Anti-Inflammatory Orange Avocado Chia Smoothie

Not trying to take credit for this one. Just sharing a tasty smoothie that has a lot of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients, like turmeric, ginger, spinach, oranges and coconut water. 

Next time you go to Trader Joe's, add these ingredients to your cart (I'm pretty sure you can find everything you need at TJ's):

Baby Spinach
Oranges
Avocados
Ginger
Chia Seeds 
Coconut Water
Cinnamon
Turmeric Powder 

Here's the link to the recipe (it's very simple - just easier to link here), as well as good info on how the ingredients can help reduce and prevent inflammation in your body.

The ingredients in this recipe are well-balanced, resulting in a pleasant, creamy green smoothie with natural sweetness (I don't even add honey). To ensure the chia seeds get pulverized, run your blender for a good minute (maybe less if you use a Vitamix). 

Enjoy!

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.