Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Hey everyone! This is the last school-lunch-related post of the month, and we're going to "celebrate" with a dessert recipe! I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Brownies on Instagram and drastically changed it to make these Chocolate Cherry Brownies. The recipe is entirely different now; it's sweeter, smoother, and has a fun flavor complex, and I love it! They're super sweet, and the sweetness comes from just bananas, agave nectar, and chocolate chips. The banana and the coconut oil give it the added moisture to give it a traditional, brownie-like consistency. I think they're delicious and I hope you do too! These are perfect to take in your lunch, and they're fairly easy to make. Throwing the batter together should only take around 20 minutes or less, and you can finish your homework while the brownies are in the oven. Note: these brownies are best the day after you make them. Try your best to wait until the next day to eat them, because the texture isn't quite right until they've taken awhile to set and cool completely.

Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients
2 large, ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup fair-trade cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 oz (about half of a package) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 tbsp finely shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

Preparation
1. Peel the bananas and mash them in a small bowl with a potato masher or a fork. Try to make sure you work out any chunks and lumps that you can. If needed, use an electric beater to beat the bananas on a low speed in order to work out the lumps.

2. Combine the eggs, coconut oil, coconut flour, cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and baking soda in a medium-large bowl. Beat on a low speed using your electric beater until completely mixed. Add the bananas and beat on a higher speed until fully incorporated.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil and pour the batter into the dish. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the batter and it will come out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once it has cooled for at least 30 minutes, cut into 16 squares. Let it cool completely and serve the next day. Garnish with shredded coconut if you desire. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I know I do. ;) I ate three squares in a row after I got home from my shows yesterday. I basically was in Little Mermaid mode for 12 hours yesterday, so I think I deserved the treat! Please follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the sites below:

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Stay healthy!
- Madeline

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Hey, everybody! I said I wouldn't be here this week, but I have the day off of school tomorrow, so I figured I would have enough time to write a post this week. Today's recipe is a little old, but it's a good one. I don't have a picture of it, though.... Sorry about that. The recipe is Black Bean and Corn Salad. It's a perfect side dish and it has lots of protein and omega 3s, so it's perfect for a main dish as well. This month's theme is school lunches, and I think this recipe would be perfect to put in your lunch. Since you eat it cold and it takes about 10 minutes to prepare, you can make it easily the night before school and you don't have to do anything to it in the morning!

Black Bean and Corn Salad 
Serves 3 as a main dish and 5 - 6 as a side dish

Ingredients 
1 (15 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ear of organic corn (if it isn't organic, it is most likely genetically modified!)
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diched
½ tsp cayenne pepper
The juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
1. Shuck the corn and remove all the silk. Carefully cut off the stem so the bottom end of the corn is flat. Holding the corn upright, slice the corn off of the cob. The flat end will make the corn more stable as you slice. You may need help from a parent or an older sibling if you've never done this before. 

2. Combine the corn with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl or Tupperware container. Adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve with a side salad and other nutritious snacks. 

There you go! How easy is that? Corn isn't exactly in season right now, but I'm sure you can find it somewhere. If you're looking for a recipe that is more Mediterranean-inspired, check out the recipe to Chickpea Salad Sandwiches that I posted in June: http://foodforteensbyteens.blogspot.com/2013/06/chickpea-salad-sandwiches.html They are equally easy to make and are really delicious! 

Don't forget to check out the newest video about school lunch ideas! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel - it's pretty new, so I don't have many subscribers yet, and I would really appreciate your support. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmubkNm7js And don't forget to make sure you're following me on all the websites below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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Stay healthy! 

- Madeline  

School Lunches: Main Dish Ideas

Hey, everybody! Today, I have two main dish recipes that you can easily put in your school lunch. Hopefully last week's post and all of my Instagram updates have given you a good idea of what I typically eat at school, and I hope this post helps even more. There's also a video about school lunches that I posted. Click here to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmubkNm7js

Left: Make-Your-Own Yummy Bowl
Right: Guacamole Chicken Salad

Guacamole Chicken Salad
Serves 6 - 8 

4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 avocados
½ of a large red onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
The juice of 1½ limes
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped½ tsp ground cumin
A few dashes of hot sauce
3-4 cups pre-washed baby spinach
Preparation
1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the olive oil. Grill the chicken breasts, bake them, or prepare them in whichever manner you like best. I prefer grilling. Once they are fully cooked, let them cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Scoop the flesh out of the avocados and mash them using a potato masher. Add the lime juice, cumin, hot sauce, and more salt and pepper. Mash once more to achieve a creamy consistency. 

