Healthy Brownies?

I found a recipe (if you can call it that) a few months ago for brownies that had fiber, and were not terrible for you.  It sounds gross, but I wanted to give it a try anyway.  All you need is a package of brownie mix and a can of black beans... yes, black beans.  Drain the can of black beans, rinse them until the water runs clear, fill the can with water to just cover the beans, then puree the beans and water.  You mix the pureed beans with the brownie mix and bake according to the what the box says.  (Don't add the eggs, butter, oil, or whatever else the mix calls for.)

They actually didn't taste that bad.  I think if I hadn't known what was in them I would have liked them better.  Justin doesn't really like chocolate, but liked them ok.  Our friend, Mark, was staying with us the night I made them, and he seemed to like them. I didn't tell him there were black beans in them until after he had eaten one, I recommend this if you make them.  He still ate more after he knew what was in them, so I guess that's a good sign.

Justin and Mark enjoying the bean brownies

E:  8
A:  7
T:  8

HH:  6 (he just doesn't like chocolate that much)

Thai Thighs with Mango Sauce

This recipe is a flavor explosion in your mouth. It's sweet and spicy. I think it's one of the top 10 favorite meals I've ever made. It was easy and healthy too! We served the chicken and mango sauce over basmati rice.

Thanks to Cole's Supermarket for the recipe once again: Thai Thighs with Mango Sauce

Eliott changed the name to Thai Thighs from Curry Chicken Thighs which I thought was appropriate because

1. I'm addicted to alliteration

2. the curry paste we used was a Thai Red Curry Paste

E: 10- It was so easy!
A: 6 - I don't have a mango tree growing in my backyard.
T: 9 - It was so quick!
HH: 10 - Eliott loved the flavors.

Baked Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

This was the first meal I cooked since moving to Australia. And it has a funny story...

First, we shop at a grocery store called Cole's Supermarket. When I say "shop", let me explain because I don't jump in my car and run to Kroger like I used to. First, I grab my handy rolling cart and walk to the supermarket. I get the groceries we need and walk back home. I've learned to buy what I need and we're adjusting to the idea of buying for a couple of days worth and instead of a week. In the past, we would fill up my trunk with groceries for several days with the intention of making one trip.

The Baked Chicken Macaroni & Cheese Attempt 1 started on a Monday night. Eliott had off work for the Queen's Birthday, so we were enjoying a night in the kitchen together. Eliott did the breadcrumbs featured to the left.

We prepared all the veggies (parsley, mushrooms, red pepper) and the chicken. We kept reading the recipe, looked at each other, and started laughing. It never dawned on us that we didn't have any cookware. We had purchased Pyrex pans and mixing bowls over the weekend, but a delivery for more kitchen appliances and our washer was to be delivered the next day. Certainly something funny has happened to you, right? Gone to the grocery store for a crucial ingredient and forgotten it? Attempt 2 continued the next afternoon...

Here's the recipe:

Baked Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

E: 8
A: 1 - only because we moved to Australia and had to restock our cabinet and refrigerator
T: 7
HH: 9 - he loves any kind of casserole

Overall, I'll be making this casserole again. I decided to freeze half of it because it made so much. Go ahead and share your funny kitchen stories!

Chicken Pepperoni Bake

I bought some pepperoni a few weeks ago for a dish I ended up not making.  I wanted to use it, so that's what inspired this meal.  I think it turned out very well.  It kinda tastes like a mix of pizza and spaghetti.  We put it over pasta and had green beans with it.

Ingredients:

Chicken
Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Turkey Pepperoni
Spices:
     1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
     1 tsp Italian Seasoning
     1 tsp pizza seasoning
     Ground black pepper
     tony's seasoning
     1/2 tsp garlic salt
     1 tsp Oregeno
(I guessed on the amounts of the spices here because I just sprinkled them in the pan.  You may want to play with the amounts if you try this.  Also, leave out the cayenne pepper if you don't like spicy food.)

First, I cooked the chicken in the orka steam cooker I used in this post, with some spices.  Next, poured the can of tomato sauce and the can of cream of mushroom soup into a large skillet.  I chopped up the chicken and added it to the mix.  Then, I stirred in the shredded cheese and spices.  Next, I poured the mixture into a baking dish, placed pepperoni slices on top, and sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top of that.  Finally, I baked it at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Ratings:

E:  8
A:  9
T:  8

HH: 9 (He really liked it!)


I'm linking to:

Frozen Chicken Ready In 8 Minutes

orka - silicone steam cooker

Being married to a resident sometimes means eating dinner alone several nights in a month.  It's not as fun to cook just for yourself, and difficult to cook for 1.  So, I found this steam cooker that Justin's grandmother had given him before we got married.  I was skeptical when I read the directions that said a frozen chicken breast would be cooked in 8 minutes, but decided to give it a try.

I rubbed pesto all over the chicken and poured some alfredo sauce over it.  Then I put it in the microwave.

Here's how it looked when it finished cooking:

It smelled way better than it looks.  It was completely done too.  I was impressed.  Here's how it looked on my plate:

Spinach with Feta is a perfect side dish.

What quick meals do you make just for you?

E:  10

A:  8  I used leftover pesto, but that's not something I normally keep around.
T:  10

HH:  0 - He didn't get to eat it!