These are what I call: COMFORT BROWNIES
Easy to make, easy to eat

Preheat Oven 350

In a food processor add:
3/4 rinsed black beans (yes, you are reading that right!)
3/4 chunky PB (I used the earth balance coconut PB but you can use anything!)
1/4 raw honey
1/4- 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup Cocoa powder

dash vanilla
dash salt

Whip it all together in the food processor (consistency will be like reg raw brownie)
add 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips of your choice and blend them into the batter by hand.
I mean, come on, there has to be some work in baking.
Put mixture into an oil or buttered 8x8 baking pan and bake for 25 min.
Couldn't be easier and honestly couldn't be more comforting. They are cakey and fudgey at the same time!
Oh and by the way they are flour free and you'd never know it!
The only thing that could improve them is homemade whipped cream.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit
 -Renee

If you are looking for an easy and delicious dessert, look no further you've found it! I had some good friends over for dinner tonight and I wanted a dessert that wouldn't be too overwhelmingly sweet, yet curb that end of night sweet tooth that I have so terribly developed. After scrambling thru my refrigerator and cabinets, things were looking rather bleak. Then, suddenly, as I pushed back what seemed to be the endless amounts of yogurt, there was my dessert savior hiding in the back of my fridge....THE RICOTTA CHEESE! I am no master chef like my business partner Renee, but I had remembered this fabulous dessert she once made for us and I figured with a little help from Google and the ingredients I had on hand, I could make this into something delicious!
 The recipe is as follows:
Blend 1 cup of ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of honey and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Boil 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let this mixture completely cool down, I let it sit for a few minutes then places in the fridge for a few more.
Chop up a handful of fresh basil.
Cut up a 16 oz container of strawberries and mix with the chopped basil and the balsamic syrup. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
When its time for dessert scoop out the delicious ricotta mixture and then top it with the strawberry mixture and enjoy!! I personally enjoyed alongside a great glass of wine...this step I also highly suggest!
I hope that anyone and everyone that tries this recipe finds it as delicious as I did! If anyone has a similar recipe please share any other adaptations you have tried I would love the feedback!

Liz

Good Evening!
Some times the simplest things are the most satisfying like...
Wild green salad with creamy Black Beans, Quinoa and Chicken



(*All seasonings are to taste in my opinion so I won't tell you how much to add including salt and pepper...)

You will need:
One Lemon
One Lime
3 Avocado (ripe)
Four pieces chicken breast
Homemade or store bought herb dressing 1/4 Cup
1/2 cup Quinoa
One can Black beans

1/4 Greek Yoghurt
2 Fresh Serrano pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne pepper
Cumin



To Start marinate trimmed chicken with dressing in bowl up to a day ahead (the vinegars in the dressing along with salt will tenderize the meat).

I used a salt bowl to mix three avocados with cumin and juice of one lemon (the salt bowl did the trick but if you don't have one add salt to taste) and set aside.

While mixing up your avocado put a little olive oil on bottom of smaller pot and add red or regular 1/2 cup quinoa to the heated pan and immediately one cup water as well as one Serrano pepper halved lengthwise let boil and reduce to simmer twenty minutes. When finished let stand to cool.

At this point start heating up your griddle to med/high heat on stove for chicken (lightly oil the pan).

Rinse one can of beans and add greek yoghurt with juice of one lime and chopped Serrano pepper as well as salt and cayenne- if you are shy to heat skip the cayenne or the Serrano as they are spicy (the pepper even more than the dried cayenne). Mix well. Chill.

Add chicken to griddle and cook 4 min or so on each side. Take off heat and rest before cutting into bite-sized pieces. At this point you can take out some mixed greens and place them on plates.

You can salt your greens if you wish. Add beans to each plate, quinoa chilled, a dollop of avocado mixture and chicken. A great GF compliment is chips and salsa. You may top with a little Olive oil but otherwise the yoghurt sauce is enough to coat the salad. Top this salad with as much or little of the ingredients as you like. There will probably be some left over. Another compliment to this would be sliced tomato or red onion, maybe some fried plantains.
Bon appetite
xoxo,
Renee