The brownie universe isn’t exactly full of surprises. The combination of sugar, butter, flour, chocolate, eggs, a few extraneous ingredients, plus a little oven time, inevitably leads to some form of brownie action. Of course, the resulting degree of deliciousness is all in the details — just talk to the adamant nut-adders, the chocolate chip enthusiasts, or the “fudgy” versus “cakey” people that can seemingly never agree. Yet, by and large, the language of brownies is pretty much the same: delicious chocolate squares that just about everyone loves. Including me.

But I have a secret. With the exception of chocolate (which can be profoundly beneficial in its unprocessed form), I don’t use any of the “conventional” ingredients in my homemade brownies. In fact, I don’t even bake them. (I know — what a rebel.) Instead, by using exclusively natural, whole foods, the inherently gorgeous flavor of each healthy ingredient does all the sweet singing — without needing the crutch of sugar or butter. Undercover health benefits like antioxidants, good omega fats, potassium, magnesium (and more) nutritionally rank this dessert as more of an energy bar than an “extra 20 minutes on the treadmill indulgence.” Best of all, five ingredients plus five minutes is all it takes to go from zero to brownie.

Oh, and as for their decadent texture? Simply put: go team “fudgy.” Here’s the printable recipe.

Barbecues are always a hot thing to do, but with the increasing amounts of celebration surrounding a vegetarian diet, the grill game’s a-changin’. Whether you’re a proud member of the plant-based parade or just have some veg-inclined people on the guest list, chances are your veggie burger skills will be tested at some point during the warm season.

The good news is the rules are few in the “science” of making veggie patties. Pick delicious ingredients, mash ‘em up, form into patties, and throw on the grill (or skillet). The best part? Veggie patties are profoundly forgiving when it comes to perfecting a recipe. Sneak a taste before cooking and if you’re not quite in love, just mash more goodness into the mixture to cover any mistakes. While we’re at it, here’s some pointers to help make your whole food-minded mission a success, and help you build a better veggie burger.

How to construct a winning veggie patty:

The base: Choose protein-rich or savory whole foods to provide the main “meat” of the burger. Different types of beans, seeds, nuts, tofu, and mushrooms work well. Grains and pseudograins like rice or quinoa may also be added, but if you’re eventually putting burger inside a bun, don’t turn your burger into a “second bun” by packing it too heavily with grains.

The chew: Sneak a few extra minced veggies into the mix and add extra textural interest, flavor, and sneaky nutrition. Onions, carrots, celery, corn, peas, and even sun-dried tomatoes can all add tasty complexity.

The seasoning: Any from-scratch burger wouldn’t dare be complete without some seasoning and spice. Try a combination of fresh herbs, like oregano, parsley, and thyme, and don’t be afraid of raiding the spice cabinet too for some grill-worthy spices like cumin or chili powder. A little sea salt is usually friendly too.

The binder: All your choices may taste great, but they won’t be doing anyone good if they’re sitting in broken pieces on the bottom of the grill. A binder is the all important ingredient that sticks all your choice yumminess together. Two favorites in this category: flax seeds and chia seeds (ground up is preferred). Also useful are algae and seaweed — like kelp or Irish moss — which are mineral-rich natural foods whose high concentration of mucilage takes the place of less desirable ingredients like corn starch.

Here’s one of my go-to burger recipes that seems to always meet with approval and cheers:

Chia Bean Burgers

These patties can also be pre-cooked, then gently warmed as needed.

INGREDIENTS:
15 oz cooked black beans (unsalted)
1¼ cup cooked brown rice
4 oz extra firm tofu, minced or crumbled fine
¼ cup Navitas Naturals Sprouted Chia Powder (or ground chia seeds)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1½ tsp fresh oregano, minced (or ½ tsp dried)
1 tsp palm sugar
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
½ cup minced yellow onion
3 Tbsp organic soy sauce or Nama Shoyu

DIRECTIONS:
With a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash the black beans in a large bowl into a chunky puree. Mix in the remaining ingredients, one at a time. (Alternately, pulse ingredients together in a food processor). Form into 8-10 patties and refrigerate for about an hour.

