Another Outstanding Dinner: Samosa Wraps and Black Bean Brownies!

I adore Indian food. If I had to choose between my two best food vacations, it would be a tough call between Italy and India. I did so much walking up and down hills in Italy, I could eat pasta and bread to my heart's content, drink several glasses of red wine each night, and still lose weight!

In India, I absolutely loved having Indian food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I had to be diligent about making sure my food was always prepared without cheese, butter, or ghee. They still don't have a handle on the concept of "no dairy" in India, but I hear that's slowly changing.

I have always enjoyed preparing Indian food at home. The lovely aroma of those exotic spices cooking in oil—cardamom, coriander, and cumin fill my home and add to the anticipation of a delicious meal to come. But is it possible to prepare tasty Indian food without using oil? Well, these tasty Samosa Wraps from The FatFree Vegan Kitchen proved to me that you absolutely can!


This take on the popular Indian snack food, which is typically quite greasy, had all the flavor without all the fat. I stuffed the filling into whole wheat pita pockets, but I think next time I'll go the extra step and make my own chappati bread to give it a more authentic taste.

I just happened to have some tamarind chutney on hand (one of my favorite condiments), which added a lovely, rich flavor without any added fat.


For dessert I baked a tray of Chef Emily Webber's Wonderful Fat-Free Vegan Chocolate Black Bean Brownies. Hold on there—black bean brownies? Are you kidding me?


These brownies were sweet and moist and virtually fat-free, because they were made without any oil. A couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed made them not only moist, but about as healthy as a brownie can ever hope to be! You can also substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour for the whole wheat flour, and the results will be as delicious. I know, because I made some gluten-free brownies for my gluten-intolerant friend, Meryl Ann.

And what's that yummy-looking topping you ask? It's iced vanilla cashew creme, and it is scrumptious! (The recipe for it is included on the brownie recipe page.) It got all melty and gooey, because the brownies were still warm! I figured that Mark and I are being so good that we both deserved a little treat. And besides, if the recipe was good enough to be featured during Dr. McDougall's June Celebrity Chef Weekend, then it was good enough for me!