Magic Batter Guide

Recently I published a post detailing how to make magic batter: that stuff with very few calories that can be made into almost anything. In this post, I'll be covering how to make some of that stuff.

Hot Cereal

This is probably the easiest. Just take your batter, thin it with however much water you want, mix well, and microwave until hot. That's it!

Waffles

These are actually pretty simple, too. Spray a waffle iron with nonstick spray, mix in some baking powder to the amount of batter you're gonna use, then load the iron with the batter(once preheated), and leave it to cook. The only bad thing is that it takes around 20 minutes to finish cooking the waffles, maybe more or less depending on your iron.

Crepes

To make these, you'll need a microwave-safe or disposable plate. Spray it with non-stick, then spread your batter on the plate. I haven't noticed any difference made by using baking powder, honestly. Spread the batter into a thin layer that more or less covers the bottom of the plate. Now cook it in the microwave. It'll take some experimenting to figure out what method of cooking it works best for you, but here's what I usually do:

Microwave at a medium power for 3-minute intervals, letting it sit in between, until it starts to firm up. Then give it ~90 seconds at full power and flip after letting it sit. Repeat on the other side.

Brownie-Cakes

These can be a bit tricky, I'll admit. So you start by adding baking powder, putting the batter into a small bowl, cup, or ramekin, then microwaving it. When I microwave it, I start with a medium-high power and cook it until I see the baking powder activating, then just a little longer. I then let it sit for a little while, then return it to the microwave for a longer time at a lower power. After letting it cool from that, I carefully flip it with a fork and repeat that last interval as needed, letting it sit in between.

Kesari

Interesting, no? I think I found a decent means by which to make this South-Indian sweet without too much messing around. Basically, get your scoop of batter into a microwave-safe bowl, then mix in some extra glucomannan. I think it'll take up to about 1/4 teaspoon for a small bowl serving. Mix it well, let it sit for five minutes, mix again, and let sit again. Once done with this, microwave around 30-40% power for 3-5 minutes at least twice, stirring and letting cool slightly in between. Basically just repeat the microwaving process until you're comfortable with the moisture content. If it seems that the kesari isn't structured enough(it's too much like applesauce), add a little bit more glucomannan.

How to Make Vegan Low Calorie "Magic Batter"

So I recently came across a new and wonderful ingredient to use in cooking and baking. Glucomannan. Also known as konjac flour/powder, it's a soluble fiber that is a great thickener. If you've ever seen those zero-calorie shirataki noodles, this is what they're made out of. Apparently the glucomannan also can be used almost anywhere xanthan gum would normally be used. But why am I telling you all of this? Well, I recently developed a new recipe for something I'm gonna have to call "magic batter".

What's so magical about it (aside from being incredibly low calorie)? Well, I've found that you can make next to anything out of this stuff! It can be a creamy, grainy pudding, a cream of wheat-like hot cereal, be made into waffles, pancakes, crepes, brownie-cakes, and you can even make an ice cream out of it! And that's just the stuff I've already done in the few days I've had this recipe for(and have used up three batches already). I'm sure there's even more you could do with it, but of course, all of it would need the batter.

The batter is made of cabbage, fruit puree, glucomannan, and flavorings. So far I've made cocoa, pumpkin pie, and gingerbread flavored batches, all of which came out beautifully. I've been having waffles for breakfast several days in a row and I'm quite happy with that. I also expect to be having stuff like this over Passover, as it's a nice option for the holiday. In the coming weeks I'll be posting details as to the specific ways to prepare the batter, but for now, I can tell you how to make it.

