Brownies

3 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup carrot puree

1/2 cup spinach puree

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbl margarine

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cut all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven 350, spray 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Melt chocolate in double boiler or over low flame. In large bowl combine melted chocolate, vegetable puree, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, & vanilla. Whisk until smooth & creamy. Whisk in eggs, stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into pan, bake 35-40 minutes. Cool completely. DO NOT SERVE WARM. As it cools the veggie flavors disappear. Frosting optional.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sweet potato or squash puree

1 tbl butter

dash of salt & pepper

4 slices whole wheat bread

Combine 1st 4 ingredients, spread over bread & make a sandwich. Grill as you would normal grilled cheese.

French Toast

3-4 eggs

1/4 cup sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, or carrot puree

1/2 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (my favorite)

4 slices whole wheat bread

Whisk first 3 ingredients together, soak the bread for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, careful not to get it soggy. Cook until golden brown about 2-3 minutes per side.

Scrambled Eggs

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1/4-1/2 cup cauliflower puree

2 tablespoons shredded cheese

pinch of salt

Whisk all together & cook as you would scrambled eggs

Pink Pancakes (with beets)

I used canned shoestring cut beets, and let me forewarn you-I opened the can at 6:30am on an empty stomach and could not stand the smell! I thought how am I going to eat this! But they turned out really well! You could detect a slight flavor when they were hot off the pan but as they cooled the flavor went away! I bet serving them with raspberries would be delicious!

Pink Pancakes

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used low fat cottage cheese)

1/4 cup beet puree

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I added more)

1 cup pancake mix

1/4 cup grated apple (I chopped mine-which tasted great to me but Turner didn't like that chunks)

In a blender for food processor, combine the water, ricotta cheese, beet puree, vanilla & cinnamon & blend. Dump the mixture into a bowl & add pancake mix & apple until combined. Do not over mix-batter will be lumpy.

Cook as you would normal pancakes-until bubbles form on top- 1 to 2 minutes then flip. Serve with fruit or syrup.

Carrot Sandwiches

My grandmother used to make these for road trips (there was a day when McDonald's didn't dot the highway-in fact there wasn't a highway!)

This makes about enough for 1 sandwich. Change the amounts to your taste.

2 shredded carrots, peeled

1 pickle shredded

1-2 oz shredded cheese

enough mayo/miracle whip to your liking

Salt & pepper

Whole wheat bread

Mix it all together, it should have the consistency of a tuna sandwich.

3 Ways with Sweet Potato

*Note: True Sweet Potatoes are more white/pale yellow in color inside & out. And have a true sweet/honey smell when cooked. Most "sweet potatoes that people think of are actually yams, the brown/orange outside & bright orange inside. But they are interchangeable ( I think the true sweet potatoes are actually sweeter)

Biscuits: Mix 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato with 1/3 cup buttermilk. Combine 2 1/4 cups all-purpose baking mix(Bisquick) with potato mixture & another 1/3 cup buttermilk. Mix to form dough. Knead 12 times on a surface coated with the baking mix. Roll out to 1/2 in. cut into rounds. Bake on an ungreased baking pan for 10 minutes in a 450* oven.

Stuffed: Microwave 2 sweet potatoes for 6 minutes. Mix together 2 Tbsp each coconut flakes & chopped pecans & 1 Tbsp each melted butter & brown sugar. Make a slit in potato; top with filling. Bake 400* oven for 12 minutes.

Roasted: Peel & cube 3 sweet potatoes. Toss with 1 slice red onion, 2 Tbsp canola oil, 1 tsp each cinnamon & cumin, & 1/2 tsp salt. Transfer to a baking sheet & roast in 400* oven for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.