Fudgy Zucchini Black Bean Brownies

Vegan, Gluten Free, High Protein, High Fiber, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free

This recipe is adapted from the Fudgy Black Bean Brownies at Desserts with Benefits. Her site is AMAZING with the tons of healthy dessert recipes, so I highly recommend checking it out!

With any recipe I make, and especially with dessert recipes, I'd like for it to have a good protein source, veggies, plenty of antioxidants and be highly nourishing as well as tasty. This recipe fits the bill, as it is high protein from the quinoa flour and adzuki beans, high fiber from the beans and zucchini, has omega 3 fatty acids from the chia and flax seeds, and is even low in fat. It's as if you were having a healthy dinner of quinoa, beans and zucchini, except in fudge brownie form!! .. Ok maybe not, but either way these are nutritious and delicious.

These brownies have the allusive crusty top with fudgy bottom/center (very hard to do with a healthier brownie) and it tastes as good as the box versions.

Ingredients

Dry:

• 1 ½ cups Granulated Erythritol* (or dry sweetener of choice)
  Pinch Stevia
• 1 ½ cups Regular Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup Quinoa Flour (can also sub garbanzo bean or brown rice flour)
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Wet:

• 2 tbs Ground Flaxseed
• 2 tbs Chia Seeds
• 6 tbs water
• one 15.5oz can Adzuki (or Black Beans), drained and rinsed well
• 1 ½ large zucchinis, rinsed and chopped
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Nut Milk (I used Silk Cashew Milk, to make Nut Free use flax milk or rice milk)
• 1 tbs frozen blueberries
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• frozen raspberries to sprinkle on top (optional)

1. In a large measuring container or dish, mix together the dry ingredients making sure there are no lumps.
2. Mix together the flax seeds and chia seeds in the water and let sit in the fridge about 5 minutes until it thickens and forms a gel-like consistency.
3. In a food processor (or blender if need be), puree the beans, zucchini, blueberries, and vanilla extract in the nut milk.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the dry and wet ingredients by stirring in ⅓ of the dry at a time. The batter should be quite thick.
5. Sprinkle the crushed frozen raspberries on top of the brownie. (optional, but they make it look really pretty!)
6. Spray a 9x13 in. pan with coconut oil, then spread the batter into the pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted and the brownie is not still gooey at the bottom.

Let the brownies sit in the fridge over night so the texture sets and they get the right fudge texture. Enjoy!!

Can you believe these have zucchini, beans with healthy protein/fiber, and chia and flax with omega 3's?!! Amazingly healthy, and delicious!!

Comforting Stuffed Peppers (with kale! vegan, gluten free, etc.)

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free, Oil-Free

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dry, uncooked brown rice
• 2 1/4 cups water (to cook the brown rice in)
• 2 red onions, diced
• 1 cup radishes, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup red cabbage, diced/shredded
• 1 bag or large bunch kale, torn into small pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• any other veggies you want! I used half a zucchini left in the fridge so I chopped that up and threw it in.
• 1 15 oz. can aduki beans (or other beans, aduki and very nourishing though!)
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 6 (or 4) large green or red peppers 
• 1 18 oz. jar Traditional Marinara Sauce (from Trader Joe's, make sure you get a brand without ANY added sugar, corn syrup, or weird additives)

Seasonings

• sea salt, to taste, 
• Trader Joe's everyday seasoning, to taste (I used abt. 2 tbs. total)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. coconut aminos (similar to soy sauce but way better)
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. oregano 
• dash of paprika
• dash of pepper
• spritz of fresh lemon juice

1. Cook the brown rice according to the bag directions. The directions for mine was boil 1 cup of the rice in 2.5 cups of water, then lower the temp. and simmer covered for about 35 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Season with sea salt or anything else according to taste. 

2. While the rice is cooking chop up all the veggies and start sautéing the onions, radishes and garlic. Add in the kale, red cabbage, mushrooms (basically any veggies you want) and sauté until tender. 

3. Cut off the tops of the peppers and dice the pepper pieces. Add to the veggie mixture, along with the canned diced tomatoes, beans, and the seasonings (listed above). Cook on low until the brown rice is done and the veggies are tender. 

4. Arrange the pepper halves in a baking dish, then fill the bottom with the veggies, add a layer of brown rice, then more veggies and top off with the marinara sauce. Some people stir the rice into the veggies and you can definitely do that, I just like the layered effect better. For the extra veggie mixture / rice, spoon it into the dish around the stuffed peppers, and top the rest of the dish with the marinara sauce. 

5. Bake at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. You can bake them more or less, and it really depends on how cooked / soft you want the peppers to be. 

This dish is very comforting and filling, and even my meat and tasty-cake eating family liked it! I adapted this recipe from the one here, and just made it healthier by adding more veggies and took out the cheese and such. This recipe taste so warm, comforting and savory you won't ever miss the old version! :)

Being OC Sprayed in the Navy - Part 1

So first off, lets talk about what OC is. "Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from "oleoresin capsicum"), OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears.^[1][2] Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to close, taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain subjects and permits people using pepper spray for self-defense an opportunity to escape." (wikipedia). 

