Black Bean, Corn and Mango Salad

I’ve been on a bit of a Looneyspoons kick lately.  Aside from the healthy ingredients and the humour, part of the attraction lies in the reliability of each recipe.  Rarely have Janet and Greta let me down.  If you’re anything like me, you can understand my disappointment when the sweat and tears that go into making a dish yield only mediocre results.  And by tears, I mean tears… those pesky onions get me every time!

My most recent Looneyspoons endeavour was a black bean, corn, and mango salad.  The addition of the mango was the highlight of this dish– the burst of fruity sweetness was irresistible!  Add in some red from the pepper and grape tomatoes… some green from the onion, avocado, and cilantro… and volia!  An incredibly colourful and downright scrumptious salad.

Black Bean, Corn, and Mango Salad. YUM.

 

Corn, Black Bean and Mango Fandango
(from the Looneyspoons Collection)

1 can (19 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed   (preferably no-salt-added)
1 can (14 oz) whole kernel corn, drained   (preferably no-salt-added)
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp each ground cumin and chili powder
1 cup diced avocado (add to the salad just before serving!)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Serve immediately or chill before serving.

Janet and Greta say they prefer this salad at room temperature, and as with most dishes containing avocado, it tastes best when eaten the day it’s made.

Makes 4 servings.  Per serving: 236 kcal, 10 g fat, 10 g fibre

FlourLESS (but FlavourFUL) Black Bean Brownies

Although it never truly disappeared, my sweet tooth is back with a vengeance.  For the past month or so, I’ve been keeping my chocolate cravings under control by turning to frozen berries.  They’ve consistently been on sale as of late, making this otherwise expensive habit a little bit more affordable.

Tonight I had the pleasure of going out for a lovely dinner with my fellow interns and our mentors.  Naturally, the discussion revolved around food and eating– two of our favourite pastimes.  As we discussed our preferred desserts, I was overcome with the desire to bake something chocolately and delicious.  I was in the kitchen within minutes of arriving home, measuring cups in hand and cocoa powder on the counter.

Flipping through my clipped recipes, I came across a recipe for Black Bean Brownies that I had not yet attempted.  Chocolately?  Check.  Easy?  Very.  Minimal dishes to wash?  Perfect!

Last year I went through a major black bean brownie baking phase.  I had one recipe that I continually tweaked in an attempt to make it as healthy as possible.  Unfortunately, the taste suffered and the brownies were never palatable enough to share with others.  Thankfully, E claimed to enjoy said brownies and he had no problem finishing off my less-than-successful batches.  I’m pretty sure he was just saying this to make me feel better… what a good boyfriend!

Tonight’s recipe was much more successful.  The texture is hard to describe but certainly different from your typical brownie.  Moist yet crumbly (is that an oxymoron?), full of chocolately flavour, and perhaps even a TOUCH too sweet.  This brownie is definitely more nutritious than the average, although the amount of sugar in this recipe moves them to the “borderline healthy” category.  Either way, these chocolately treats are worth sharing!  (Unlike my previous attempts).

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies (from somewhere on the Internet…)

Make sure you wait until the brownies have fully cooled before removing them from the pan.  They tend to stick, so be sure to use a sturdy spatula!

1 can (19 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 eggs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee (optional) – I didn’t have any on hand but wished I did!
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)  – I omitted these– might have made the brownies overly sweet?

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the black beans, eggs, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, vanilla, and instant coffee (if using) until smooth.
3. Add baking powder and process briefly to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  If using, evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.
5. Bake until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 16 brownies.  Per brownie:  104 kcal, 4 g fat, 1.5 g fibre.