So Trendy Today!

Trust me, these look a lot more unappetizing than they actually are.

I've been hearing about these crazy black bean brownies for weeks and I finally hopped on the bandwagon.  You literally make the dough by pureeing black beans with chocolate, oats, honey, vanilla, etc and bake them like regular brownies.  They have a different texture, but I actually like them!  A good chocolate fix without undoing your whole day.  They would be easy to make gluten and dairy free if you're motivated.

 

 

 

Incase you missed it, trend #1 is using beans in everything.

I found this idea on Pinterest.  Big shocker there.

I've been in search for a satisfying snack to fill me up between meals and I think these are actually really great!

You just toss garbanzo beans with olive oil and spices like cumin, paprika, cayenne, sugar, and salt and roast them at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes, tossing half way through the bake.  Make sure you bake them completely to make sure they're really crunchy.  They have a very similar texture to corn nuts, but way healthier!

 

Trend #2 is the quinoa trend.  I liked quinoa before it was cool, which makes me super original, right? I kind of whipped this recipe up off the top of my head last night.  I combined cooked quinoa with veggies, a little cheese, spices, and an egg and formed little patties. I baked them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes just so they'd stay together. Next, I seared them in hot olive oil until golden brown on both sides. I served them over lemon dressed arugula leaves and topped with a Greek yogurt sauce with lemon zest and red wine vinegar. Very light, healthy and delicious!