Saturday night we had invited our likewise recently married friends Kisha and Alex over for dinner and games. Kisha is a real fashionista and has been accepted to a design school up there. They will be leaving for NYC at the end of the month :( so we wanted to see them at least one more time before they leave... I pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks -- Donna Klein's The Tropical Vegan Kitchen (<-- click to buy!) which has a ton of Thai, Indian, Caribbean, African dishes. One of my favorites, although I've tweaked it a bit with the addition of ginger, cilantro, and green peas -- is Thai curried sweet potatoes! I also made a lovely side of Thai-style basil rice...
Part of the fun of entertaining, for me, is the presentation. I love to present "restaurant style" meals. Alex and Kisha were sooo flattering, I didn't know what to do with myself. Right down to our "incredibly comfortable" vintage flatware, we were showered in praise over our lovingly prepared vegan cuisine. It felt great! I love sharing food with people, especially healthy, wholesome food that literally makes your tastebuds dance.
I also love table setting. Saturday evening definitely took on a Thai theme, so my simple table decor reflected that.
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| Dipper, Hubby, and our friends Alex & Kisha |
As an after dinner treat, I served my famous "black bean brownies" -- this recipe is too simple not to share...
Black Bean Brownies
1 box of fudge brownie mix (I used Target brand-- I always look for one with no animal ingredients, and the fudge brownie variety general do not contain them).
1 15.5 oz can of black beans
(Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 13x9 pan with spray)
1. Empty the can and rinse the beans, then put rinsed beans back into the can, and fill it with water until the beans are covered.
2. Puree the beans and water.
3. Mix the brownie mix and pureed beans together until well blended.
4. Pour the mixture evenly into prepared pan.
5. Bake for approximately 23-25 minutes! Use a toothpick in the center to test if brownies are done.
Voila! They are lovely, moist, and packed with extra fiber and protein!!
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to be continued....
3 comments:
I tasted some that Kisha brought to the house. They were delicious and I could not believe when she told me they were black beans brownies??? Who knew! (I'm Alex's mom btw). :)
Black bean brownies. Do they taste like regular brownies? Do the black beans go well with vanilla ice cream?
You can't taste the black beans at all! You will smell them when you puree them, of course, but once mixed with the sugary goodness that is brownie mix, and the water, all of that is gone. I've made these for quite a few diverse audiences, and only after they've been devoured do I dare divulge how I made them... and the crowds go wild! lol :) They are moist and delicious, and go great with vanilla ice cream, although I prefer frozen yogurt these days!
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