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach) and mix well. Adjust the seasonings. Put a bed of spinach (½ cup per person) at the bottom of your Tupperware container and spoon in the chicken salad. Enjoy! 

Make-Your-Own Yummy Bowl
Serves 4 

Ingredients
4 cups (cooked) of your favorite whole grain (i.e. brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, bulgur, etc.)
8 cups of your favorite assorted, chopped veggies (i.e. tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, cauliflower, avocado, cucumber, carrots, etc.) 
1 (15 oz) can your favorite bean (i.e. black beans, navy beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.) 
½ cup your favorite (preferably homemade) sauce/salad dressing (i.e. salsa, balsamic vinaigrette, pesto sauce, marinara sauce, oil and vinegar, etc.) 
(Optional) ½ cup of your favorite cheese
2 cups pre-washed greens of choice (i.e. spinach, arugula, lettuce, etc.) 

Preparation
1. Stir your sauce of choice into your grain of choice and fluff with a fork. Season your beans, if you so desire, with your favorite seasonings. 

2. Combine the beans, dressed whole grains, and veggies together in a large bowl. Serve each serving on a bed of greens. Enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy these recipes and enjoyed the video! They're super simple. Please remember to share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo, and don't forget to follow me on all the social media handles below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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I'm going to be busy performing in The Little Mermaid, Jr. as Ursula for the next few weeks, so some of the team members will be posting instead of me. They are going to have some awesome recipes, so keep an eye out for those.

Stay healthy!
- Madeline 

Homemade Hummus + 2014 Changes

Hey, everybody! Happy 2014! I hope you all had a great holiday season. Today is a super exciting day for Teens Can Cook, Too, because there's a new recipe, a new video, and a new format to the blog.

The new format isn't too different. From now on, every month is going to have a theme, and all the posts will be centered around that theme. This month's theme is school lunches. We're all heading back to school tomorrow, and I think we should all start off the new year with some healthy eating tools that we can use at school. I'm used to bringing my lunch to school because my elementary and middle school didn't have a cafeteria. My high school does, and it's a really great cafeteria with freshly made meals, but I still prefer to bring my lunch. Bringing a lunch is so routine for me, but for most others, it isn't. From what I've heard from my friends who attend public schools, public school lunches are awful. Most are just reheated in the kitchen, and they have no nutritional value. If you go to a school like this, hopefully I can help you learn how to make a nutritious lunch so you don't have to put up with those nasty meals!

A really important part of school lunches is your snack. You need to have enough nutrients in your body between classes to get you through the day, and a protein bar isn't going to cut it. Try steering away from granola bars, even if they're the high-quality kind. I'll admit that I'm guilty of eating granola bars at school, but I'm trying my best to cut back because they're so high in sugar. If you find yourself in desperate need of more food, go for the granola/protein bars that are lowest in sugar content. Do a little research and find the best ones for you! My preferred snacks are cut up fruits and veggies. These are so easy to add to your lunch. Cut up an assortment of your favorites the night before school and store them in the fridge. In the morning, pull them out and put them in your lunchbox! Veggies won't brown or get slimy overnight. For fruits, take whole fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and oranges. If you have braces and can't eat whole fruits, slice them up the morning before school. Bring an assortment of colors to get lots of different types of nutrients. You can also pack some homemade dips to spice things up. My favorite is hummus, and there's a recipe below!

Click here for the Homemade Hummus video tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVgABcaSu8&feature=youtu.be

All you need are these simple ingredients!

Homemade Hummus
Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients
2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
The juice of 1 lemon
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp cumin
About 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for blending
About 2 tsp water, for blending (if needed)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Your favorite veggies, for dipping (suggestions: sliced bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, jicama sticks, celery sticks, baby carrots, snap peas, cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, etc.)

Preparation
1. Combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, sesame oil, cumin, salt and pepper in the food processor. Take the plastic plug out of the lid and put the lid on the food processor. Pulse the ingredients. While pulsing, gradually add the olive oil in through the open space in the lid. The more oil you add, the smoother it will be. Add the water if you want it smoother. Turn off the food processor, scrape down the sides with a spatula, and blend again until a smooth and thick consistency is reached.

2. Spoon the hummus into individual serving-sized Tupperware containers. Pack in your lunchbox with your favorite veggies, garnish the hummus with a bit of parsley, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It's so simple, and such a great treat to have at school. Make it the night before school and put it in your lunch in the morning!

