creamy white bean soup with kale, rosemary and lemon

1 TB oil coconut oil
1 medium onion chopped small
2 carrots chopped small
1 stalk celery chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
chili flakes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 cups cooked white beans
4 cups veggie stock
2 TB fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
3 cups dinosaur kale chopped- about one small bunch

Heat oil. Add veggies till soft then add garlic, chili flakes and rosemary.
Stir and cook till fragrant - a little less than a minute. Add beans and veggie stock. Stir. Bring the soup to a boil.
Once boiling ladle half of the soup into the vitamix and blend. Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.  Now add the vitamix soup to the pot and stir.
Add kale. Bring to a boil. Once it's limp it's ready! Serve hot.

Healthy, gluten free, sugar free pumpkin squares

photo next time I make it.

2 cups almond flour blanched or not
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 cup monkfruit...if you can't get that eryritol
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients
Add in everything else and stir till it is a thick batter.
Transfer to 9x9 pan. I like to line it with parchment paper for removal ease.
Bake 35 minutes till the top is firm to touch. Cool completely before slicing. maybe try with macadamia nut cream cream frosting.

black bean brownies

Awesome Black Bean Brownies from Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (10g)
• 1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (See nutrition link below for substitutions)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (75g)
• pinch uncut stevia OR 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g) (See nutrition link for substitution notes)
• 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

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: 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. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review! The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient. In all the times I’ve served bean desserts, not one single person who didn’t know beforehand has ever guessed!

View Black Bean Brownies Nutrition Facts

Read more at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/#SoZRi1mzE61cw4g0.99

Black Bean Burgers- the best!!!!

2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 generous cup chickpea flour
3 TB tomato paste
2 TB applesauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons tamari
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
juice 1/2 lime

coconut oil to fry in

Place black beans in bowl and smash with potato smasher. Leave some beans whole.  Stir in the rest of ingredients, except oil.
Make burgers- Easily makes 8. Fry in coconut oil.
This recipe cam from Deliciously Ella Everyday. It's the best one I have tried. It stays together super well and has a unique taste.

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese from BY Chloe in NYC
We were in NYC on Thursday and I tried this meal for the first time and I was smitten. After an on line search I came up with a healthy version.

Boil these in water till soft

1 baking potato
1 handful of frozen butternut squash (or another potato)
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic

Drain the veggies. Then add to Vitamix.

Add these ingredients and give it a whirl.

1/2 cup non dairy milk
1/2-3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon  squeezed juice
2 TB garlic powder
pinch salt

Pour the sauce over cooked pasta.

2 boxes of lentil pasta (8oz each total of 16 oz)
I tried two brands and we definitely preferred the Tolerant brand- Red Lentil Penne. It was chewy and delicious while the other was much softer and less pasta like.

 It's even better the second day!
I added coconut bacon on top.
 1cup plus of unsweetened thicker large flake coconut shreds
1 TB coconut aminos (or tamari)
1 tsp or so maple syrup
1/2 tsp or more smoked paprika
a few sprays of liquid smoke
pinch salt

Place in bowl and toss. Next pour into a skillet and toast over medium heat. Place on parchment paper after cooking. it will crispen. (Thank you to Oh She Glows  for this coconut bacon recipe. I added the liquid smoke but the recipe is hers!

Yummy Elvis Popsicles

I found this recipe online. It's another of Kathy Hester's delicious recipes.

2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened non dairy milk
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients to the blender and puree till smooth.
fill up 5-6 Popsicle molds. Freeze at least 8 hours.

rutabaga fondue...a la Fancy Radish

Have you ever had the pleasure of eating rutabaga fondue at the Fancy Radish (DC) or Vedge (Philly)???? Yum. It's the best thing on the menu. At the restaurant it's served with hot pretzel bread and some pickled veggies. Yum! I really like this dish... but who can afford to go to the Radish each week? No, I had to learn how to make it. I did a lot of research and it was Your Veggie coach who produced a recipe that mimics the dish. I also found out that Whole Foods in Rockville sells a small pretzel bread baguette.
We served our fondue with cut up apples, tiny sweet gherkin pickles and the warmed pretzel bread. Perfect winter dish served by the fire.

1 1/2 lbs rutabaga peeled, in small cubes
1 cup waxy white potatoes peeled, in small cubes
2 Tb vegan butter- Earth Balance (divided)
3/4 cup red onion diced
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups hot cooking water
4 TB white miso

 Place rutabaga in large pot and cover with water. Submerge by 2"
Add salt and boil for 15 minutes.
Then add potatoes and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Both rutabaga and potato should be soft.

While these are cooking melt 1 TB earth balance in large 5 quart pot of Dutch oven. Add onions. Cook till translucent. Add apple cider vinegar and deglaze the pot.

When potatoes and rutabagas are cooked take them out with slotted spoon and place in pot with onions.  Save cooking water. Add nutritional yeast, wine and 1 1/2 cups of cooking water. Bring to boil for 1 minutes and then reduce heat to simmer.

Take another 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and place in small bowl. Whisk the Miso into it till dissolved.

Turn off fondue veggies and use and immersion blender or old fashioned potato smasher and blend till smooth and lump free. Add Miso mixture to veggies. Add the last TB of earth balance.

Cover to keep warm for serving.

(We used the leftover fondue over tiny potatoes like Raclette.)