Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour (or 1/2 cup each whole-wheat and all-purpose flours)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter
3. Whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar until smooth, then add the yogurt, oil and vanilla and whisk to combine.
5. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until blended.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool completely in the pan on a rack before slicing.

McDonald's Fries

Ingredients:

• Two Idaho potatoes
• Peanut oil (enough to cover the potatoes in the pan)
• 1-2 teaspoons of corn syrup whisked in water
• Two tablespoons of beef tallow or beef drippings
• Salt to season
• Beef bouillon to season (optional)

Instructions:

1. Start by making long thin batons by slicing your potatoes into planks. Cut them so that they are about 1/8 of an inch thick. Then stack the potatoes and julienne the planks into skinny matchsticks.
2. Whisk the corn syrup into a cold bowl of water that will hold all of the fries.
3. Place the fries into the water and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. After half an hour remove the fries from the fridge and use a paper towel to pat off any excess moisture from the fries.
5. Heat your peanut oil to 375 degrees and add the chips in small batches careful not to overcrowd the fryer.
6. Fry the potatoes for 90 seconds or until they are a pale golden brown.
7. Remove them from the fryer and place them on a baking tray lined with kitchen roll.
8. Allow the oil in the pan to reach 400 degrees and add the beef tallow or beef drippings to the oil.
9. Place the fries back into the fryer (one portion at a time) and allow them to fry for five to six minutes or until golden brown.
10. Strain the fries and then season with the sea salt and beef bouillon immediately, using a 1/4 teaspoon of the bouillon for every two teaspoons of salt.

Taylor's Healthy Recipes

Over the summer, when Weavers Way Community Programs was running the youth summer internship at Henry Got Crops, each student completed a personal project. Taylor was inspired to put together a collection of healthy recipes. Here is a quick excerpt from her project, and a few of her recommended recipes. Enjoy! A Healthy Life Switching to a healthy diet can be challenging if you have a tendency to eat less-than-healthy foods. However, you don't need to avoid all your favorite unhealthy foods to stay healthy.  Some of these unhealthy foods can be made into more nutritious versions. You can increase the healthiness of foods low in vitamins, minerals and fiber or high in sugar and unhealthy fats by: Using Healthier Versions of Ingredients For example, whole grains, removing the skin from meat, low fat dairy products, reduced sodium and sugar. Decreasing Ingredient Amounts Gradually cut back on the amount of meat, cheese, sugar and salt you add, starting with about one-fourth less than called for in the recipe, and see how it affects the taste. Adding Healthy Ingredients Make your dish more nutrient-dense by adding healthy ingredients, such as fruits, beans or vegetables. Adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg can intensify the sweet taste of dishes while allowing you to use less sugar. Replace Unhealthy Ingredients Replace up to half of the oil in baked goods with pureed prunes, mashed bananas or pureed beans to cut down on fat without adversely affecting the taste or texture. Choose marinara sauce instead of Alfredo sauce for your pasta. Reduce your salt consumption by replacing cold cuts with baked or grilled meats; and replace salt by flavoring foods with herbs and spices, such as garlic, oregano and cinnamon. Change the Cooking Method Steaming or microwaving your fruits and vegetables instead of boiling them helps maintain nutrient content, and baking foods instead of frying them. When you do fry foods, use a non-stick pan with just a tiny bit of oil so your food won't absorb much fat. Poaching, sautéing, braising, broiling and grilling are among the healthier cooking methods. Rinsing canned vegetables before you use them in recipes can get rid of some of the extra sodium they contain.

Spicy Chipotle Beef Burgers Ingredients: 1 lb 96% lean ground beef (or lean ground turkey) 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped pinch salt For the creamy chipotle spread: 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce Toppings/to put together the burger: Whole grain buns (whole wheat, brown rice, etc.) Sliced roma tomato Lettuce Extra sharp cheddar cheese Instructions: 1. Combine beef, chopped chipotle pepper and salt in a large bowl. 2. Create 4 evenly sized patties. Gently press each patty down in the center with your thumb to create an indent (this promotes even cooking). 3. Grill to desired doneness, about 4-5 minutes per side. 4. Blend yogurt and chipotle pepper in a food processor or blender until well combined. 5. To assemble burgers, spread sauce onto the top side of the bun. Yields 4 burgers