Vegan Chocolate Brownies with a Secret Ingredient!

I was watching The Americans last night.  Have any of you seen it?  I had heard it was good, so we decided to give it a try and started it last night.  (I love it btw, we watched two episodes before bed and I can't wait to continue it tonight.)  Well, no spoilers I promise, but there was some baking of brownies, from a box.  I haven't had brownies in so long since coming to Australia and I honestly didn't even know how much I missed them until I saw them sitting there on her counter.  My little girl, Maeve, didn't even know what they were!  I told her we'd have a mission today, and that was to make some yummy yummy brownies, but the part I didn't tell her was that they would be vegan, and as healthy as I could make them :)

I browsed several recipes and decided against applesauce (didn't have any) or bananas (didn't have any) and I didn't want any processed sugars, so I altered one I found here.

She and Leila couldn't wait to lick the spoon and sat patiently waiting for their brownies.  I'm happy to report the brownies were a success, maybe TOO much of a success, considering they're both prowling about the kitchen asking if they get another one tonight after dinner.  hehe  I know I plan on having another one :P

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

1/2 cup avocado, mashed well

1 tbsp. of olive oil

1/2 maple syrup, or honey (In a pinch, 1/2 raw sugar would work)

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 water

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cacao powder or cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

* Optional:  Add shredded coconut or your favorite nuts or vegan chocolate to the top and bake.  I made some yummy vegan coconut chocolate earlier in the week so I crumbled that on top and WOW.  So good!

1) Put the avocado and olive oil in a bowl and whisk it until well combined.  Mix in the honey, lemon juice, and the water.

2) In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cacao, baking soda, and salt.

3) Pour the avocado mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients and stir well until combined.

4)  Pour batter into your baking dish, spreading it evenly.

5)  Bake 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean ( I like my brownies fudgy so I always take them out a smidge early :)

I hope you like the brownies! My girls and I loved them and I hope you do too!

Garden Pita with Creamy Avocado & Kale and Cilantro

I wanted to make a healthy lunch for my parents.  I ended up creating something that I will no doubt regularly implement into my own quick and easy meals :)  These garden pitas are delicious, quick and simple to make.  If you want to make a strictly raw vegan meal, skip the pita and enjoy the rest as a fresh yummy salad!! :)

To begin:  I visited my local health food/grocery store and bought Ezekial sprouted grain pitas.  They were frozen at the store, and still a little cold by the time I got home so I put them in the oven for a few minutes.

Next, I threw two handfuls of chopped kale in a big bowl.  Make sure to remove any large stems.  I added:

(serves 2)  INGREDIENTS:
2 pitas (I used Ezekial sprouted grain)
1/2 avocado
1/8 cup olive oil
sea salt to taste
1 handful of cilantro
2 handfuls of kale (chopped and stems removed)
Juice of 1 lemon
any additional herbs or seasoning of your choice...get creative!

I took the pita bread and smoothed 1/4 avocado on the inside, inside each pita, using a total of 1/2 avocado.  I used the avocado as a replacement for mayonnaise.  Next I mixed together the kale, cilantro, salt, olive oil and lemon in a big bowl, breaking down the crunchiness of the kale until it was a bit softer.  I took that and used it to stuff the pitas.  It is a little creamy and tangy with a nice zing as you bite into it :)  Perfect!  My parents were a little hesitant at first, but ended up liking it.

 You can also add things like tomatoes, corn, shredded carrots & beets, onions, etc!!  YUM