Magic Batter Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 medium-large head cabbage
• Fruit puree(as needed)
• Desired flavors and sweeteners
• Glucomannan powder(about 1 tsp per cup batter)

Instructions:

1. Rice the cabbage in a food processor and transfer to a blender.
2. Add fruit puree slowly and blend until the mix starts to blend smoothly. Usually, a layer of smooth batter will form on the bottom, displacing the rougher mix above it into the blades, causing this layer to rise. You don't want too much fruit puree. If you're using a glutinous puree like banana you should add a little liquid to allow it to blend smoothly. Water works fine, so would milk, if you rather(use almond milk or other substitute to keep it vegan).
3. Add whatever flavorings you like. Using Truvia for a sweetener, I add about 2 packets per cup batter, but flavor it as you like. Feel free to taste-test it while you're making it, as there are no eggs in it.
4. Add in 1 teaspoon of glucomannan per cup batter mix, mix the powder in, and blend. It will take a few minutes for everything to fully integrate and react. It should have a slightly slimy taste, as though there were raw eggs in it. If there isn't, add a little bit more glucomannan.

And for now, I'll leave you with just one of the many ways to enjoy this magic batter. Thoroughly mix some of it with equal parts liquid(water, milk, etc.) and enjoy as a ricey sort of pudding.

Paleo Low Calorie Apple Pie Microwave Mug Muffin!

Now this is the story all about how my pancakes turned just barely brown, so I'd like to take a minute just sit right there, and I'd like to tell you how I made a goddamn apple pie-flavored mug muffin in your microwave.

I had something going there...

So the odds are you've at least once stumbled across one of the many recipes for cakes and other baked goods you can make in the microwave, be them online, in magazines, or anywhere else. Cakes are tasty, and I certainly can't argue with that, but they're usually not very healthy. Sure, you might occasionally stumble across a nice low-calorie recipe, perhaps one that uses artificial sweetener or produces a serving size that barely constitutes a spoonful. Disappointing, no?

Yes. But be disappointed no more! As you've probably already seen with quite some profusion, I've made a hobby out of finding ways to make food that are tasty and healthy, and I dare say I've done it again, and all thanks to some failed flapjacks.

So the other day, I had some extra time in the morning, and decided I'd try to make some pancakes. If you've learned anything about me from this blog, it's probably that I make pretty much everything out of cabbage. This recipe involved some cabbage, an egg white, 2/3 cups applesauce, a little yogurt, spices, and baking powder. While the final product tasted great, it didn't really stay together in pancakes; it kind of just formed a crumble of sorts. An amorphous mass of breakfast on a plate. As I sat there, eating my breakfast mass, I thought the texture kind of reminded me of these mug cakes.

The next morning, I figured I'd put that to the test. I basically whipped up another batch of pancake batter, but halved every ingredient except for the egg white. Once all was well and mixed together, I put it in a mug and nuked the whole thing on high for 90 seconds. Well, 90 seconds wasn't quite enough, so I put it back in a couple times, each time for 30 more seconds, until it seemed more or less well cooked and set. I topped it with a little whipped cream(OK, not the healthiest thing, but it's like 90% air), and dug in. I'll try to put this simply.

It. Was. Amazing. It really had a cake-like texture and a sweet apple-cinnamon taste. The whole thing was a decent size and only totalled around 100 calories. Even though cabbage provided most of its bulk, it didn't make the cake taste like cabbage. Honestly, I don't think you'll believe me regarding how great this turns out until you try it, and I recommend you do so right away.

This recipe makes an apple pie flavored cake, with the taste of apple and cinnamon imparted to the recipe. The thing is, pretty much any flavor ideas can be used. Mashed banana with chocolate or plum and spice, the possibilities seem endless! And as with so many of the recipes on here, it would take minimal adjustments to make this recipe on Passover if you observe the holiday.

Apple Pie Muffin Microwave Mug Recipe

Serves: 1

Calories per serving: 100

Ingredients:

• ~1/8 medium-large head cabbage(I think around 1/2 cup riced)
• 3-6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp yogurt(Greek works well)(optional)
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• 1 large-extra large egg white
• Drop of vanilla extract
• Pinch baking powder

Instructions:

1. Rice the cabbage. Add 3 tbsp applesauce to food processor and process further. Continue adding applesauce by the spoonfull until the mixture blends fairly smoothly. If you want to add yogurt, add before adding additional applesauce.
2. Crack an egg and separate the white into a microwave-safe mug(do what you want with the yolk). Beat lightly with a fork. Add the cabbage mixture to the mug and mix the egg white in well.
3. Add a drop of vanilla, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg as desired. Add the baking powder and mix well.
4. Microwave on high for 1:30 - 2:00 and check for doneness. You can poke with a fork or toothpick to see if it is done on the inside. Put back in the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds at a time until done.
5. Either remove from mug onto a plate or eat straight from the cup.

