Super Powered Coconut Fudge Brownies (That Conquers PMS)

Time: 10 minutes to prepare + 20 minutes in the oven

Its coconut flavored fudge, but its so healthy you can legit use it a pre-workout snack.  Its allergy friendly, and everything free (dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free) 

It also happens to be paleo-friendly, passover-friendly, vegan-friendly and solves PMS woes. 

Fast Tips:

The big secret in all of this are the black beans.  But they're not just any black bean brownie.  I've been scouring the internet for a black bean brownie recipe that was just as healthy as it was yummy.  Some that i've made have seriously disappointed, while others called for sugar or maple syrup.  In other news, I've broken 5, yes 5, Blendtec Blenders trying to make previous versions of black bean brownies from other sources.  (You can blend an iPhone in a Blendtec, but apparently black bean brownies are unblendable?!) These were easy peasy and the Blendtec offices did not have to be called in a for a replacement blender jar.  

What makes these brownies super-powered is their delicious ability to conquer the toughest PMS (even on passover)! The combination of beans + dates + chocolate solves nearly every PMS issue.  The chocolate part is pretty obvious.  The dates and the beans provide the much needed iron you need in the midst of your PMS. So goodbye fatigue, hello chocolate fudge.....:)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of plant based milk
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (<---secret weapon that you won't taste)
• 1/3 cup of cocoa (use the best quality you have
• 8 dates (my dates weren't that sweet so I used 8 of them.  Adjust according to your sweetness preference 
• 1/2 of a banana
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon psylium husk (or 1.5 if you like it marshmellow-like)
• Optional Toppings: Coconut Shreds, chopped nuts, chocolate chips

Method

1. Pre-heat convection oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put beans and milk in a high speed blender and blend till smooth. (will be liquidy)
3. Add all other ingredients except psylium husk. (optional: add only half of the dates to test for sweetness, blend and taste batter then adjust accordingly)
4. Add psylium husk and blend again until smooth. 
5. Place batter in an 8 inch brownie pan lined with parchment paper. Add toppings of choice.
6. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. When done the inside will be gooey and marshmellow like. (Its vegan, so gooey is OK!)
7. Enjoy!

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

5 Min Bowl of Anti-Inflammation

It's faster than fast food and will make a nutritional superhero out of you!

Think of this as the new fast food.  If you're like me, when you get hungry you want to eat and don't really want to spend time thinking about what and how.  What if you could make something in less than the time it takes to tie your shoelaces and it gave your body superhero power? Its not very far-fetched.  

Read The Nutritional Low Down below for all the ways this Fast Lunch will give you a superhero edge!

 

Ingredients:

The amounts of each of these ingredients are up to you.  Its all good for you, so use as much as your hungry for.  Its a foolproof recipe after all, so there are no rules!

*If you're questioning the use of canned beans, fear not! Canned beans are a nutritious way to provide cheap and fast beans. If you buy organic and BPA-free cans, which are becoming more prevalent, then you're fine.  

What about rinsing the beans? You actually don't need to. The liquid contains so many good for you minerals, you don't even need to drain and rinse it.  

Beans cause you digestive issues like flatulence? Not to worry. Canned beans make it easier for you to digest.  So no more flatulence and no more sitting around waiting for the beans to cook!

• Organic and BPA-free can* of lentils
• Organic spinach
• Optional: Any desired herbs 
• Organic flax seed oil 
• Himalayan salt 

Method:

1. Open a can of Bpa-free organic lentils (i know, very challenging) and put desired amount in a bowl.
2. Water sauté organic spinach or leave them raw and washed, then add to lentils. If you're feeling spunky you can add garlic or whatever herbs you have on hand. 
3. Since your lentils are cold, you can add flax seed oil.  Flax seed oil will get denatured if exposed to any sort of heat or light. Which makes it great for this recipe as your lentils are cold. 
4. OPTIONAL: You can lightly heat your lentils with your spinach, it will still only take you 5 minutes, but then skip the flax seed oil.  Try olive oil instead or no oil at all. 
5. Top with a bit of himalayan salt. 
6. CHOW DOWN

---

The Nutritional Low Down

Lentils are a nutritional beast of a legume. Lentils come stocked with loads of fiber and protein for a very low amount of calories. 

The soluble fiber in lentils helps to keep you regular, detoxifies your body, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease, stabilizes blood sugar, and can keep you lean! 

Spinach is a leader in the leafy green category.  It's of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.  Meaning per bite of spinach you're getting more nutrients than almost any other food on the planet!

Spinach has phytonutrients and antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits. Check this out: These spinach extracts have been shown to slow down cell division in human stomach cancer cells (gastric adenocarcinomas), and in studies on laboratory animals, to reduce skin cancers (skin papillomas). A study on adult women living in New England in the late 1980s also showed intake of spinach to be inversely related to incidence of breast cancer.

Lentils & Spinach are a great plant based source of iron and folate.  Of the many things that your body needs iron for, did you know that iron deficiency could be what's causing your dark under eye circles?  Iron deficiency also causes a lack of energy.  So eat up!

Flaxseed oil is an amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acid which your body is in dire need of.  Omega-3 goes into your body and helps repair inflammation.  This anti-inflammatory property helps prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and arthritis. 

Flaxseed oil also has a 4:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.  Your body needs to be consuming more Omega 3 than Omega 6 for a good balance. The typical American diet tends to contain 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Many researchers believe this is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.

Additionally, Flaxseed oil helps prevents depression and supports good brain health. Who here doesn't want to be happier and smarter?

xx, 

Your Resident Beetmaker, Shaina Simhaee