By now, you’ve probably guessed that I love to bake. I crave the creativity, the preciseness, the excuse to drown out everything that’s bothering me, slow down and focus on the simple task of following a recipe, mixing together a set of ingredients, and watching what happens when it goes in the oven. This, to me, is calming, meditative, a form of relieving stress.

And let’s just say I’ve been baking a lot lately.

Over the years, my baking has changed in many ways. From using eggs, butter and white sugar when I made cookies as a kid, to using vegan options like Earth Balance margarine and egg replacement powder when I was just out of university and on a budget, to now, when my dessert recipes use more whole food ingredients like avocado, nuts, dates and beans, and a variety of wholesome flours like almond, chickpea and oat.

I know there are a million and one brownie recipes out there but I think I’ve trumped myself in the nutrition category with these decadent little bites. Kidney beans, almond butter and walnuts pack in the protein power and spinach adds an element of green goodness. Plus, I recently received some new Vega One samples that I wanted to make use of without resorting to a traditional smoothie recipe. And guess what? It worked beautifully.

Thanks to Vega, these flourless brownies are even better because their new Vega One all-in-one nutritional powder has been enhanced with 33% more protein and double the greens—hence the “plant-powered” in the recipe title. Just take a look at the nutrition specs. Pretty great, huh? (Psst…scroll down to the end of this post for a Vega One giveaway!)

I’ve made these brownies a few different ways over the last few weeks, playing around with different ratios and ingredients in order to get them just right. Then I retested using different nut and seed butters (peanut, almond, and sunflower seed) and protein powders (Vega One, Vega Protein Smoothie and Vega Performance Protein… Can you tell I like Vega?). All worked out lovely, although this almond/Vega One combo is probably my favourite.

So, you should have success using whatever protein powder you have on hand, just make sure you use chocolate flavoured powder. Also note that Vega is quite sweet on its own so if yours isn’t, your brownies will be less sweet also. Rest assured these aren’t your typical athlete’s “treat”—as in, they sound great but taste like chalk. Seriously, guys, they are your dream brownie: thick, fudgey, richly flavourful and studded with chocolate chips and walnuts throughout. They’ll rock your world.

Flourless plant-powered protein brownies

Yield: 16 to 20 brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup natural smooth almond butter (or other nut butter)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup Vega One Chocolate powder (or other chocolate-flavoured protein powder)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (or cacao nibs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper so there's an overhang.
2. In a food processor, combine spinach leaves, almond milk and maple syrup. Process until the spinach leaves are broken down. Add the kidney beans, almond butter and vanilla extract and process for a minute or two, until well combined and fairly smooth.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, protein powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Add to the food processor and process until a thick batter comes together. Pulse in walnuts and chocolate chips (alternatively, you can sprinkle them on top after pressing the batter into the pan).
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is dry to the touch. Do not over-bake, as they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Product giveaway:

My friends at Vega are offering a giveaway for one lucky ADC reader! If you win, you’ll receive one box of Vega One Chocolate single packs and a Vega shaker cup. If you’ve never used a shaker cup before, you’re missing out on an incredible invention. It’s a travel mug with a round wire whisk that whips around while you shake to help incorporate the powder into your drink. Say goodbye to lumpy protein shakes for good!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below and I’ll choose a random winner on Wednesday, February 4, 2015. The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My in-laws own a beautiful cottage that sits on a lake at the end of a very long, empty dirt road in northern Ontario.  It’s a good hike from Toronto and almost always involves sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic up Highway 400 through Barrie, but the drive is always worth it once we get there.

It’s the one place where we can leave behind the noisy, crowded, high-energy city that we live in, and soak in the calmness and fresh air of cottage country. I sometimes long for the days when we can go, because often just a quick weekend visit can put my busy mind at ease. There’s something about the place that allows me to leave computers, cell phones and iPads behind and crack open a good book.

Because of full-time jobs and ongoing weekend projects, however, we don’t get there often. But we always make a point of planning a weekend getaway each September because there’s no better time to see the leaves on the trees turning gorgeous shades of red and orange, sit on the dock without scorching your skin, and enjoy the warmth of the wood-burning fireplace in the evenings. Include wine and friends and a game or two of Cards Against Humanity and it ends up being a pretty epic weekend.

This annual tradition also comes with special fall-inspired meals. I tend to do all the cooking while we’re there with friends because, well, that’s just my thing, and luckily our guests have yet to complain about the lack of animal products. At my hubby’s request, I always make a big batch of spicy vegan chili for Saturday night’s meal, and serve it with crusty bread and a big, colourful salad. This hot and spicy chili recipe was inspired by the red bean and lager chili from the reFresh cookbook, a recipe I’ve made but adapted over the years.

There’s no beer in this chili but the addition of a hot banana pepper is what gives it some punch. I also love the cinnamon and cocoa powder for an amazing depth of flavour. This time, I was inspired to add a simple lentil-walnut meat (inspired by Angela’s recipe) for more substance and nutrients. If you’re looking at this and thinking, “I don’t like spicy food,” feel free to reduce the amount of hot banana pepper (try 1/4 or 1/2 of a pepper) to suite your tastes. Enjoy!

Hot & spicy vegan chili with lentil-walnut meat

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the chili:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 small hot banana pepper, seeds removed and minced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15oz) can red kidney beans
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the lentil-walnut meat:

• 1 (15oz) can brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup walnut pieces
• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

For the chili:

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic, celery, banana pepper and carrots with a splash of water until soft. Add more water if needed so the veggies don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
2. Stir in the chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin and cinnamon stick and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, bell peppers, zucchini and water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. While it's cooking, you can make the lentil walnut meat.
4. Add the lentil walnut meat and continue to simmer until heated through.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro and remove the cinnamon stick. Serve with vegan sour cream and extra cilantro, if desired.

For the lentil walnut meat:

1. Using a food processor, pulse all ingredients until chopped but be sure to leave some texture.