Candied Ginger & Blueberry Black Bean Brownies

If you're a brownie purist, these might not be for you. I know many people like their baked goods plain jane (Dad) and don't want anything in their brownies or cookies. Not judging, okay? I'm also aware of the stigma regarding black bean brownies. I, myself, have tried several different black bean brownie recipes in the past and most of them were...to put it bluntly...icktastic.

Not these. 

“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, the whole world would be vegetarian. ”

— Linda McCartney

I'm sorry to inform you, dear readers, that you won't hear much from me in the coming two weeks. If you want to know what I'm up to, follow my Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter to come along on my adventures! Good times are to be had, you don't want to miss it! 

These chewy, gooey black bean brownies are studded with sweet blueberries, zesty candied ginger, and dark chocolate chunks. 

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Candied Ginger & Blueberry Black Bean Brownies

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-17-2014

Chewy, gooey black bean brownies studded with sweet blueberries, zesty candied ginger, and dark chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• ¼ cup + 3 Tbsp. cold water
• ½ cup quick oats, dry
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed well
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (molasses or maple syrup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup dried blueberries
• ¼ cup candied ginger, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
• dash of flake salt for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and water. Allow to rest until ready to use. In a food processor, process the oats until the consistency of flour. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder and salt. Add the black beans through and including the vanilla, as well as the flax mixture, to the food processor and process until the black beans are completely pulverized and smooth. Preheat oven to 375 F and coat a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.Transfer the bean mixture into a large bowl and slowly add in the oat mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in the blueberries, ginger, and dark chocolate. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake at 375 F for about 30-35 minutes, until the top of the brownies feel set. Allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into them. Sprinkle with flake salt. Store in the fridge.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 16

Dutch Word of The Day

Blueberry --> bosbes (bose-bess)

Good Deed of The Day

Today's deed is a little different...it's to help me! Please let me know your favorite vegan fare in Ohio. Or your favorite vegan goodies from either Whole Foods and/or Trader Joes. Or any calming or fun activities to do on the plane. Especially if you're skeezed out by flying. 

Chipotle Maple Sweet Potato Burgers

These are my new favorite burgers.

They are absolutely amazing. Perfect texture? Check. Sweet and spicy? Check. Super healthy? Check. I know there are a scrillion-bajillion sweet potato burger recipes out there, however, with buddies like maple, chipotle, pecans, and oats these guys are truly unique. An epic fall flavor combination, if I do say so myself. 

You'll see a departure from my usual photography in future posts. During Alaskan winters it gets dark at about 4 pm. Thus, dusty artificial lights and lamps are summoned from the closet, hiding from the midnight sun of the summer.

It's kind of fun to play around with lighting. I'm not terribly experienced with lights, but luckily Todd is very fluent in these things. He helped me capture the spotlight effect for these photographs. I hope you enjoy the seasonal style! 

“It is better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.”

— Diane Grant

These perfectly textured vegan, sweet potato burgers have a hint of maple sweetness and a smoky chipotle kick.

Taking advantage of the last bit of sun!

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Chipotle Maple Sweet Potato Burgers

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-15-2014

These perfectly textured vegan, sweet potato burgers have a hint of maple sweetness and a smoky chipotle kick.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1lb. 10 oz.), diced small
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats, dry
• ¼ cup pecans, minced
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 8 hamburger buns

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, add the diced sweet potatoes and cover with water. Add a dash of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until very tender. Drain and set aside for later.In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onions are brown and fragrant. In a large bowl, add the oats, through and including the pepper. Whisk well to combine. Add the boiled sweet potatoes and the onion mixture as well as the maple syrup. Using a wooden spoon, mash the sweet potatoes and mix everything together very well. Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat your hands with a nonstick cooking spray and form the burger mix into eight large patties. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 F for about 45 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. Once done, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes. This will set the patties. Serve hot, with BBQ sauce! Freeze the leftovers for a quick meal later.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 8 burgers

Dutch Word of The Day

Maple --> esdoorn (es-doren)

Good Deed of The Day

Perdue has been forced to remove "humanely raised" labels from it's packaged chicken flesh. "..undercover investigations have shown that Perdue's chickens are raised in a space the size of a sheet of paper, crammed with others so tightly that they suffer broken bones that go untreated, and are placed in sheds that reek of ammonia." Who would support such atrocities? It's really mind-boggling. Read more about it here. 

Tofu Pot Pie Casserole

Did everyone have a nice Columbus Day? I work for a nonprofit native foundation and we get the day off from work, but we certainly don't call it Columbus Day. We call it "Family Wellness Day" and I think that is much more appropriate. Do you know anyone or any group that abstains from celebrating good ol' Columbus? I spent the day organizing the kitchen and guest room, and just generally toiling away at home. 

Well, it's that time again. Time to clean out the fridge before a vacation! Usually this means some sort of soup, but I wanted to make something different and I remembered that I had a package of phyllo dough in the fridge. Now, I'd like to be able to tell you that the dough wasn't a few months shy of it's one year birthday...but that would be a lie. Yes, in fact the last time I used the dough was for this recipe. I know, it's completely shameful, but "waste not, want not" is what my Grandma D always says. The phyllo was totally fine. It was in an unopened roll...that shiz lasts forever. Unless it's opened, then it lasts about two minutes. Phyllo can be a tricksy monster. 

It's now a horrible race to take my photographs without surrendering to the artificial lamp. The sun begins to wane at about 4 pm, as you can see from the photos in this post. I suspect this is the last post without the dreaded lamp.  

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.”

— Alice Walker

A sturdy and healthy tofu pot pie casserole made with phyllo dough and common vegetables. Quick and easy for a weekday dinner!

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Tofu Pot Pie Casserole

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-14-2014

A sturdy and healthy tofu pot pie casserole made with phyllo dough and common vegetables. Quick and easy for a weekday dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 celery ribs and leaves, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes (about 12 oz.), diced small
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15 oz. can of sweet peas, drained
• 1 heaping cup of frozen sweet corn
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• scant 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 12oz. block of firm tofu, drained and cubed small
• 1 Tbsp. dried Italian herbs
• 1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, divided
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 12 sheets of phyllo dough (about ½ a roll)

Instructions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the celery and potatoes, bringing the heat to medium and sauté for about 5-8 minutes. Then add the onion and garlic. Sauté another 5 minutes. Add the peas and corn and sauté for 3 minutes. Now, add the milk stirring well to combine. Slowly add in the flour, stirring to combine and ensuring there are no lumps. Stir in the tofu.Mix in the remaining ingredients, excluding the phyllo dough and reserving 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast. Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a large 9 x 13 casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Place 4 sheets of phyllo dough down then cover with half of the pot pie mixture. Add another 4 sheets of dough, then the other half of the mixture. Finish with 4 sheets of dough, coating them with a bit of olive oil and sprinkling with 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes and serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 6

Dutch Word of The Day

Casserole --> stoofschotel (stoofs-ho-tull)

Good Deed of The Day

Do you know someone who suffers from multiple sclerosis? Invite them read this new study on the benefits of a low-fat, vegan diet on the disease here. It's worth a shot! That's actually how Todd and I became vegan. Not because of MS, but through seeking relief from rheumatoid arthritis.