Garbanzo bean brownies

Brownies from beans, again? YES! And I think I like these better than the black bean avocado version I posted not long ago. The texture is cakier, which is a mystery to me because they are wheat-free. I like the chocolate flavor a bit more in this recipe, too. Using chocolate chips (an allergen-free version from Enjoy Life) instead of cocoa powder is no doubt responsible for that. They are sweeter than the black bean recipe, probably also from the chocolate chips, even though they don't call for more than one type of sweetener.

Chickpea Brownies

from Delicious Wisdom

1 1/2 cups dairy-free, grain-sweetened chocolate chips

4 large eggs

15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup agave nectar or 1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (improvise with a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water). Keep an eye on them--I was surprised how quickly they melted down!

3. Process beans and eggs in blender or food processor until smooth. Add melted chocolate, agave, and baking powder. Blend until smooth.

4. Pour batter into lightly greased 8x8 pan and bake 35-40 minutes.

I had too much batter to feel comfortable leaving it all in the 8x8 pan, so I took out 6 cupcakes' worth, and placed both on a large baking sheet just in case.

The cupcakes/brownie bites took about 30 minutes to cook, and I continued baking the rest of the brownies at least 15 minutes longer.

Perfect with a cup of coffee at my 10:00 snack break! Next time I will add nuts and/or more chocolate chips to the mixed batter, as I prefer my brownies with little extras like that.

I grew a pair.

We're visiting my parents again--seems like we're here more than home, lately--and this time I decided I wasn't going to leave feeling guilty and unhealthy. So I decided to man up and bring my own clean foods. I packed a container of whey protein powder, since I don't care for the flavor of the soy they use, some homemade granola, 72% dark chocolate, raw almonds, rice pasta, and an arsenal of fruits and veggies.

Dinner last night was marinated pork that Mom had already thawed thinking it was chicken, and I made the Italian Pasta Salad from Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids. I did indulge in two small brownies (!) after dinner, but don't feel too badly about that because they were gluten-free, I used some mashed banana in place of 3/4 of the oil, and they were monstrously delicious.

Breakfast today was a green monster smoothie (milk, spinach, chocolate protein powder, and a frozen banana from Mom's freezer) and my AM snack is Bob's Red Mill 7-grain cereal with blueberries, honey, milk, and a cup of coffee. I am going to toss in a handful of raw almonds to round it out.

We're planning a trip to Trader Joe's later, which is usually detrimental to my bank account, but I have a small list for a change so hopefully it won't be too bad.