Troubleshooting:

I've made this recipe, and different variations of it, very many times. In doing so, I've found some problems that you may come across. The main one results from having a batter that's too wet, has too much baking powder, or too little egg white. Basically, when this happens, your cake won't set as a cake very well, and can very likely bubble over the mug you put it in. If this happens, don't fret, for all hope is not lost! Spoon the mixture to a larger microwave-safe bowl or container and give it around 5:00 on high. You'll end up with more of a sort of bread pudding than a cake, but it will still be a tasty and healthy breakfast/dessert treat.



Hey there. Still reading this? O.K., I don't want to say too much, since I don't know when I'll actually have a fully fledged blog post and recipe ready to publish on it, but I would just like to tell you that I made a very special breakfast for myself this morning, and will be sharing it with all of you sometime before Passover rolls around. Until then, happy cabbaging!

Grain-Free Apple-Spice Cake Recipe with Veggies

Now this is a recipe that I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Even before I finally got around to trying out the cooking process, I'd had it sitting on my "queue" of recipes-to-do for a bit, and after I eventually made it, it took me a while to get around to writing this. So what special treat do I bear this time? Would you believe me if I told you it was a soft and moist cake that tasted like and apples and cinnamon but had a vegetable as its main ingredient?

Unless you're new here, the answer to that question should have been a resounding "YES!" So what's this about finally getting to the recipe? Well, for a few days, I was essentially trying at least one or two new cabbage recipes out each day, some being so simple I don't think I should even post them here, and others will certainly get posts of their own up some time in the not-too-distant future. When it finally came time for me to try making this neat little cake, it ended up becoming quite a hectic night in my household. Firstly, my little sister happened to have invited over one of her friends from school to spend the night, meaning there were not one, but two loud little creatures running around for much of the night. In addition, I couldn't actually start cooking until pretty late at night, and didn't get done until a little past midnight, now let's see if the results were worth it.

The cake tastes great, I can tell you that much. Yes, of course cabbage is that vegetable I was talking about earlier, but the cake does not taste like cabbage. It tastes just mildly sweet and pleasantly flavored by the unsweetened applesauce and spices included for just that purpose. The technique I followed to make the cake was sort of like some sort of bastardized sponge cake recipe, starting with beating egg whites until peaks begin to form, but then adding fairly wet and dense ingredients to it, so the final result was still fluffy, but it was more thick and shortcake-y than you'd expect from a "legitimate" sponge cake.

My phone actually died right after taking this picture of the egg whites.

Topped with a little bit of whipped cream or some more unsweetened applesauce, you end up with a deliciously healthy option for dessert. Just note that I recommend baking in a tube pan, as the center of this cake is going to take longer than the edges to cook. And if you have any desire, the recipe's always here for Passover, too, which is coming up.

Grain-Free Apple-Spice Cake Recipe

Serves: 6

Calories per Serving: ~40

Ingredients:

• 3 extra large egg whites(or equivalent amount)
• ~1/4 medium-large head green cabbage
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Pinch of salt
• ~1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Spices as desired(I used cinnamon and nutmeg)
• ~1/4 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Crack egg whites into a bowl with plenty of room to accommodate them. Beat with an electric mixer until peaks begin to form.
2. Rice your cabbage in a food processor and fold gently into the egg whites.
3. Gently fold all other ingredients into egg whites.
4. Spray pan with cooking spray and lightly coat with flour or starch(optional, but helpful). Pour batter into your pan of choice and roughly even out the top. A tube pan is recommended.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, then leave in oven after turning off heat with the door slightly open for five minutes.

