You all know how much I love to cook. Well, recently I have been taking a look at my favorite meals and converting them into healthier versions. A lot of you are familiar with the Sneaky Chef books where you hide pureed veggies in children's food. I recently found another book by the same author, called How to Cheat on Your Man in the Kitchen. The title intrigued me, and of course it's for men who are picky eaters. You know who you are, you only eat one

vegetable - potatoes! I had to laugh thinking, okay, we have to even treat our men like children. lol... Anyhow here is one of my favs, we have tried at home....

Brawny Brownies

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped (or use 3/4
cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #1)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13)
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- One-half teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray
- Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped walnuts
> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
> Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square
baking pan.
> Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler or metal bowl over
simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat
and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs,
vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled
chocolate mixture.
> In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, oat bran, cinnamon, coffee powder, cocoa
powder, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the
chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
> Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely
in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered
sugar, if desired.

You really cannot tell that there is spinach in it. They are so moist! Of course I modify the recipe using rice flour, and leave out the oats, for my gluten-free friends.