Some runs (like last weekend’s 14-miler) are awesome and others….not so much. Last night I headed out the door for a post-work run and felt crappy for most of the 4.5 miles.  Maybe it was my frustrating day at work, maybe I was just tired.  I guess I can’t really be sure,  but at least the bad runs help you appreciate the good ones even more. I got 8+ hours of sleep last night, so here’s hoping today is a better day!

When I returned from my run, I crafted a giant salad. There’s nothing like fresh veggies and whole foods to chase away the winter blahs.

I chopped up some organic hearts of romaine, added leftover roasted beets, great northern beans, dried cherries, chopped walnuts, a big scoop of cottage cheese, and lots of hot sauce. Sounds weird, I know. But it was delicious! I love the combo of cottage cheese and hot sauce – the creamy and fiery flavors compliment each other perfectly.

And then I put on my baking apron! I’ve been itching to try the black bean brownie recipe created by Christine (NoMeatAthlete’s resident baker), but I used what I had on hand and made some modifications.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (use a good quality brand such as Ghiradelli)
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 Tbs chocolate chips
• 1/2 can white beans (or any kind that you have on hand), rinsed and filled with new water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 8″ x 8″ baking pan
• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients
• Puree the beans and the water they are canned in
• Add pureed beans, vanilla, and additional water to dry mixture
• Mix thoroughly and then pour into baking pan
• Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating pan half-way through cooking time
• Keep an eye on the brownies – you don’t want the edges to overcook!
• Allow brownies to cool completely and then cut into 9 squares

These brownies are incredibly moist and the serving size is BIG! I hate it when a “serving” of something is puny. These big, fudgy, moist brownies will satisfy your chocolate craving while providing a good dose of fiber and protein.

I know that using pureed beans instead of butter, eggs, or oil is a little unconventional, but I promise these are yummy. When Alma found out that the brownies were made with beans she was skeptical, but after taste-testing she was very impressed. Try this recipe, you’ll like it!

Nutritional stats per serving (based on 9 servings): 215 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 5.5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber.

Do you ever bake with “unconventional” ingredients?

Before you go – check out my latest True/Slant article: Lose weight, gain speed?