Blue Cooks: January 2015

Make Something New Every Day

This blog is inspired by all those who love to cook, whether experienced or not, and who continue to experiment with new ideas & ingredients, and best of all, share their passion with others.

The first entries are recipes prepared by the students of Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy in Oakland, CA. Fifteen students with varying cooking experience participated in my weekly workshop (via Tutorpedia), and successfully prepared various meals, snacks, and baked goods as part of an after-school program.

Along with the recipes from that class, I will continue to add new seasonal items, spanning every genre of the culinary world, as well as a helpful list of links to recipes, instructional videos, and places to shop and volunteer in your area.

Feel free to ask me questions and share your recipes and ideas as well. I look forward to cooking with you.

January 25, 2015

Gluten & Guilt-Free Black Bean Brownies

There really is no bad with this brownie. They mix up in minutes, are high in fiber and protein, low in carbs and fat, and are gluten free. Even better, they really taste good and satisfy my craving for chocolaty baked goods, without guilting me into self-flagellation afterward.

Ingredients
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3T grapeseed or vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
3 large eggs
1/2C brown sugar, packed
1/3C cocoa powder, sifted
1/8t fine sea salt
1t vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350'.
Oil an 8" brownie pan, or use a nonstick pan.
Puree the black beans with the 3T oil until smooth (like hummus). Add a bit more oil if needed. (A mini prep works great for this.)
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Stir in the pureed beans and cocoa powder.
Pour into the pan, and bake until set, and the brownies come away from the sides of the pan, about 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cool before slicing. If you cut the 8" square into 9 pieces, each serving will have about 155 calories.