Navy service members are required to be sprayed if they are ever to carry OC on a topside force protection watch. The reasoning behind it is if we accidentally get sprayed ourselves from blowback by the wind or a misfire, we have to be able to defend ourselves in that situation. You would only draw a non-lethal weapon if the person is being non-compliant and aggressive (without a weapon). To me personally, the reasoning kind of makes sense, but we don't shoot ourselves with a pistol to know how to fight in case we misfire that. We don't train against a knife attack in case one is drawn. To me it seems like a pointless training exam that is required each year. Yes that is right, every year you are required to get re-certified. The first time you do it you get a Level 1 Spray. Every time after that you get Level 2. Level 1 is much worse, you get sprayed from a distance of 3 feet from ear to ear across the forehead. That way it runs down your face and neck is a very strong dose. For Level 2, they put some on a sponge and dab above your eyebrows. I personally haven't done Level 2 but I watched the people who did it and it didn't look nearly as bad. Yes they complained it burned and you could tell they were distressed, but when a level 1 does it... well we will get to that.

So I took a week of SRF-B training, basically force protection training. They teach you take down techniques to use in a situation where someone is non compliant, they teach you weapons handling and general force protection and anti terrorism principles. Most of it is by power point but there are 2 days of take down and hand to hand training, and a couple weapons handling demonstrations. The hardest part of the class is defiantly the OC spray day. When the day arrives you all muster at a designate place. Since I was out to sea when I did it, it was on the flight deck. There were 5 stations which you had to complete after being sprayed.

I really wanted to go first to get it over with and not get myself hyped up for the pain. I also wanted the most time to decontaminate to get back to normal. Well another officer had to go on watch in about 3 hours so she had to go first. I wanted to go second, so I was her battle buddy. Basically that means I walked about 5 feet away from her making sure she was safe, and cheering her on to and reminding her what she needed to do in the pain. She was doing a level two, so she starts off and complains it burns but overall doesn't seem that out of the normal. She gets more and more agitated as it goes but she keeps her head and finishes just fine. I come back to the start line expecting to go second, but they gave my chief (who was supposed to go third) the knee pads to go next, since I was following the first person around at the time. So I grab another pair of knee pads and put them on quickly and follow my chief around as her battle buddy too.

My chief was a level one spray. She gets sprayed and immediately bends over a little and shakes her head. Walks a bit forward and shakes her head again. You can tell she is in a lot of pain, and can't see. She was walking blindly forward and kept bending over and shaking her head. She starts the first station which is where you have to do a take down on a non compliant person. She starts it but then stops and walks a few steps away and puts her hands up as if she needs a break. She takes a second, as we all cheer her on, and she goes back to do the take down. You can hear it in her voice that it hurts but she gets it done.

Next she walks slowly over to the next station: Use the baton to force back someone with a punching mat. She does that pretty well and continues on. The next station is fighting off two people (one in front, one behind) with the baton. You are supposed to use specific strikes and yell "Get back!" with each strike. The purpose of the "Get back!" is to provide verbal direction to the attacker as well as make sure you are breathing during the event. She is still in a lot of pain and you can tell she is getting tired but gets through that event too. Next is the Baton blocks. You block a baton strike with your own baton (keep in mind the batons are foam padded) as they yell out high, low, strong side, or weak side. It takes a little more concentration but she gets through. The final station is the hardest. There is a guy dressed out in a big red protection suit. He tries to slowly come at you and take your baton. You have to fight him back and show how to get out of a baton grab by the attacker. Then you have to take him down to finish it off. Well she gets it done and now its my turn.

I was all ready to go after seeing the first person on level 2 go, thinking it wouldn't be that bad. But after seeing my chief really struggle through the pain I start to second guess. Either way I step up ready to go as number 3. I turn around give them the thumbs up and close my eyes and mouth. They spray me, and I feel the cold liquid across my forehead. I open my eyes and tell him how many fingers he is holding up. At first I was thinking, ah its not that bad. But then I took a breath and it hit my nose and eyes at the same time. The burn engulfs my face and eyes. It feels as if you are REALLY sunburned and someone is taking a piece of coarse grip sandpaper to your face. Your eyes are very sensitive to light and it feels like the burn when you have your eyes in smoke when they are open. Not to mention the liquid is dripping in them after they open, making it burn worse.

I guess at that moment I found out if I was a fight or flight person being OC sprayed. You are supposed to walk up to the person (and everyone else did) and then take him down. I apparently did some sort of boxing style arm pump in front of me and then rushed the guy yelling fiercely "Get down!" I got in position and forced him to the ground in the spin VERY quickly, pulling myself down too. They told me to get up and do it slower, and make sure I keep my balance. They said it was for both of our safety that I slow down, but that they liked my enthusiasm. Well I got up, did it again slower, and then finished the take down. When they are the ground you have to yell at them "Turn your head away from the sound of my voice! Put your hand out palm up. Cross your legs, cross them again. Bring you feet to your rear. Bring your hand to the small of your back." Then you bring the other arm you are holding and put it on top of the other hand to hand cuff them.

