Zucchini brownies

Ok so brownies are a Big deal. If you can make good brownies you pretty much have a permanent place in my heart. And no joke I have witnessed guys go from polite to putty in a girls hands because she makes good brownies. 

And the thing is brownies should be so simple to make but apparently not. I have had so many brownie disasters, undercooked, over cooked, brownies that literally melt in your mouth because even the the top is crispy the insides are goo (not as nice as they sound), brownies that refuse to develop that crispy top and brownies that taste like crap. And that was before I cut out dairy, and then gluten. My coconut flour brownies sucked, but then I don't like coconut flour so it may have been more to do with that? 

So what better to do than to make brownies that are vegan and gluten free and full of vegetables? It makes sense.

Im pleased to report that these were not disaster brownies. They're chocolatey and gooey and have that crispy top that I had resigned myself to having to forego if I was going to make vegetable brownies.

They also don't taste like zucchini at all. 

Which is great because while I love zucchini I don't want zucchini dessert.

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups organic brown cane sugar (or other sugar of your choice I'm just opting to be pretentious at the moment)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups gluten free flour

1/2 cup organic cocoa 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh zucchini (shredded. You guys my food processor grates/shreds stuff at the speed of light I'm so amazed)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2.Grease or line your parking pan (I uses a 10x10 pan but would recommend an 8x8 pan for thicker brownies. I'm just lazy and had just used my 8x8 pan for a batch of blondies and couldn't be bothered to wash it up),

3.In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. At this point the mixture will be really crumbly and you'll be tempted to add in as many wet brownie ingredients as you can remember from the area of your brain reserved to brownie baking. Ignore your panic, it's supposed to be like this. 

3.5 I should also mention that because I was so excited about my new food processor that I actually skipped the process of wet and dry ingredients and just threw it all in and blitzed it. I'm happy to report that this works. Hoorah for lazy brownies!

4.Fold in the zucchini (and walnuts if you used them) suddenly your dry, crumbly brownie mix will look like molten chocolate. Glorious. 

5. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool (or not because hot brownies are bloody amazing

Chickpea peanut butter blondies

Ingredients

• 1 can (398ml.) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup maple syrup (this time I discovered I had run out of maple syrup so I substituted for 1/3 cup agave, 1/4 brown cane sugar and 80ml water which works just as well) 
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cups dark chocolate chips, reserve ¼ cup for the top
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a loaf pan with parchment paper
2. In a food processor (or high speed blender), add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth, similar consistency to hummus
3. Stir in 1/2 cup of the dark chocolate chips
4. Scoop the batter into the lined pan and smooth it out evenly. Lightly press the remaining chocolate chips over top
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. This will vary with ovens so be patient and wait until the edges are beginning to brown
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer to a rack for another 30 minutes for them to set
7. Cut into squares

 

Coconut and avocado cookie (cakes)

This is a recipe that I've used a lot in the past but adapted by request of Harrison who wanted to have them based with coconut flour rather than my usual gluten free flour mix.

These most certainly didn't turn out like my usual cookies, the coconut flour is far denser than a normal flour blend and these cookies are more like little cakes.

In saying that they still went down well enough for the recipe to make it onto this blog. However I'm definitely going to post my normal chocolate avocado cookie recipe soon.

Enjoy 

X

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup organic cocoa
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup mashed avocado
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Set aside. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil, avocado, and sugars together until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract. 

4. With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until the flour disappears. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.5 You might find that with coconut flour the cookie dough is still really crumbly, add more milk, coconut oil or a small amount of water till it can be formed into balls easily.

5. Form cookie dough into tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand or a spatula. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

No-bake peanut butter pie (it's vegan and gluten free too!)

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3-4 tbsp maple or agave syrup, or 3-4 tbs almond milk
1 cup almond flour 

Filling

2 cup organic peanut butter, I used crunchy
3 large ripe bananas
2 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple or agave syrup 
1/4 cup coconut oil  

Topping

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp coconut oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

Line a cake pan with grease proof paper.

Add the crust ingredients to your food processor and process until smooth. Add this mixture to the prepared lined cake pan and with a spatula  press until evenly uniformed through all sides.

Place the filling ingredients in the food processor and pulse until you obtain a homogenous mixture. Add the topping over the crust and freeze pie until solid for at least 4-6 hours.

When ready to eat, sprinkle the peanuts over the peanut butter pie. Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a plate and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the pie and serve.

You may have to let the pie sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to be able to slice. Store leftover pie in the freezer and thaw for 10-15 minutes before eating.

Balsamic cauliflower 'wings'

I've seen cauliflower wings all over Pinterest for months and I've wanted to try them. Mostly because they fall under my list of "I've always been a vegetarian so I've never tried the meat version of this and crazy pinterest people are saying that they taste like te real thing".

Let me burst your bubble right now, unless wings taste of cauliflower these don't taste of wings, they taste of cauliflower. In saying that they taste pretty damn good so I'm willing to forgive the Pinterest collective for their misleading comments.

(Apparently there's a dehydrated version of these that REALLY DOES taste like the real thing so as much as I doubt cauliflower will ever taste like hot wings I'll try that as soon as I buy a dehydrator).

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
• ¼ cup honey (or agave or maple syrup for strict vegan)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary
• ¼ tsp salt
• a few grinds black pepper

For the cauliflower:

• One large head cauliflower
• ½ cup flour (I used coconut flour)
• ½ cup milk (I used almond milk)

Instructions

For the sauce:

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

For the cauliflower:

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F, and spray a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets. The smaller they are, the faster they will cook and softer they will get.
3. Whisk together the flour and milk in a bowl.
4. Toss the cauliflower in the batter until thoroughly coated.
5. Arrange the cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly less done than you want them.
7. Remove from the oven and pour the sauce over the cauliflower.
8. Return to oven for another 5 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and gently flip and toss the cauliflower in the sauce on the sheet to coat.
10. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Today I had my version of wings and fries. I paired the 'wings' with baked zucchini chips and my balsamic hummus. 

Quinoa veggie chilli

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (we used 3)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, etc.

Method:

In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Spicy mushroom and spinach falafel

You guys have no idea how much I love falafel. It's a sick, sick addiction that I try and fail to break every few months. And whenever I have a falafel relapse I try out new recipes. 

I feel like this is one of my greatest achievements to date as it combines my first love (falafel) with my second and third loves (mushrooms and spinach). Which when I think of it is slightly weird because I'm sure that wine should be higher up the list than falafel, mushrooms or spinach.. But apparently not. Anyway, wine falafel sounds horrendous so it's probably for the best.

Ingredients (makes 14 falafels)

- 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach

125g button (or other) mushrooms

2 spring onions, sliced into rounds

2 finely chopped chillis

1 tsp ground cumin 

Handful finely chopped parsley 

1 clove garlic

400g tin of chickpeas

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp sesame oil

zest of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method

- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan, then fry the onion, garlic, spring onion and mushrooms over a low heat for 5 mins until softened. 

- Tip into a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas, spinach and spices, then mash together with a fork or potato masher until the chickpeas are totally broken down. 

- Stir in the parsley and chillis with seasoning to taste. 

- Add the egg, then squish the mixture together with your hands.

- Mould the mix into 14 balls and place on grease proof paper on a baking tray.

- Cook at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden.