Black Bean Brownies (best dessert EVER!)

No matter how wonderful the South Beach Diet is, there will always be those cravings for sweet. Well, I am delighted to say that I finally found the best sweet so far. I know, when you see "bean" in the title, you are already pushed away. Bot do not fear, beans are used only for their texture, they have a neutral taste, like a blank slate. Read me out:

[picture coming soon]

Ingredients for 4 servings:

eggs - 2 (1/2 cup egg substitute for the vegan version)

vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp

olive oil - 2 tsp

beans (black or kidney), canned, drained - 120 grams / 4.5 oz / 0.75 cups

cocoa powder (unsweetened) - 1.5 tbsp

sweetener - 3-4 tbsp

baking powder - 1/2 tsp

for extra flavor:

orange extract - 1/2 tsp

orange zest - 1 small orange yield

Instructions:

1. Grease an 4" x 4" square tray with a light cooking oil spray (or use 4 muffin forms). Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

2. Drain and rinse the black beans.

3. In a food processor, beat the eggs lightly and add vanilla extract (orange extract, if using any) and the olive oil, and continue blending.

4. Add the baking powder and sweetener, and keep blending, still on low speed.

5. Add the black beans and run on medium to medium-high, until the beans are pulverized and it becomes a smooth paste (you'll still be able to see tiny pieces of beans, it's OK).

6. Add the cocoa and run on low again, until fully blended.

7. Add the orange zest, if using any, and mix one more time.

8. Then pour the mixture in the tray (or muffin forms) and put in oven for about 30 minutes, until they rise nicely and you'll see the surface has a small crack, like the French baguettes have.

9. Let cool down and enjoy!

Nutritional information for 1 serving:

Calories: 91

Carbs: 7

Fiber: 2

Fat: 6

Protein: 5

Easy-Breezy Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is the easiest recipe on my blog so far. Healthy, nutritious, low-calorie, non-fat!, and of course South Beach friendly, you can do it while watching your favorite TV show.

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Ingredients for 1 serving:

mushrooms, raw - 250 grams / 9 oz

zuchinni, diced - 1,5 cup

onion, diced - 1 medium

vegetable broth (or just plain water) - 500 ml / 2 cups

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Put the mushrooms, zuchini and onion to boil in water or vegetable broth until nice and tender (about 20 - 30 minutes).

2. Turn the heat off and let cool down for a few minutes. Then using a blender, put the boiled vegetables in batches (if your blender is not that performant) and blend well.

3. Add as much liquid as you want, depending on how thick you like your like your soup.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Nutritional information:

Calories: 135

Carbs: 25

Fat: 0

Fiber: 5

Protein: 9

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is a hearty, delicious recipe, that tastes great without a side dish, but goes well with a side salad, like an easy chopped lettuce with oil and lemon juice.

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Ingredients for 4 servings:

beef stew meet - 500 grams / 1 pound

olive oil - 1 tbsp

garlic, chopped - 2 cloves

onion, raw, chopped - 1 medium

mushrooms, canned, sliced - 200 grams drained solids

red whine - 1/4 cups (optional)

beef or vegetable broth - 4 cups

non-fat yoghurt - 1 cup

Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp (optional)

parsley, fresh, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

tomato paste - 1 tbsp

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in the oil for a few minutes.

2. Toss in the garlic, onion, mushrooms and cook for another 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

3. Pour in the broth, the wine and the Worcestershire sauce (if you decided to use any) and bring up to a boil.

4. Lower the heat to low, add the tomato paste, and cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until meat is really tender (it took me about an hour). If the liquid is too low, add more broth or water.

5. When the meat is finally tender, uncover and simmer a little longer (15 - 20 minutes) to reduce the liquid.

6. When the liquid is reduced to about half, turn off the heat and stir in the yoghurt and parsley. Enjoy hot!

Nutritional information for 1 serving:

Calories: 395

Carbs: 11

Fiber: 3

Fat: 18

Proteins: 22

Tuna salad

There are hundreds of Tuna Salad recipes out there. This is just one of them, but I found it has the best balance between taste and nutrition. And besides, it's so easy to make!

Ingredients for 1 serving:

canned tuna in water - 1 can (115 grams / 4 oz drained solid)

onion, chopped - 1/2 medium onion

garlic cloves, minced - 1-2

dill, fresh, chopped - 1 tbsp

parsley, fresh, chopped - 2 tbsp (you can also use dry dill and parsley, but put half of the quantity)

celeriac, grated - 3-4 tbsl

lettuce of your choice (I prefer Boston lettuce) - 1/2 head

black olives, sliced, seeded - 2 tbsp

olive oil - 1 tbsp

lemon juice - 1/2 lemon yield

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Drain the tuna well, wash the vegetables and pat them dry. Then cut the lettuce in thin stripes.

