after trashing huge bottles of spices dating from another century, updating, and simply beautifying our kitchen. Yes, it's ours... but it's becoming mostly mine! 

I am slowing returning to cooking on a regular basis. It's a slow process. First, I'm still a working gal who doesn't get home until about six. When I get home, we'll have a simple meals, such as a fresh salad or sautéed vegetables to serve along with a selection from the amazing array of fish he caught from his kayak off the Malibu coast. The main reason the process is slow is because some aspects of our eating habits don't jibe. I am learning to coalesce the fine line between accommodating his idiosyncrasies and remaining true to my style of cooking and philosophy of eating and preparing good food. We generally agree that healthy eating good eating. However, in some specifics we don't quite agree. And, that, holds me back from fully expressing my culinary palette. It's a challenge, but a welcome one. It's an opportunity for personal growth. Who knew?!

 I hope you will join me as I continue my journey in discovering and sharing the joys and benefits of cooking good food!

Here's a little something to share with you right now:

Simple Salad for One

A couple handfuls of organic arugula

A half dozen cherry tomatoes or one medium tomato, cut into cubes

1/4 peeled cucumber, thinly sliced (I prefer the good, old-fashioned variety for salad; not the English or increasingly popular Persian cucumbers)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bragg's Aminos (I like the spray bottle. It's quite convenient.)

1 to 2 tablespoons of one or a combination of raw pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, walnuts, raw pine nuts

Toss the arugula and vegetables in a medium bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the salad and gently toss. Spray lightly with a couple pumps of the Aminos. Sprinkle with seed/nut mixture. 

A nice lunch, perhaps with a sliced of toasted whole wheat bread. (Next recipe!)

School Lunch

Improving school lunches is a heated topic from coast to coast. My journalist daughter wrote about it extensively from the East End of Long Island, NY and I am inundated by it at the K-8 in Agoura Hills, CA, where I work as the school office manager. It's such a controversy... but does it have to be? I am as much in  favor of school cafeterias serving healthier, wholesome lunches as any Wellness Committee parent. I am also sympathetic to parents who desire options for their children with dietary restrictions. Chocolate milk vs. non-fat milk. Trans-fats. Corn syrup. Processed ingredients. Governmental bureaucracy. All this can be solved by bringing a lunch (trash-free, I might add) from home. My daughters brought fresh and wholesome lunches prepared at home to school every day and avoided the perils of the vending-machine. Yes, I would like to see all school cafeterias, public and private, serve organic fruits and vegetables from student-tended gardens, non-processed proteins, whole-grains, and natural beverages, especially for the children who rely on free- and reduced-cost lunch programs. But, until that day comes, there is an obvious choice. It starts at home.

There... that's the end of my rant!

DBA Brownies

It's been quite a while since I prepared these hearty oatmeal brownies. Their original name is

Supremes" and the recipe is from the Maida Heatter cookie cookbook. I renamed them DBA Brownies when I was contracted by a Los Angeles production company with the initials "D", "B" and "A" to cater lunch for their location shoots. The cast and crew loved these brownies so much that they requested them all the time. Now, many years later, my daughter, who has fond memories of the baked-in chocolate filling flowing through islands of oatmeal pastry, has asked me to add the recipe to my blog so she can bake them up for her improv team. I think I may do the same, but for my team at school!

Without further ado, DBA Brownies!

DBA BROWNIES

32 or 48 large bars

2 1/2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 pound. unsalted butter

1 t instant coffee (optional; I like using Medaglio D'Oro)

1 t vanilla extract

2 C brown sugar

2 eggs

3 C old-fashioned or quick-cooking oatmeal (do not use "instant")

7 ounces walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 15 1/2 X 10 1/2 X 1-inch jelly roll pan.

Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the coffee powder, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Beat until well-blended. Add the eggs and beat well. On low speed, add one cup of flour with the baking soda and salt until blended. Then gradually add the rest of the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula when necessary. Mix in one cup of the walnut pieces.

Remove and reserve two cups of the dough. Place the remainder by spoonfuls over the bottom of the jelly roll pan. With moistened fingers, press all over to create an even, smooth layer. Set aside and prepare the following filling:

Chocolate filling:

1 fourteen-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate morsels

2 T butter

Pinch of salt

1 t vanilla extract

Place the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate morsels, butter, and salt in the top of a double-boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the warm chocolate over the bottom oatmeal layer in the jelly roll pan and spread evenly. Place the reserved oatmeal mixture by small spoonfuls over the chocolate, letting the chocolate show through between the spoonfuls. Do not spread smooth. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the walnuts.

Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Reverse the pan from front to back after about fifteen minutes to insure even browning. Cool completely in the pan until the cake reaches room temperature.

To cut the brownies: Cut around the sides to release the cake. Then cut the panful into eighths and with a wide metal spatula transfer the sections to a cutting board. Cut each eighth into four or six bars. If the brownies are soft and do not cut neatly, chill the sections on waxed paper on a tray or cookie sheet until cool enough to cut neatly.

May 10, 2010: Oven-Braised Halibut with Tomatoes and Capers

This preparation is simple yet elegant. Oven-braising the fish in a bath of vermouth and stock keeps it succulent and moist. The sauce is made by reducing the cooking liquids with chopped shallots, then finished with fresh tomato bits, butter and capers. I suggest you use fresh, wild-caught fish for best results.

OVEN-BRAISED HALIBUT WITH TOMATOES AND CAPERS

2 pounds boneless halibut fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 to 2 T melted ghee or olive oil
Smoked sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup vermouth
1 cup fish or light chicken stock
2 T chopped shallots, scallions or onions
1 1/2 c chopped peeled, juiced and seeded tomatoes
2 T ghee, optional
1 T capers, drained
Minced fresh parsley

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the fillets in a single layer in a buttered baking dish. Brush with melted ghee or olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the bay leaf in the center of the dish and pour the vermouth and stock around the fish. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, basting with the pan liquids several times during the cooking. The fish Add the shallots. Cover the fish with foil to keep warm while making the sauce. Place the saucepan on the stove over high heat and quickly boil down the liquid until it is almost syrupy. Add the chopped tomato bits and cook, stirring, until warmed through. Whisk in bits of butter if you wish to enrich the sauce. Finally, toss in the capers and stir through. Spoon sauce over the fillets and sprinkle each with minced parsley.