The Cook & The Coach Blog

Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

3/20/2014

We have definitely tricked a few people with this recipe before because these brownies look, smell, and taste just like the ones your grandma use to make with butter and flour. Laura found the recipe on Instagram for the brownies and we are drawing a blank on where she found it otherwise we definitely give props to you. So if this looks like your recipe shoot us a message and we will give you shout out.

So we technically made up this dessert for our #weirdvegwednesday but there isn’t really any veggies in it. I’m going to modify and call it weird produce Wednesday because of the avocados in the frosting. If you try this recipe out on unknowing subjects we would love to hear what their response was when you told them what was actually in these. The pan I made was a double batch, so the ingredients listed below are for just a single batch. So don’t follow my directions below and put them in a 9″ x 13″ like my pic otherwise you will be a brownie flatbread. Ooh I might be on to something with that…

Brownie Ingredients

1 scoop chocolate protein powder, we use Shakeology
1 15 oz can of black beans, liquid drained and beans rinsed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup almond butter, or any other nut butter
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp real maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Brownie Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to food processor and mix until batter is creamy and most of the chunks are out.
Remove blade and mix in chocolate chips if you are using them.
Transfer to a greased 8″ x 8″ pan and bake for 18-20 minutes

Frosting Ingredients

1 Avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp almond milk, optional
1/4 tsp vanilla

Frosting Directions

Combine all ingredients into blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. I needed to add a little almond milk to thin out the frosting.

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Tomatillo and Black Bean Succotash with Blackened Cod

3/12/2014

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So we’ve had a couple of busy days but we did try out a new Weird Veg on Wednesday this week. We chose tomatillos which I guess we have used before but mainly in salsas. Tomatillos if you have never had them are an interesting flavor. Although they look like a small green tomato, they have more of a citrus type flavor. It really added a nice little zing to this dish.

Tomatillos are a great source of Vitamin C and potassium. For their calorie content they also have a decent amount of fiber. When buying tomatillos I like to try to find ones that still have some of the husk on them and they should have a nice firm texture. Sometimes when you are buying veggies that aren’t mainstream you need to check them to make sure they haven’t been sitting there for too long. Once you get them home, peel the husks and give them a good wash, the outer flesh tends to have a sticky residue on them. Enjoy this delicious and fun Veg!

For the blackened cod that was just simply, 8 oz cod fillets drizzled with a little olive and coated generously with blackening seasoning. Depending on thickness you will need to cook between 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Directions

3 cups chopped tomatillos, should be 5-6.
1 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large jalepenos, diced – feel free to modify depending on how spicy you like things
2 cups roasted corn
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 can black beans, liquid drained
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lime
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, for roasting and sauteing
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredients

If you don’t buy roasted corn, you can do it yourself depending on the season, I prefer to do it on the grill and just grill whole cobs of corn until they start to turn slightly black. Otherwise you can do it in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
After cleaning the tomatillos rough chop into bite size pieces, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the same 425 oven for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile in a skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sautee onion and garlic for 3 minutes, add red and jalepeno peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, including corn and tomatillos. Toss thoroughly and serve!!!

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Kabocha Squash Pancakes

3/5/2014

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#weirdvegwednesday this week we decided to both honor our weird vegetable choice and the fact that yesterday was National Pancake Day. Why wouldn’t we use a vegetable to make pancakes??? So if you don’t like squash don’t go near this one but if you love it, you have to try it. Kabocha squash has a very similar flavor to butternut squash but with fewer calories and similar health benefits. YES PLEASE!!! I needed to go to a smaller local grocery store in order to find one, your big chain stores probably aren’t going to carry this variety, even Whole Foods. The sauce will take 15-20 minutes to make so plan accordingly when you are timing out your pancakes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup kabocha squash, roasted and mashed
1 cup diced kabocha squash for sauce
2 large eggs
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup almond flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 strips bacon, chopped
1 cup water

Directions

Cut the squash into half and remove the seeds. Roast half the squash in a baking dish with a small amount of water in the oven at 400 degrees for roughly 35 minutes. Dice the remaining squash and set aside.
Add your chopped bacon to a skillet and render out all the fat until bacon is crispy. Once cooked remove the bacon and as much bacon grease as you want depending on your love of bacon. If you leave it all in there you probably won’t need the 1 tbsp of coconut oil. I removed all the grease but didn’t wipe the pan clean so still had some bacon remnants on the bottom of the pan.
Add your diced squash to the same pan that you cooked the bacon. Satuee for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, make sure you scrape all the bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. Let this simmer for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Once the squash is tender remove half of the squash and half of the remaining liquid, add to a blender or food processor, add the 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and blend until smooth. Return this puree back to the squash in the pan. Add your bacon back in at this point and your sauce is done.
Mix together the roasted, mashed squash, eggs, 2 tbsp maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, salt, vanilla, and baking soda. Try to get most the lumps out.
On a large griddle, add a little coconut oil, then spoon out the pancake batter. It should make 4-5 pancakes depending on how big you make them. You will need to cook for roughly 6 minutes per side if cooking over a medium high heat.
Top your pancakes with the sauce and enjoy!!!

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Steak Roulade with Squash Quinoa Risotto

3/3/2014

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So, I hear a lot of time about how people don’t have the time to eat healthy and make the meals that I post. I know things change with kids involved and days get busy but honestly it just comes down to planning and your priorities. I would rather spend an hour in the kitchen making a nice meal that is good for me than an hour in front of the television. I’m probably a little strange because my days begin and end with food, that is all I can think about. I know that isn’t the case for everyone but it can be, you can change your habits, you can do things to make healthy cooking easier. I would love to help you if you are interested.

So in full disclosure, I need to come clean on this recipe. I am guilty of concocting this in my head while in the middle of church last night instead of focusing wholeheartedly on the message. I would like to think I have a healthy obsession with food, but I’ll try to get my priorities straightened out. The good news is that I didn’t spend that time brainstorming this recipe and to have it be a dud. The steak was delicious but the quinoa risotto was the best I’ve ever made, no lie. It had a sweet and creamy factor to it that made it seem like there was a ton of butter and cream in it.

Steak Roulade with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

2 lb flank steak
1 medium onion, cut into strips
2 cups spinach or any dark leafy green
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 cup balsamic
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Blue cheese crumbles for topping
Fresh parsley to garnish

Directions

On a cutting board, pound out the flank steak using a meat tenderizer. Try to get it so it is even thickness, roughly 1/2″.
In a larger skillet, add sliced onions, 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook over medium heat until onions are caramelized and slightly brown. Add greens and cook for an additional minute or two until greens are slightly wilted. This will be your stuffing for the roulade.
Lay your steak out flat on your cutting board and spread the stuffing evenly across the steak. Leave about 2 inches on one end without any of the stuffing on it. Roll up the steak, working towards the end without the stuffing, don’t roll so tight that all the stuff gets squished out. Once it is rolled up, using cooking string, wrap around the outside and secure it so it doesn’t come unrolled while baking. Season the outside with salt and pepper.
In a 400 degree oven, cook for 30 minutes or until the inside of the roulade reaches 135 degrees. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
While the steak is cooking you can make your mushroom sauce. To do this add the 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet along with the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 8 minutes over medium high heat. Add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, thyme, and water, let is simmer over medium low heat until sauce has reduced to half it’s original volume. Basically until the steak is done.
Slice the Roulade into 1/2″ pieces and top with your mushroom sauce, blue cheese crumbles and a little chopped parsley. ENJOY!!!

Acorn Squash Quinoa Risotto

Ingredients

1 medium acorn squash
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Divide your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in a baking dish with an inch or so of water. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until tender the whole way through.
Add quinoa and water to saucepan and bring to a boil. Season water with a pinch of salt. You could also use your favorite broth but probably isn’t needed. Once it is boiling reduce heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes until water is absorbed. Quinoa isn’t quite as finicky as rice so don’t worry about checking it at the 20 minute mark.
If this finishes before your squash just keep the lid on and turn off the heat. Once you squash is done cooking, scoop out the guts of the squash directly into your cooked quinoa. Also add your parmesan cheese, parsley, maple syrup and season with salt and pepper. Stir together thoroughly and serve!!!

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Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Brownie Ingredients

Brownie Directions

Frosting Ingredients

Frosting Directions

Tomatillo and Black Bean Succotash with Blackened Cod

Directions

Ingredients

Kabocha Squash Pancakes

Ingredients

Directions

Steak Roulade with Squash Quinoa Risotto

Steak Roulade with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Acorn Squash Quinoa Risotto

Ingredients

Directions

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