Roasted Haricots Verts

Do you ever just get really, really, really sick of veggies? I’ll be honest: I do. Consequently, I’m always trying to prepare them in new and different ways. One of my favorite tricks to reinvent a tired old standard is roasting. Sunday night I whipped up these French green beans to serve alongside pasta. I was floored at how scrumptious they were. S actually described them as “desserty”! G and Q? Wouldn’t touch them. C’est la vie.

Roasted Haricots Verts

1 lb haricots verts

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

½ teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. 2. Clean haricots verts, removing ends. Dry thoroughly and place in a roasting pan.

3. 3. Drizzle beans with the sunflower oil, then sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and onion powder. Toss to coat.

4. 4. Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until slightly golden (and a little wrinkled!) and fork tender.

5. 5. Remove the beans from the oven and toss with the butter, nutritional yeast and flax seeds.

Enjoy!

Rockie Road Brownies

While I claim to be a super-healthy eater, the fact is I've got a serious sweet tooth. I eat something desserty every day. But these brownies? They are not an everyday dessert. They are so rich, so ridiculously decadent, that they are a once-every-couple-of-years dessert. Or, as was the case this past Saturday, a "I'm hormonal and hated today" dessert.

Rockie Road Brownies
Serves 12

1/2 c. butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 c. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 c. chopped peanuts
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2/ c. mini marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" square pan.
2. In a sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
4. Beat eggs until light; add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until mixture is thick. Add vanilla.
5. Gradually add chocolate mixture to eggs, then stir in dry ingredients.
6. Spread mixture evenly in the buttered pan, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the edges pull away from the side of the pan.
7. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle peanuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows over the top. Bake 8 - 10 minutes more until marshmallows are lightly browned (if you like your marshmallows on the darker side, try turning on the broiler for the last minute or so).

Enjoy!