Avocado Brownies

With my new sweet tooth, I needed to make some healthier desserts and these avocado brownies are just perfect! And talk about the chocolate goodness! Especially DARK chocolate.

Avocado Brownies

Health Benefits of eating and baking with dark chocolate.

• Heart health - can help lower blood pressure by improving blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots.
• Brain Health - increases blood flow to the brain as well as the heart, improving your cognitive function
• Makes you happy :) - Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.
• Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells.
• Dark chocolate contains theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel. That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities. And yes you still have to brush your teeth! (with natural Xylitol toothpaste of course)
• Cough suppressant - Theobromine is also a mild stimulant, though not as strong as caffeine. It can, however, help to suppress coughs.
• Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes.

Health benefits of baking with avocados:

• It's a great way to reduce fat in your desserts: A 3.5-ounce serving of butter has a whopping 81 grams of fat compared to 14 grams in the same serving of avocado.
• By substituting avocado for butter, you'll be eliminating saturated fat from your desserts and replacing it with healthy fats.
• Avocados not only have a ton of vitamins, but they also may reduce cholesterol and fight heart disease.

So, here is the recipe for these amazing brownies and NO, they do not TASTE like avocados once finished

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe avocados, mashed as well as you can (about 1 1/8 cups)
• 8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose organic flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally spray a 9-inch square pan with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk mashed avocado and melt chocolate. Whisk in sugar until combined, then add in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Add in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, mixing with a large spoon until JUST combined - do not over mix. Stir in avocado oil until it's well distributed and batter is somewhat smooth, then spread batter in pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until middle is set. Remove and let cool completely, then frost and top with grated chocolate if desired.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Beans, Avocado & Lime-Cumin Dressing

This is one of my favorite and easiest salads to prepare. Not to mention powerhouse of nutritious ingredients. Quinoa is high in protein, includes all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a great choice for vegans.

Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado, chopped into chunks
• handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
• small handful cilantro, diced
• 1 limes, juiced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Warm the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through.
4. Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with tortilla chips and a refreshing, cold beer.