This whole week, I'll be posting pictures of my school lunches on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I'm hoping that this will give you more insight into what I eat everyday at school and how to stay healthy! I'm still working on school lunches myself, so this will keep me in good shape too. Make sure you're following me on all the sites below so you can keep track of my meals this week:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832
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Stay healthy!
- Madeline

Arugula-Basil Pesto Sauce

Store your extra pesto in ice cubes!

Hey everybody! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. Here's a simple recipe for Arugula Basil Pesto Sauce that anyone can make! It's super simple and is so versatile. I use it as a pasta sauce, spread it over grilled salmon, stuff chicken with it, use it as a ravioli filling, and mix it with my Cauliflower Cream Sauce to make a creamy pesto sauce. The best part about pesto is it works so well for school lunches. Make a large batch and store the pesto in an ice cube tray for later! Then, defrost a pesto cube, stir it into some whole-wheat pasta, add some fresh tomatoes, and put it in a Thermos for a simple lunch. The possibilities are endless. Share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Gluten-free ravioli stuffed with Arugula-Basil Pesto
and smothered in Cauliflower Cream Sauce

Arugula-Basil Pesto Sauce
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
6 oz fresh basil leaves, stems removed
3 cups loosely-packed, pre-washed baby arugula 
The juice and zest of one lemon
3 small garlic cloves, peeled
2/3 cup pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil 

Preparation
1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Remove the plastic piece from the top of the lid before starting. Turn the food processor on and drizzle in about 2 tbsp of the olive oil. If the ingredients aren't processing together smoothly, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the food processor, and pulse again while adding more olive oil. The pesto will be finished once it has a fairly smooth texture and there aren't any lumps of any ingredient. Save and freeze, or serve over pasta, chicken, fish, gnocchi, ravioli, and more! 

Tip: the more olive oil you add, the thinner the sauce will be. If you want a ravioli filling or something to stuff chicken with, add less olive oil. If you're shooting for a pasta sauce, add more olive oil. You may even want to add a tablespoon of water if you want it really thin. 

That's all for today! I hope you like this simple recipe. Please try it out! Follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all of our social media handles below. 

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Happy New Year, and stay healthy!
- Madeline 

Christmas Recipes

Hey, everybody! First, I'd like to apologize for this post being a day late. I saw Catching Fire yesterday and had a busy afternoon before that, so I didn't have the time to upload my post. 

Today, I have two delicious recipes that you could make for your Christmas dinner. The first is Vibrant Green Soup, which is perfect for Christmas because of its bright green color. This side dish uses lots of the classic green vegetables, and is slightly reminiscent of both broccoli cheddar soup and pea soup, but with a limey twist! You can change out the lime and cilantro for lemon and basil for a more Italian taste, which may be what you prefer for a Christmas dinner. Also, I used chicken broth because I'm allergic to carrots, and I can't find any vegetable broth that doesn't use carrots, but it's up to you to use either type of broth! Vegetable broth will make it vegetarian. If you're a vegan, you can easily omit the garnish of cheddar cheese. Enjoy this soup!

I wasn't kidding when I said it was vibrant.

Vibrant Green Soup
Serves 4 - 5 

Ingredients
1½ cups broccoli florets and diced stems
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1½ cups frozen peas
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
A few dashes of jalapeño hot sauce (optional) 
2 cups pre-washed baby spinach
1 cup fresh cilantro
The juice of one lime
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp of shredded cheddar cheese per serving (optional) 

Preparation
1. Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, and garlic in a large pot. Add the broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper. If the If the broth does not completely cover the vegetables, add water until the vegetables are just barely covered. Cover and heat on medium-high until the broth is bubbling and the vegetables. Note: if the broccoli is of a dark green hue, it is overcooked. Look for a vibrant, deep green and the tenderness of the veggies. Remove from heat. 

2. Using a slotted spoon,, transfer the veggies into a blender, food processor, or Vita-Mix. Do your best with the peas! Then, using a ladle, transfer about 3 cups of the broth from the pot to the blender/food processor/Vita-Mix. Add the spinach, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. Remove the plastic piece from the lid that traps the contents from flying out of the machine before you blend. This way, the steam can escape and your device will not be damaged. Cover the hole lightly with your hand to prevent anything from flying out of the top. Blend on a high speed, until the consistency is very smooth and there aren't any vegetable chunks. 

3. Pour or spoon the soup into individual serving bowls. Top each serving with cheese (optional). Enjoy! 

The next recipe isn't a full meal, but rather a simple sauce that is useful to have on hand during the holidays. This is my Cauliflower Cream Sauce. It's perfect for pasta, for pouring over roasted chicken breats,and more. You could even use it for a healthy rendition of Scalloped Potatoes. While it does use milk, it is much healthier than a heavy cream sauce.  No matter what you use, I personally think it tastes better than traditional cream sauces. I've even tricked relatives into thinking it was real cream sauce before. So seriously, it's good. 
You can always substitute almond milk, soy milk, or another non-dairy alternative.