Healthy Fudge Brownies? Try Vegetables for Dessert

Well it's Sunday. I apologize for getting this out so late in the day, it's been an unexpectedly busy one. But hey, I came through in the end, right? Yeah...

Not long ago, I set out to find how to make desserts out of vegetables, cabbage in particular, and already came up with a recipe for some moist cocoa-cabbage cakes. I've still been experimenting, and I've found one other version of a chocolate cabbage dessert recipe that I'll need to perfect and present. This one seems to have come out more dense and fudgy, and perhaps closer to a brownie than my original recipe(which was intended to be a brownie)

Remember me?

The main source of calories in my cake recipe was, without a huge surprise, the sweetener: maple syrup. In this recipe, I set out to use a lower-calorie sweetener, and since there's no erythritol, stevia, thaumatin, etc., in the house, I opted for a more subtle provider of sweetness: fruit! In this case, I used a plum, which I first pureed. I figured the fruit puree could also act as a pseudo-butter for the brownies. I wouldn't want to lower the intensity of the sweetness in order to cut calories only to reintroduce at least that many with fat!

Now, as always, I rice up some cabbage in the same food processor. Also in keeping with my "norms", I experiment with 1/4 head of cabbage, which gives me about 1 cup of "rice." Now is where I deviate from my last attempt by putting the cabbage rice in the microwave for 1 minute on high. This essentially steams the cabbage and will make it possible to wring out some of its liquid, which I then do by placing it all in a paper towel and just wringing it out.

Careful! It'll be hot! I'm trying to get rid of some(but not all) of the water in the cabbage because it will basically be introduced by the plum, and I don't want the batter to be too wet. If I'd wring out too much, though, the cabbage would become hard to mix and would reduce to very little volume. The next deviation came in the form of the dairy. I still added dairy, but this time, instead of using milk, I used low-fat greek yogurt, and less of it than I did of milk. I did this figuring the yogurt would provide a sort of density to the dessert, and I think it did this pretty well, actually.

Then I add the egg white - one - to bind the recipe. Then all that's left is to add flavor, which came in the form of three tablespoons of cocoa powder and a drop of vanilla. I also do one more little thing in the hopes of aiding the baking process: I refrigerate the batter for around an hour before baking. Honestly, I have no idea if this truly made a difference to the end result, but oh well. Also, this recipe lacks baking powder, unlike my earlier cake recipe.

An hour later(roughly), after a quick spritz of cooking spray, I pour the batter into two mini-loaf foil tin things and put in the oven at 375°, where they end up staying for around 45 minutes. I could have taken them out at 40 minutes, I think, but I got a little preoccupied and had to finish dealing with something else. Anyway... after getting the two sheets out of the tins, I cut them into smaller slices and freeze on a plate to help them hold.

Close up of a single tin pre-baking

Now did you ever think there would be "healthy fudge brownies" that really were healthy and fudgy?

Healthy Fudge-Brownie Recipe:

Serves: 8

Calories Per Serving: 20(with nonfat yogurt)

Ingredients:

• ~1/4 small-medium head green cabbage
• 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
• 1 plum
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 large egg white

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Wash plum and cut into eight pieces. Place in food processor with about a tablespoons of water and puree. Remove from food processor.
2. Slice the cabbage and pulse in food processor until a rice consistency is attained. Add yogurt one tablespoon at a time and pulse in between. Remove from food processor and add pureed plum.
3. Crack 1 egg and add the white to the batter; mix well.
4. Let batter sit in refrigerator for approximately one hour.
5. Spray a small loaf tin or cake pan with cooking oil and pour in mixture. Bake in oven for ~40-45 minutes.
6. After baking, remove fudge from pan and cut into approximately eight slices. Place on a plate or other container in the freezer for a few hours to overnight.
7. Remove from freezer and let thaw. Serve cold or warm in microwave and serve warm.