First station down and it SUCKS. I keep my eyes closed most of the time, blinking them open about once a second to get my bearings as I go to the next station. I fight my way through the remaining stations getting more and more tired of the pain and from the constriction on my lungs. The OC spray has a chemical reaction where it forces you to constrict your airway from the mucus build up and it becomes harder to breathe. They have medical personnel around at all times for our safety though. Anyways after I finish the event I go over to the "decon station". Which is basically a guy with a bag of paper towels and dish soap and a hose. I dab my forehead with a paper towel then cover my face in dish soap. The pain is momentarily gone, but a few seconds later comes back...

I will continue with Part 2 of OC spray, I have to go eat dinner now.

Being OC Sprayed in the Navy - Part 2 

Being OC Sprayed in the Navy - Part 2

Its time for OC adventures part 2!

So after putting soap on my face and having the momentary cooling sensation, the pain starts to bubble through again. I dab off the soap and hopefully some of the liquid from hell as well. Then I stick my face over the side of the ship into the wind to try and cool it off. The wind helps, but it's not great. It still really hurts and I have to blow my nose multiple times to get rid of mucus build up. There is a reoccurring gagging reflex in my throat though it doesn't feel like I will throw up. It is just like a spasm that makes you take a second breath because the first one was stopped by the gagging. So I sit/stand at the edge of the ship for a good hour and half as the chaos continues behind me. Every couple minutes a new tormented soul joins our ranks at the side of the ship. Everyone reacts differently and I feel like other people are handling it better than I am. My eyes still hurt and are really sensitive to light. My face still burns and I am trying to focus on breathing but my mind always comes back to the pain and the gagging. I may have made the mistake of not using water to wash off the crystallized particles on my face. Since the chemical is water activated, water causes it to flare up and I was advised to wait to wash it off until later. A few other people waited about 30 mins then did a wash off, and they said it re-flashed really bad at first but it was better in the long run. After a while the pain moves from the top of your head to the bottom and to your ears. I assume because we don't think to wipe off our ears and under our chin when decontaminating.

After everyone was done we were directed to go inside and sit in the crew lounge under observation. After stepping inside and being out of the wind, I re-flashed again, and it was really bad. I tried to close my eyes and tune it out and after about 20 minutes I was able to fall asleep. When I awoke my eyes were crusty and the pain had subsided a little.

We were told we could leave if we felt like our situation wasn't getting worse or if we felt like we wouldn't need more medical attention. So I gave Doc the thumbs up and went to the bathroom to continue my decon.

At first I dabbed around my head with a wet paper towel, and then dabbed around after with a dry paper towel. Each time it felt like I re-flashed, but not nearly as bad as before. It just felt like a really bad sun burn. It would die down after about 10 minutes and I would go do it again. I repeated that about 3 times until I stepped up the process. Next I cupped my hands and filled them with water to splash on my face. I dried my face off again and was met with a lovely re-flash that was worse then when I did the dabbing with the paper towels. After about 10 minutes I did it once more. Again I waited about 10 minutes and decided to take a shower to finish the job. The training team advised us to wait a day to shower, but I wanted to get it over with and not get any on my pillow that night.

The shower: Oh man... I expected that all my decon work earlier would have taken off all the OC spray but I was wrong. I stepped inside the shower, making sure the water was pointed at the wall and not at me so I wouldn't wash it down on my sensitive areas. So I leaned over and stuck my face in the water. Immediately I could feel it in my throat and nose flare up. My face burned like it was the first time again and my eyes burned. I made sure that I kept my eyes closed the whole time so that it wouldn't make it worse. I would put my face in the hot water then pull it back and rub the water off my face, being careful not to let it drip to far down my body. I repeated the process over and over for about 10 minutes, I found out about half way through that it felt much better with colder water, so when I was standing with the water hitting my feet I would have it warm, and then I would turn it cold when I ducked my head in. Eventually I was able to open my eyes and the pain started to not show up even when I put it directly in the water. My ears still burned so I tried washing those out but even after my shower they burn for a good hour. I assume that it pooled in my ears and when I washed them out it re-flashed pretty hard. Anyways after about 10-15 minutes in the shower I was able to take a normal shower without all the leaning over, the water burned my ears and back of my neck. I think maybe some of the OC spray washed out of my hair onto my neck but it wasn't as bad as having it on my face. Again it felt like a really bad sunburn.

After my shower, my ears and hands burned but my face and eyes were good, so I was really happy that I took the shower to get it over with. And that is my wonderful experience. The moral of the story, don't challenge someone with OC spray, it sucks. IT REALLY SUCKS.