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[theanimal]

A few years ago Mrs. Animal got fed up with "throwing away" the greens from our carrots and decided to find another use for them. She decided to make them into a pesto, and after a few experiments and iterations, this is the final recipe we've settled upon.

- 100g carrot tops, washed and dried (just the greens, discard the stem. Though if anyone has a use for the stem I'd be happy to hear it)
- 125g walnuts (or whatever nuts you prefer)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 60g nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
-~2 cups avocado or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste

The most time consuming process is separating the greens from the stem. After separating them, I add them with the garlic and walnuts to a food processor/blender. Once chopped up, add the parmesan/nut yeast, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix quickly again to incoporate then slowly drizzle in the oil while the processor/blender is running. It's not exactly 2 cups, it may be a little more or a little less, just keep adding and testing until you reach your desired consistency. Once you reach the right consistency, add the apple cider vinegar and pulse briefly to incorporate it. Voila! Enjoy.

[Biscuits and Gravy]

Two gluten-free and high-protein recipes:

Egg Bake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8x8 baking dish or pie pan. Vigorously whisk together 6 eggs, 3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese, and some milk. Stir in desired amount of cheese (mixed, parmesan, and/or feta), fresh cracked pepper, and garlic salt. Additions: diced caramelized onions; diced sautéed peppers, jalapeno, and garlic; and/or browned and drained breakfast sausage. Bake for 30-40 minutes until no longer wobbly in the center. Serve slathered in salsa.

Black Bean Brownies (No, you won't be fooled)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8x8 baking dish. In a blender, combine 15 oz. can of rinsed and drained black beans, 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or melted butter), 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 pinch salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3/4 cup sugar, and 3 teaspoons instant coffee. Blend until smooth and pour into prepared dish. Generously sprinkle mini chocolate chips all over. Bake until edges start to pull away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Consistency is very fudgy. To better fool yourself, serve with ice cream over top.

[theanimal]

Black Bean Brownies (No, you won't be fooled)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8x8 baking dish. In a blender, combine 15 oz. can of rinsed and drained black beans, 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or melted butter), 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 pinch salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3/4 cup sugar, and 3 teaspoons instant coffee. Blend until smooth and pour into prepared dish. Generously sprinkle mini chocolate chips all over. Bake until edges start to pull away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Consistency is very fudgy. To better fool yourself, serve with ice cream over top.

Try 3/4 cup of cocoa powder instead of 1/4, swapping maple syrup for the sugar, adding another tsp of vanilla, and quickly pulsing in the chocolate chips to the batter after blending everything else. If you want a less fudgy texture and more similar to traditional brownies, you could add in a 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Either way, you may just find yourself fooled.

[Biscuits and Gravy]

Thanks, theanimal! I will definitely try those subs. I tried baking them this morning with flour and baking powder to get more of a rise and it didn’t have a great effect. Right now I’m waiting for my son to get home from school to see if *he’ll* be fooled.

[sodatrain]

Try 3/4 cup of cocoa powder instead of 1/4, swapping maple syrup for the sugar, adding another tsp of vanilla, and quickly pulsing in the chocolate chips to the batter after blending everything else. If you want a less fudgy texture and more similar to traditional brownies, you could add in a 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Either way, you may just find yourself fooled.

If my memory serves me, I can vouch for these being quite tasty. And I the beany-ness was very low if detectable at all.

[Biscuits and Gravy]

Haha! My picky son was fooled! He ate two and asked for more! Sucks to your ass-mar, son!

[Frita]

Both of my kids had feeding issues. I learned a few other ways to make such a good more palatable and/or desirable to eat (based on analysis and successive proximations):
1) Top with a light layer of ganache or frosting. (Consider a layer on each side.)
2) Top with a single M&M, chocolate chip, or other tiny (and preferred candy).
3) Cut into small pieces, popable cubes or fancy shapes.
4) Serve with toothpicks or chopsticks.
5) Serve on different tableware, like a narrow olive tray or a shallow sauce dish.