In the end, these cabbage treats were pretty tasty. They're certainly not as sweet as the last method I tried, which called for maple syrup, and the plum gives them a bit of a tang, assisted by the yogurt. These "brownies" are fudgier than the "cakes" were, and I think they needed to be let sit in the fridge and/or freezer for a little while before they were really able to hold together very well. Eaten chilled I could describe them as "mousse bars", and warmed they're a sort of fudgy brownie. Either way, they're delicious. And of course, they'd be a great dessert to make over Passover.

Grain-Free Paleo Porridge Recipe ― Low-Carb Hot Cereal

Well everybody, Saint Patrick's Day is here, and I presume you know what this means: Cabbage! Seriously, over at Stop and Shop it was selling for 29¢ a pound. Needless to say, I got quite a bit of it. Now I'm not gonna lie, this post has just about as much to do with St. Patrick's Day as KFC does with Christmas(outside of Japan), save for the fact that it's a cabbage recipe. Still, I hope you find good use for this most special week of two recipes.

You probably know by now that I love to experiment with my food, especially when vegetables of the cruciferous variety are involved. And if you've seen my recipe for giant Gaia Oats at only 210 calories, then you know I really like oatmeal, after all, what's not to like about it? It's thick, warm, filling, tasty; it just seems like a good breakfast. There's only one real catch: it's almost pure carbs. Rolled oats aren't too calorically dense, at only around 150 calories per 1/2 cup serving, but if you want to add anything to it, that number can easily start edging up. Even if you're not worried about only calories, there are plenty of folks who prefer to stay away from grains, such as rice, corn, wheat, and of course, oats. And even if you eat grains most of the time, those who observe the holiday of Passover have to mostly avoid them when the festival rolls around. Well, what if I told you I had a workaround? I've made a recipe for a tasty, creamy porridge made from...

You guessed it: cabbage!

Mhmm! You heard me right, this porridge uses cabbage as its main ingredient! No oats. No grains. Just veggies! And if you're worried this recipe doesn't taste like the oatmeal you love, you'd be right. This cruciferous cereal actually tastes like a cross between a creamy porridge and rice pudding! Not a cabbagey flavor to speak of. Now let's cut to the chase: how do you make it?

As it turns out, there's a whole lot you can do with cabbage after you grind it to a rice-like texture. I guess people also make a lot of dishes from cauliflower prepared in this manner, but I find cabbage is usually more easily available, and that it works excellently. I prepared one quarter of a head of green cabbage, which seems to come out to just around 1 cup of cabbage rice: our new alternative to rolled oats.

Meanwhile, I bring a mixture of 1/3 cup 2% fat milk and 1 cup water to a boil on my stovetop. Once it starts to boil, I lower the heat, letting it come to a simmer, and add in the cabbage. For flavoring, I add vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a pinch of ginger.As it cooks, I occasionally stir the cabbage to try to distribute everything just about evenly. While the porridge simmers, the cabbage incorporates into the liquid and seems to absorb some of it, and some of it also evaporates away, so the meal becomes less of just ground cabbage sitting in liquid.

After a little over ten minutes, I'd say it had simmered enough. I crack an egg into a bowl and whisk it in preparation for the next step. This time, I'm using a whole egg, but just the whites could also be used for less fat and fewer calories. I'm going to try doing that next time I make this; I don't think it would negatively impact the flavor. Once the egg is whisked, I take the pot off of heat and steadily and carefully whisk in the egg. If the egg is added too quickly or not mixed well enough, it might just cook into an omelette in the middle of the porridge. Wrong breakfast.

Once the egg is mixed in, we're done! The cabbage porridge("cabbidge"? "porbage?" "corridge"?) tastes rich and creamy, reminiscent of both traditional porridge and rice pudding. While I'm presenting this as a breakfast, it would also make a pretty nice dessert with a little sweetener and/or some raisins or other fruit. I've tried making it savory, also, without adding any milk to it, but when cooked in this way, the cabbage doesn't seem to incorporate with the liquid very well, so until I can perfect it, cabbage congee may be but a dream.