Patties may be brushed with oil (coconut oil works well) and placed on a grill, or place into a well greased frying pan and cooked over low heat for several minutes on each side. Makes 8-10.

Variation: Soak 2 Tbsp dried wakame flakes for 20 minutes. Drain and mash into the mixture before cooking. Wakame adds an extra strong punch of trace minerals and a light savory flavor.

Oh, and my Portobello Burger Patty is another drool-worthy favorite – and can even be made using a dehydrator. Whoa!

And then, what do you know.  This company comes along and makes my wildest dreams come true by introducing a fantastic new product: organic date syrup.

Date. Syrup. (OMG).

I hadn’t heard of date syrup until recently, only now finding out that it’s been used (like so many fabulous foods) in other cultures for thousands of years. I do realize I just wrote a whole article on sweeteners, but this syrup is simply too good not to share. Its most exquisite quality is perhaps its luxuriously smooth texture – extra thick like caramel, with a softness that literally just melts away in your mouth. It’s very sweet, but not squintingly so (like agave syrup) if you taste it straight. More than I care to admit, my finger found its way into the jar . . . and to be honest the taste is so inherently delicious, I found it almost a waste to mix it into the flavor chorus of a recipe. Date syrup has all the elements of a gourmet treat just flying solo.

Because of this, I’ve taken to utilizing it in applications where it is not wasted as simply a sweetener, but where it can act like a true syrup and be appreciated in all its glory . . . drizzling it atop a warm oatmeal, a homemade banana soft serve, or just a touch on my little apple pear energy tartlets. It undoubtedly has an affinity for fruit, and quickly settles into the background flavors if you’re not careful.

One of my favorite experiments thus far turns out to be one of the easiest: Red Raspberry Popsicles – enhanced by date syrup that’s added just before freezing so it stays in tight little flavor pockets throughout the popsicle. Heaven brought to you by your freezer, and an ideal summertime treat. Here’s how to make them:

Red Raspberry Popsicles

Stevia (as used below) is fickle from brand to brand in terms of sweetness — making it nearly impossible to dictate measurements — yet remains a wonderful way to cut down on sugars. In this recipe, stevia extends the sweetness of the fruit sugars from date syrup and raspberries without adding a single extra calorie. If you’re not a fan of stevia, use another natural sweetener like palm sugar, or even additional date syrup.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen raspberries
white stevia powder (or liquid), to taste
2 Tbsp date syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Get popsicle vessels ready – use either a plastic popsicle mold or kit, or small cups with sticks. Recipe makes about 10-12 oz of mixture – servings will vary depending on size of molds used.

In a medium bowl, stir together the almond milk and vanilla. Add the frozen raspberries, and use a fork to “mash” them into the liquid – the milk will begin to freeze into a slush around the raspberries, which is the objective. Mix until chunky, but not blended.

Add a tiny, tiny dash of stevia and mix well. Taste the mixture and add more stevia if needed, mixing after each addition. The overall taste should be quite sweet, as freezing will bring the sweetness flavor profile down a notch.

Drizzle the date syrup into the mixture. Stir once or twice ONLY – just enough to incorporate the syrup into the raspberry mix, but allowing large date syrup swirls to remain.

Carefully spoon the mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for 3 hours or until mixture is completely frozen through. Thaw for a minute or two just before serving.

http://www.readymade.com/projects/article/mix_a_batch_of_kombucha

My mission is to share the delicious enjoyment of nutritious natural food and an eco-friendly lifestyle with everyone I can, so yup – the book’s totally free (it’s a great introduction to this fantastic lifestyle!). Head over to the right side of my blog page to the sign up box and get access to your instant download of:

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• dinner part II: fiesta pizza
• dessert: dark chocolate orange truffles

YUM, right? And these aren’t just any regular recipes, by the way. From an in-the-know superfood ingredient list, to mouth-watering photos, to easy to follow instructions, these recipes are designed to make a healthy energy-filled lifestyle delicious, fun, and accessible. I’ve written each recipe so that everyone – not just professional chefs or health gurus – can make flavorful natural food, and appreciate the benefits of healthy food immediately.

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