Recipe of the Month: Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie Bites

     Hi all!  I'm on a roll this week and wanted to try something new, both in the kitchen and here on Kelcie's Cravings.  That said, I want to start trying and reviewing a new clean eating/healthy recipe each month.

     Most recently, I tried my hand at making Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies...yes, black bean brownies.  Now,  I'm not vegan, but I am sensitive to gluten, and I've been trying to decrease my grain consumption, so I thought I'd give these a try (plus, I was really curious about the black beans!)

     I found the recipe where I usually find most of my recipes, Pinterest (duh!) and the original recipe can be found at the blog minimalistbaker.

     The first thing I liked about this recipe is that I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen (yes, I have flaxseed meal and coconut oil on hand, and you should too!) Second, it was pretty easy to whip together.  The only hiccup I encountered was that my food processor was too small to puree all the ingredients together at once, so I had to blend in batches and transfer to a bigger bowl.  I would definitely recommend using a larger/full size food processor for this (mine is already on the Christmas list).

     For toppings, I added dark chocolate chunks and walnuts (not pictured) and made them in a standard size muffin pan.  The second batch I made, I added mini-chocolate chips in the batter and then topped it with peanut butter chips (per my co-workers request).  I also made them in a mini-muffin pan, because I didn't like how the first batch only made 11 brownies.

     Now, let's talk about taste....amazing!  I could NOT believe these were (a) flour free, (b) egg free, (c) milk free and last but not least (d) made with mostly black beans!  The texture was spot on to a more fudgy brownie and they truly would have had me fooled if I did not make them myself*.

     In my book, these get an A+.  They're delicious, nutritious, and did the job of satisfying my (rather large) sweet tooth sans the guilt trip.  My advice, break out the milk (cow's, almond, or soy, whichever you prefer) and make these for dessert tonight!

*To all the Mommies and Daddies out there, these are a great Food Fool for your little ones! They will never know all of great fiber, omega-3s, and other nutrients hiding in there!

Order Up!

      Watching what you eat can be tricky enough, let alone when you throw in a busy schedule (who doesn't have one of those these days?!) And a bustling life tends to mean more eating out. Problem is, not only is restaurant fare hard on the wallet, it also takes a serious toll on your waist line - but it dosen't have to! 

      Now don't get me wrong, a home made meal is almost always going to be better for you, and you should limit the amount of times you eat out, but eating out is a part of life!  Not only can it be (presumably) time effective, but going out and sharing a meal with friends/family is a deep rooted social experience. 
   
      So, with that said, keep in mind some of these tricks and tools to help minimize the damage done to your diet when you do make that occasional trip to your favorite eatery.
       
     1.  Check the menu online before going if possible.  Decide on what you will order beforehand to avoid hasty decisions and being tempted into something you'll regret latter.  This way, you have a game plan already set up before you even step through the door.

     2.  Order off the "Lighter Options" menu if the restaurant offers one.  If you don't see a lighter options section, ask your server if they have one, they may just bring one out on request.

     3.  If a lighter restaurant options aren't available, and you ordered a meal off the regular menu, a good tactic to keeping your portions in check is to ask to have half of your meal boxed-up to go when you place your order.  Doing this will make it easier to eat a smaller portion, since half of your meal doesn't even make it to your plate.  Plus, now you have left-overs!

     4. At restaurants that bring complementary bread or chips to the table, ask them not to when being seated.  This will avoid potentially hundreds of empty "mindless eating" calories.
    
     5.  Stick to grilled chicken and fish dishes if possible. Stay away from anything "crispy", "creamy" and pastas.  Also, ask for whole-grain breads, buns, crusts, etc.  Most restaurants will accommodate these swaps.
      
     6.  Be careful of salads!  Not all salads are created equal, some can contain more calories and fat than a bacon cheese burger!  Don't get anything with a creamy dressing, or that has crispy chicken, loaded with cheese, bacon, croutons, etc.  If you do order a salad, get balsamic vinegar dressing. Also, ordering the dressing on the side allows you to be in control of how much gets put on your food (this tactic of ordering sauces on the side works well with other dishes too).  To further control the consumption of not-good-for-you dressings, try dipping just your fork in the dressing before each bite.
     
    7.  If your meal comes with a side of fries, substitute them for a house salad (see #6!), fruit or steamed vegetables.

    8.  Stick with water!!  Also, try to drink one full glass before your meal comes out.  This will help you feel more full, and sometimes thirst can be misconstrued as hunger pangs.