Kidney Bean Brownies

I baked a batch of these brownies while my boyfriend was away, leaving them out on the counter. Upon returning, I discovered that he had helped himself to a few. Curious about his opinion, I asked how they tasted. To my surprise, he enthusiastically replied that they were incredibly good—rich, gooey, and irresistible. It was only later, after revealing that the brownies were made with kidney beans, that he felt a sense of betrayal. However, their scrumptiousness prevailed, and he couldn't resist reaching for another piece.

Ingredients for your menstrual phase: kidney beans, miso, peanuts. During the menstrual phase, you want to stock up on micronutrients that are the building blocks of blood. Your hormones are at their lowest levels and energy is low, so keep your blood sugar steady with low GI foods.

Kidney beans are a wonderful addition to your menstrual phase because they are loaded with iron, phosphorus, and potassium which help build healthy blood, and are also a great source of protein and fiber.

Miso is a phytoestrogen, as most soy-based products are, which means it mimics the effects of estrogen in our bodies. During menstrual, this is great as it can help boost mood and energy - but try to avoid soy in the later phases to ensure your body is effectively flushing out excess estrogen.

Peanuts (and peanut butter) contain high levels of magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6 which are all important nutrients to eat during this time. B6 helps with acne and mood, which are two common things that occur during the menstrual phase.

Flaxseeds act as estrogen blockers, which help our bodies reduce excess estrogen. They also are high in omega-3s which are shown to reduce FSH levels and are anti-inflammatory which helps curb inflammation, and contain lots of protein which balances blood sugar.

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Kidney Bean Brownies

Serves: 12 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

• 15 oz can of dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/3 cup PB

• 1 tbsp white miso

• 5 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 6 dates (or 1/3 cup maple syrup)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/3 cup flaxseed meal

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. It will be thick, but that’s okay!

3. Pour into an oiled 8x8 pan. I oiled it with coconut oil, but any vegetable oil or butter would work! Use a spatula to spread the batter out so it’s equally spread. Then pour chocolate chips on top.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.