Brownies

I hope that you make these brownies and feel just as happy when they come out of the oven! 

2 dark chocolate bars - 200 grams total

1/2 cup oil

2 cup sugar 

4 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract  

2/3 cups flour/GF flour/potato starch/almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C 

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

To melt the chocolate bars: 

Microwave: In a microwave-safe bowl, break the chocolate bars into pieces. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Stove Top: fill a pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. In a glass or metal mixing bowl that is slightly larger than the pot add the chocolate bar pieces. Place the bowl on top of the pot making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth and remove from the stove.

To the melted chocolate add the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla stir until well combined. 

Sift in whichever flour product you are using, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps. If you are using nuts add them in and reserve a few to sprinkle over the top. 

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and your kitchen starts to smell heavenly. 

Rainbow Quinoa

1 1/2 cups quinoa - rinsed*

2 3/4 cups water 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil 

1 carrot, diced

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced 

1 small onion, diced - soak in water for 10 minutes to mellow the sharp flavor 

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley 

1 Tbs chopped fresh dill 

3 Tbs olive oil 

Zest and juice of half a lemon - if you don’t have a fresh lemon don’t worry about the zest 

1/2 tsp salt

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp cumin 

Place the rinsed quinoa, water, salt, and olive oil into a medium pot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot and let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit in the covered pot for 5. Transfer to a bowl and let the quinoa cool. 

Once the quinoa is cool add the remaining ingredients. Give it a stir, check for seasoning, and enjoy! This lasts all week in the fridge if you don’t finish it all in one sitting. 

Feel free to add in diced cucumber as well - when I make a big batch to have on hand all week I don’t add the cucumber because it doesn’t stay fresh and crisp in the salad all week. 

To add more protein to this salad feel free to add 1 cup of canned chickpeas. 

The salad is delicious as is or topped with plenty of techina and crumbled feta. 

If you're not a quinoa fan this recipe also works great with bulgur - just cook according to package directions and follow the rest of the steps. 

Yield: 6-8 portions