Cauliflower Cream Sauce
Makes about 2 cups 

Ingredients
7 oz cauliflower florets
1 cup organic 2% milk
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 
½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp RBST-free parmesan cheese, grated 
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
1. Put the cauliflower, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover and boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn't scald. Remove from heat.

2. Transfer to a food processor, blender or Vita-Mix. Add the remaining ingredients and process on a medium-high speed, until smooth. Remove the plastic piece from the lid that traps the contents from flying out of the machine before you blend. This way, the steam can escape and your device will not be damaged. Remove the plastic piece from the lid that traps the contents from flying out of the machine before you blend. This way, the steam can escape and your device will not be damaged. Adjust seasonings and serve over your favorite pasta dish, potato dish, chicken dish, and more. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading this post! I hope these recipes will be valuable to you in your last-minute Christmas or holiday meal planning. For those of you who do not celebrate Christmas, you can always make these at any time of the year or save them for a New Year's dinner. Please keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too as the holidays come to an end by following us at all of the social media handles below.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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Stay healthy!
- Madeline  
   

Theo Chocolate and a Recipe

Hey, everyone! Today's post is a super exciting recap of the team's trip to the Theo Chocolate factory. I also have a delicious recipe at the end for you guys that will be perfect for the holiday season.
 

Awkward hairnet picture with Annika

 

We entered this room with this cute background to learn
where chocolate comes from

Last Sunday, the team took a trip to Theo Chocolate. Theo is a truly incredible place for many reasons. They use only organic, fair-trade cacao beans from a few select locations in South America and Africa. This is much better for the farmers, the environment and for the taste of the chocolate. We learned that the taste of the cacao beans is determined by the soil, so the beans from each location have different flavors because the soil is slightly different in each place. We got some chocolate samples, and I could tell a clear difference in the flavors of the different types of cacao beans. Some were fruitier, some were more bitter, and more.

Roasted and cut cacao beans

 Another really interesting factor of the chocolate making process is that the beans are actually fermented! WHAT? The beans must be fermented and roasted properly before they can be shipped to Theo in Washington. The cacao beans come in a pod that's about the size of a football, and they're surrounded by a white-ish slime inside the pod. Fermenting the beans helps them separate from that slime and attain the chocolate flavor we all expect. Also, the cacao pods range from a greenish color to a purple-ish color. I had always figured that cacao beans grew in smaller, brown pods on a tree, but the pods are actually much bigger. That really surprised me.


We got to walk through the factory to see all of the machinery used to turn the cacao beans into
the chocolate bars we all love. That was very interesting, but my favorite part was visiting the confection kitchen. Theo makes some of the best caramels, ganaches, chocolate bars, and other sweet treats that I've ever tasted. Annika, who is really interested in baking, was so happy when she learned about how they make their ganaches and caramels. My favorite part about the kitchen was their usage of fresh, local ingredients. After seeing the confection kitchen, we all went a little overboard and purchased a ton of chocolate goodies after the tour. We were out of the chocolates in our 12-piece box by the day after the tour. Oops.

Hopefully you just learned a lot about the chocolate making process! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments or via email, Twitter or Facebook. Now, here's a recipe! I made this last week and it was absolutely incredible. It was very loosely based off of a red rice pilaf recipe that I found on Instagram. I decided to use gourmet flavors that pair nicely with balsamic vinegar. I think it turned out very well, and I highly recommend this recipe as a side dish on Christmas day. Oh, and since this is a blog for kids and teens, I must remind you not to drink any of the red wine that goes in this recipe! Leave that to your parents. ;)

Balsamic Red Rice Pilaf
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1½ cups red rice
3 small Portobello mushroom caps, gills and stems removed
½ of a red onion, diced
½ of a large red pear, diced
½ cup dried, unsulfured Turkish apricots, coarsely chopped
½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup red wine
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 2¼ cups of water in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add the red rice. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 - 35 minutes. Don't peek until the cooking time is up! Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

2. Dice the Portobello mushrooms. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour contents of the bowl onto a large cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.

3. Combine the rice with the mushroom mixture in a large serving bowl. Toss with extra oil or vinegar if desired. Adjust the seasonings and serve!

Thanks for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it. Please keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too updates by following us at all the social media handles below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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Stay healthy!
- Madeline