It was a day of trying out new recipes. Here are two new ones that I will put in my file and keep on using.
Black Bean Cupcakes
Yes, they do taste delicious. Don’t panic when you mix them and go “boy are they runny.” They will bake up firm and light. I kept the frosting simple. By making it ahead and letting it solidify you can add a tsp. to the cupcake when it comes out of the oven and it will melt to a nice glaze when it cools.
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1 /2 to 3 /4 cup maple syrup or agave syrup
5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 /2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp water
ICING:
1 /3 cup cacao powder
1 /4 coconut oil
1 /4 cup maple syrup
Melt the coconut oil and mix in the maple syrup and cacao powder. Let it sit to thicken for spreading.
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or insert paper muffin cups.
2. Place the first six ingredients into a bowl, and blend in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, blend all dry ingredients together well. When the dry ingredients are mixed, add to bean mixture. Add the remaining water. Mix until well-combined.
4. Carefully fill the muffin cups to 2 /3 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cupcakes should be done when an inserted fork comes out clean.
5. Bring the cupcakes out and let sit on a rack. Add the tsp of icing and let the cupcakes cool.
Falafel
Instead of using cooked chickpeas (which most falafel recipes call for), I soaked them. The texture was crunchy and a little dry, but easy to fix with more sauce. I found that using cooked chickpeas they are too soft to hold together in the pan. In deep-frying you can use cooked chickpeas but then you are eating a “grease bomb”.
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 cup packed fresh parsley plus 1 /2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 /2 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 /2 tsp salt
1. Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 24 hours
2. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a food processor. Add the parsley, onion, garlic, oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Process until finely and evenly ground. Shape into 12 patties, about 2 Tbsp each.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the falafel until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until golden on the other side.
4. Top with your favourite sauce.
