{Black Bean} Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Adapted from: Skinny Taste

You will never believe that these brownies are made with black beans! I baked these last night for a wonderful wine & paint party a la Lisa Jordan and waited until half of them were gone before I revealed my healthy secret. All the ladies were wondering how they were so dense and moist - no one would believe that black beans were the secret ingredient. Just like the diet soda cake, you can choose any brownie mix of your choice to bake your favorite, guilt-free brownies!

Ingredients:

• 19.8 oz box dark chocolate fudge brownie mix
• 15 oz can black beans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drain black beans and rinse well. Put beans back in the can and fill the rest with water. In blender or food processor, pulse black beans and water until smooth.

Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix (no eggs, oil, etc.).

Coat baking dish with cooking spray. Bake brownies according to package directions.

Yield: 20 brownies

Baked Onion Rings

Adapted from Skinny Taste

If homemade potato soup wasn't enough, we ate it with a side of onion rings! Who doesn't like onion rings?! And the great thing is, they're baked!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch rings
• 2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• salt to taste
• olive oil baking spray

Directions:

Place onion slices in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Refrigerate and let soak for approx. 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and add a little salt (you can divide the breadcrumbs into 2 bowls to reduce clumping when you dip the onions in). After the onions have soaked, dip each ring into the bread crumbs then place it on the baking sheet. Once all the onions are on the baking sheet, lightly spray them with olive oil baking spray. Bake for about 12 minutes or until brown.

Yield: 3 servings

Potato Soup

Adapted from Skinny Taste

A delicious and filling soup, perfect for a cold day! We couldn't stop talking about how wonderful this soup was! Better than any potato soup we've ever had at a restaurant. This will for sure be a winter staple!

Ingredients:

• 2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• cheddar cheese

Directions:

Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave for 5 minutes. Turn potatoes over and microwave for another 5 minutes. Let potatoes cool, then peel them.

Steam cauliflower until tender, drain, and return to pot. Add the chicken broth, milk, and potatoes and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once the soup has reached a boil, remove from heat and pour into a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour back into pot and add sour cream, bacon crumbles, salt, and pepper (taste to see desired amount of salt and pepper). Cook on low for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

Yield: 5 servings

Chicken with Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar

Adapted from Skinny Taste

You need to have some time to cook this meal, but it is worth the effort! A delicious fall dinner full of flavor. We added a side of wild rice, which was especially tasty with the extra sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, and thawed)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup red wine vingear (we used 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1 large shallot (we used 3 small), sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tbsp. light sour cream
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar, honey, 3/4 cup chicken broth, and tomato paste. Boil for about 5 minutes or until mixture reduces to approx. 3/4 cup. Remove from heat.

In a large skillet, melt butter over low heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then cook chicken until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the shallots and garlic. Cook on low until soft. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and add the wine and remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet, add the sour cream and stir the sauce well.

Serve the sauce over the chicken, topped with parsley.

Yield: 3 servings

Cranberry Curry Quinoa with Roasted Veggies

Adapted from: Peas & Crayons

Cauliflower, butternut squash, and dried cranberries flavored with curry and garlic combine to make a fall favorite and a great option for cooking quinoa. We recommend serving this as a side dish to complete a fall dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 butternut squash, cubed
• 1 head of cauliflower florets
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lemon, zested
• Olive oil cooking spray
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Chop cauliflower and squash. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat veggies with olive oil spray, salt, and pepper. Roast veggies for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, rinse quinoa (unless pre-rinsed already) and boil in 2 cups of chicken broth for 15 minutes. Once quinoa has spiraled out and is nice and fluffy, add dried cranberries, garlic powder, curry powder, and lemon zest. Finally, stir in your roasted veggies.

Yield: 6-8 side servings