BS”D

Black Bean Brownie Recipe
I know the ingredients are weird. I know the idea is disgusting. I know the unbaked batter looks, tastes, and smells funny. Cook it, taste it, and then judge. Trust me.

1 ½ cups black beans (1 can)
¼ – ½ cup cocoa powder (depends on how chocolaty and dark you want it)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 cup coconut or vegetable
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Blend really well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. I prefer to cook mine for a very short period of time, and eat them right out of the oven when they are still really warm and soft.

Tropical Israeli Salad
I really enjoy taking classic recipes and messing around with them to make them more original and fun. This is one of my family’s favorite classic recipe adaptions:

1 mango
2 avocados
2 vine tomatoes
1 long cucumber
1 medium onion
1 ½ cups pineapple
1 can chick peas
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup pomegranate seeds

Cut mango, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and pineapple into small cubes (like regular Israeli salad). I like to keep my avocado out to the side while I mix all of the rest of the ingredients together so it doesn’t get smashed up. Combine all of the fruits and vegetables, except the avocado, add in the chick peas, and crumbled feta cheese. Pour in Rebbetzin Estie’s dressing, and stir the salad together. Gently add the avocado cubes, and carefully stir them in.

Rebbetzin Estie’s Dressing
This is my local rebbetzin’s salad dressing recipe and my family’s favorite salad dressing. We have been making it for years, and it’s literally the only one we eat. The amounts are extremely approximate. Usually when I make it I use a partially used jar of mayonnaise and I just pour the soy sauce and apple cider vinegar in until “it looks right”. If you think the dressing is too thick based on the amounts I gave here, just add more liquid; more vinegar to the dressing for more acidity, more soy sauce for salt.

2 cups mayonnaise
¼ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine directly in mayonnaise jar or ball jar, cover jar, and shake vigorously until well mixed and smooth. You may not be able to get all of the lumps out but they will go away if you let the dressing sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Banana Pancakes
These pancakes are so healthy, simple to make, and they taste AMAZING! They will be super quick to make for breakfast, or as an after school snack. I know that the ingredients don’t look like they will create good pancakes; I was suspicious myself when I first found the recipe. But then I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did.

1 very ripe banana
2 eggs
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch baking powder
Blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips (optional additions)
Oil for pan (I used coconut)

Combine banana, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, berries and chocolate chips, or other additions depending on what you want. Pour oil into pan and heat it. Pour batter, about ¼ cup to ½ cup of batter per pancake. Flip when the bottom begins to brown and the sides solidify and begin to lift up.