Warm glass noodles and edamame

I had a bag of frozen edamame on hand that I was debating what to do with, and I came across this wonderful recipe in the cookbook Plenty.  I'm guessing that most people associate edamame with what's generally served at japanese izakayas(pubs) - the one where you have to pop it out of the shell to eat, but edamame, with all of it's omega 3 and vitamin A goodness, can be great incorporated into other dishes too.

This Warm glass noodles and edamame dish is originally vegetarian (not to mention gluten-free), but I added some chicken to it, so that I can up the protein level and make it into a more substantial main dish. Whether with or without any meat in it, the dish has some amazing flavors.  And as Cy would attest, it's really difficult to stop after just one bowl!

Warm glass noodles and edamame
adapted from Plenty
Serves 4


Ingredients:

7oz...glass noodles
2tbsp..sunflower oil
3.........garlic cloves, crushed
2.5c....shelled,cooked edamame
3.........green onions (thinly sliced)
1.........fresh red chile, finely chopped
3tbsp...chopped cilantro
3tbsp...fresh mint, shredded
3tbsp...sesame seeds, toasted
1lb......chicken breast or thighs, cooked

(for sauce)
2tbsp...grated fresh ginger
juices of 4 limes
3tbsp...peanut oil
2tbsp...sugar (or you can use some Mirin)
2tsp.....tamarind pulp or paste (optional)
2tsp.....tamari (I was out so I substituted with soy sauce)
1tsp.....salt

Directions:

1) Soak noodles in hot water for 5min or until soft.  (don't let them get soggy!) Drain, and dry.

2) Make the sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients in a bowl.

3) Heat sunflower oil in large pan and add garlic.  When it turns golden, pan from heat and add noodles and sauce and gently stir together.

4) Add most of the edamame and onions, chile, cilantro, and mint.  Add in the cooked chicken here if you would like.  Stir everything together and return pan to heat until just warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper.

5)  Pile on platter and scatter remaining edamame and sesame seeds.  Garnish with cilantro leaves and ENJOY!

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

V-day has passed, but that doesn't mean that we can't indulge in a little bit of chocolate right? ;)

I'm not going to lie, if you really want the true brownie filled with butter and sugar, then you might want to try this recipe.  BUT if you're looking for a healthy alternative that can make you believe that you're biting into that sinful chocolate brownie, you've come to the right place.

This "brownie" recipe mainly uses blackbeans as its base and is sweetened with an apple and some honey.  I imagine that if you don't want to use honey, then you can replace it with some brown sugar, or a natural sugar alternative such as stevia.

Cy is not a big black bean fan, but this recipe passed his test.  You can't tell that it's made with black beans and it's nice and moist and chocolatey.  Perfect with a tall glass of milk...or if you can't do dairy, a glass of sugar-free coconut milk (my fav)!

Black Bean Brownies

adapted from The Best of Clean Eating

Ingredients:

Olive or Canola oil cooking spray

1oz...dark organic chocolate (70% cocoa or greater)

1.5c..soft-cooked black beans, rinsed and drained (can will also work)

2.......eggs

1.......egg white

2tbsp.olive oil

1/4c...unsweetened cocoa powder

1tsp...espresso powder(optional)

1c......baking powder

1tsp...pure vanilla extract

1/4c...unsweetened applesauce **I didn't have applesauce so I just threw a small apple in the processor

1/3c...raw organic honey

1/3c...chopped toasted unsalted walnut

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.  Mist an 8inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

2)  Melt dark chocolate in a double broiler over low heat with one tablespoon of water mixed in. (Or if you're in a rush, you can zap in the microwave for about 20sec and stir)

3)  Combine all ingredients except for walnuts in a food processor and process until smooth.  Stir in walnuts.  (If you want to add some more chocolatey goodness, you can also stir in 1/4c of semi-sweet chocolate chips).  Pour mixture into baking dish.

 

4) Bake for about 30min, or until tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides.  Let cool, and ENJOY :)   

**The texture gets even better if you leave it covered in the fridge for at least 30min before consuming.  I topped them with a little bit of non-fat greek yogurt and some pomegranate seeds