Beautiful, ain't it?

Another really nice thing about this recipe is that it's totally Kosher for Passover, regardless of your stance on any of the particular details of the observance, although you may have to forgo the vanilla extract or find a special kind.

Cabbage Porridge Recipe

Serves: 1

Calories Per Serving(with 2% milk): ~110 w/ egg white, ~175 with whole egg

Ingredients:

• 1/4 small-medium head green cabbage(or around 1 cup riced)
• 1/3 cup milk or substitute of choice
• 1 large egg or egg white
• Drop of vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Cinnamon
• Nutmet
• Water

Instructions:

1. Bring a mixture of of the milk with 2/3 cup water to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Pulse your cabbage in a food processor or blender into a rice-consistency. Process as evenly as possible, then add to the milk mixture, which should still be simmering.
3. Add a pinch of salt, a drop of vanilla extract, and other spices or flavoring as desired. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until little to no excess liquid is visible, approximately 10 minutes.
4. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk. You may use only the egg white if you like; beat it slightly if you do.
5. Remove the porridge from heat and slowly add in the egg, thoroughly stirring as you do so to prevent it from cooking solid.

Easy 2-Ingredient Low Carb Buns Recipe

It truly seems the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with cabbage, and this possibility upon which I stumbled is yet another gem I gladly add to my repertoire. Imagine, if you will, bread, in whatever shape you like. Rolls. Slices. Loaves. Buns. For all of these, what's the key ingredient? Why, flour, of course. And what is flour? It's carbs. Now I am certainly in no position to lecture on how many carbs a person really should eat. More. Less. Does it matter? Heck if I know. But if you saw the title of this post and it interested you enough to click it, then the odds are you already have some idea of the role you want carbs to play in your life, and if you'd like a way to cut back a little, I have something that should interest you!

Warm and tasty buns made of only two ingredients! Given where you are on the internet, you probably already know that one of these two ingredients is cabbage. Whether you figured it out on your own already or not, I'll tell you now that the remaining one is egg whites.

The creative cook's best friend

But what exactly are these buns? Well... they're buns! Dense, biscuit-y buns that offer unbelievably few calories per piece. The dough is made simply of cabbage that's been "riced" in a food processor, a couple egg whites, and whatever seasonings you like. As happened in my case, I think I initially overestimated the amount of egg white I needed, as quite a bit of isolated liquid seemed to be left in the bowl when all was said and done. I used two extra large, just to let you know, so for the amount of cabbage I used(around 1/4 head of a large-medium cabbage), you may instead want to try two large or one extra large or jumbo.

As far as seasoning goes, I chose to keep things relatively simple: some salt, a little garlic powder, and some oregano. How does that taste, do you ask? Wonderful. The only real con I can come up with for this recipe is that it can be difficult to slice these buns without them crumbling some, so be prepared for that. Also, while they're certainly still tasty after having been in the fridge for a bit, they're best enjoyed soon after baking is finished.

Ready for spreads, sandwiches. Whatever pleases your palette.

And guess what else this recipe's good for? Passover. These buns are 100% good to go for the festival of unleavened bread, so if Matzo doesn't do it for you, keep these guys in mind. I wonder if the recipe could be easily adapted for shortcake?

Low Carb Cabbage Bun Recipe

Makes: 5-6 small buns

Calories per bun: ~20

Ingredients:

• ~1/4 head large-medium cabbage
• 2 large egg whites
• Seasonings as desired

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Slice cabbage and pulse in food processor until riced. Remove from food processor into a bowl with plenty of space to hold the dough.
2. Crack 2 eggs and separate yolks from whites. Mix whites into cabbage rice.
3. Add in whatever seasonings you like. Mix and knead thoroughly.
4. Form dough into balls roughly the size of plums or clementines. Drop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet from about a foot's height. Note that they do reduce somewhat in size when baked.
5. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, or until done.