2. Put the tuna, onion, dill, parsley, celeriac and olives in a large bowl and mix.

3. In a cup, put the minced garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil and blend well using a spoon. When everything is well blended, pour over the rest of the salad and mix well.

4. Leave in the fridge for about 15 minutes for all the ingredients to catch flavor, and enjoy cold.

Nutritional value:

Calories: 307

Carbs: 13

Fiber: 5

Fat: 15

Mushroom haggis – Drob de ciuperci [Romanian Cuisine]

An extremely easy to make recipe based on mushrooms. It is healthy, low fat and with a very low calorie count. Eat as a side dish or a snack. Definitely worth trying!

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Ingredients for 8 slices:

mushrooms, canned, cut – 220 g / 7.5 oz drained solids (the equivalent of 2 cans of mushrooms)

eggs – 3 medium (with whites separated from yolks)

onion, chopped – 1 large / 5 springs green onion

olive oil – 1 tbs

dill – 10 springs fresh / 1 tsp dry (try always to go for the fresh, it has more flavour)

salt, pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and stir fry the onion for a few minutes, until it becomes golden.

2. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, and stir on medium-low heat until the all the water that they leave evaporates. Add the dill and stir.

3. Beat the yolks and mix them with the mushrooms.

4. Beat the egg whites stiff and slowly incorporate them in the mixture.

5. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F.

6. Pour the composition on a pan previously covered with baking sheet. Leave in the oven for about 50 minutes.

7. It can be served war, or refrigerated.

Nutritional value per slice:

Calories: 38

Carbs: 3

Fiber: 1

Fat: 2

Protein: 6

Garam Masala [Indian spice]

In Hindi, garam means “hot and masala means “mixture.” It is a common blend of spices used for curries, rice, koftas and other traditional Indian reciped. However, you can use your imagination and create your own marinades and seasonings for chicken, fish and steak.

(picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garam_Masala_new_2008-1.jpg)

Ingredients:

cumin seeds – 2 tbsp

coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

cardamom seeds – 2 tbsp (honestily, first time I made Garam Masala I didn’t have any, and it still turned out good)

black peppercorns – 2 tbsp

cinnamon stick, broken up – 1 stick (7-8 cm / 3 inch long)

garlic cloves, whole – 1 tsp

nutmeg, grated – 1 tsp

malabar leaves (a.k.a. Indian bay leaves) – 2-3 (optional)

saffrom – ½ tsp (optional)

Instrucitons:

1. Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves and malabar leaves (if you have any) in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Toast, stirring occasionally, until hey turn a few shades darker and release a sweet smoky aroma (for about 10 minutes).

3. Cool completely

4. Transfer the mixture to a coffee grinder (or a spice mill) and grind until you obtain a powder.

5. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron.

6. It can be stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place, for 3 months. After 3 month it will start losing flavor (like all spices in general)

Chicken Korma [Indian]

I’ve been trying for a long time to make Indian food at home, and with this dish, I could feel for the first time the authentic Indian taste: spicy, flavorful, delicious. And it’s adapted to SouthBeach! (It required one night to marinade, so keep that in mind when you decide to make it. I forgot the first time I cooked, and I had to wait, and wait, and wait…)

Ingredients for 2 servings:

chicken breast – 250 g / 0.5 lbs

finely grated ginger – 1 tbsp

garlic – 2 cloves

non-fat yoghurt – 100 g

red chilli – 1 piece (preferably dried)

onion, finelly chopped – 1

olive oil – 1 tbsp

coriander, ground – 1 tbsp

black pepper, ground – 1 pinch

turmeric – 1 tsp

garam masala – 1 tsp (this is an authentic Indian spice that can be easily made at home; I’ll post the recipe below)

water

coconut, shredder – 1 tsp

salt, to taste

almonds, ground – 4-5

coriander leaves, finely chopped – to garnish

lemon juice – 1-2 wedges yields

Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size chinks.

2. Mix the chicken with the grated ginger and the yoghurt. Cover and marinade for 12 hours or in the fridge overnight.

3. Liquidize the chopped onion and red chili in a ble

nder. Add a little water if necessary, and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.

4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan.

5. Add the ground coriander, ground black pepper and garam masala, and stir fry for about 1 minute on really low heat. This will allow the oil to catch the flavor. Make sure it doesn’t stick or burn, stir continuously (preferably with a wooden spoon).

6. Turn up the heat, add the onion and chili paste, and stir fry for about 10 more minutes.

7. Add the chicken and the marinade and continue to stir fry for another 10 minutes.

8. Add the coconut and enough water to just cover the chicken, and bring to a boil.

9. Then add the almonds.

10. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is tender (about 30 minutes)

11. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix well.

Nutritional value for 1 serving:

Calories: 324

Carbs: 25

Fiber: 4

Fat: 10

Protein: 31