Brownies (with carrot & spinach)

This recipe is from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook

***Dont' serve the brownies warm - it's not until they're completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears***

Nonstick cooking spray

3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup carrot puree (can use baby food)

1/2 cup spinach puree (can use baby food)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbs trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup oat flour; or all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray

2) Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or over a very low flame

3) In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

4) Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

5) Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

***These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber, while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy!***

Here are some tips on how to prepare and puree the spinach and carrots. You could also use baby food.

bread tips

Click on Pictures to Enlarge - These are from 'The America's Test Kitchen' cook book also

hmm, that was too easy. maybe i will just start scanning in my recipe's, then it wont take as long and there will be better pictures

Helpful Hints

While not a recipe, these are some great helpful hints that we put into our "Family Favorites" cookbook. I cannot personally attest to all of them, but I do know from experience that several of them work very well. Hopefully, you will find them useful as well!

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips

Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle…perfect shaped pancakes every time.

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling

To get the most juice out of lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead…no white mess on the outside of the cake.

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato…it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator…it will keep for weeks.

Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up. A piece of white bread in the sugar will help to keep it soft afterwards.

When boiling corn on the cob add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh…if it rises to the surface…throw it away!

Ants, ants, ants everywhere…Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march…see for yourself.

To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan and bring to a boil on stovetop…skillet will be much easier to clean.

Spray tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces…no more stains.

Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

Cutting Brownies

I read awhile ago on This Week For Dinner (link on the side), that if you use a plastic knife to cut brownies it is way easier. Last night i made brownies and it is SO TRUE! I cut them straight out of the oven so they were super hot and they cut no problem without all the gunk on my knife...if you know what i'm talking about. Anyways i had to share the tip. Go check out her post for more info (i also borrowed this picture from her site)