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.

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.

Starting the day with a sweet, healthy breakfast - GAIA OATS

How do you know your day has begun? Maybe you go for a walk, listen to some music, do some yoga. Whatever you do, it's part of a routine. My routine starts with a quick workout, shortly followed by my breakfast. After a bit of experimenting, I think I've come up with a good routine, and that routine is rounded off with a great breakfast. I have no shame in admitting that I eat the same breakfast almost every morning, and I don't regret it one bit. What I eat is filling. It's tasty. It's warm. It's hearty. But what is this wonderful breakfast I speak of?

You can come up with your own name for it, but I call these "Gaia Oats". I'm talking about a tasty oatmeal dish with strong flavor, big volume, and small calories. So what goes into it? Let's start with the obvious:

Oatmeal. Starting preparations the night before, one serving of rolled oats serves as the base of the meal. But oats by themselves are pretty boring, aren't they. You know what isn't boring? Chocolate. About 1 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, to be specific. To counter the natural bitterness of unsweetened cocoa powder, we'll need something sweet. But what's sweet but not too high-calorie? Fruits are, and plums are a prime candidate.

With only around 30 calories each, processing or blending one piece of fruit with a little water into a sauce to cook into our oatmeal will give us the sweetness we need, and also account for around
1/2 cup of the liquid we'll need.

Mix in one egg white and about enough water to make the liquid have a volume of about 1 2/3 cups, excluding the egg white. Add in a dash of vanilla extract, and add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Mix well, and get ready to microwave it. It's gonna go in for five minutes on high. Once it's done, take it out, give it a minute or two to cool a little, and mix in about 1/2 cup more water. Return to the microwave for about 2:30, or until the oats start convexing.

Whenever you add water to this, you'll want to judge what you have based on the consistency. I find that it's good for it, at this point, to have a consistency like that of a thin jelly. Once you're done, put your oats into something to hold them and refrigerate them overnight.

If you can't do it overnight, try to give it at least 2 hours or so; that's usually enough. In the morning, put your oats into a microwave safe bowl. Mine took a gelatin like consistency... amost. That's normal, just use a spoon or something to mix it up a bit.

Now you're gonna return it to the microwave for around five minutes. Let's see what we ended up with.

Look at that! That bowl is full to the brim, and there's still a little left over, too! Here's another angle for perspective's sake:

Have fun with these giant, tasty oats! They taste like chocolate, with a touch of sweetness and just a little tang from the plum. Enjoy!

Gaia Oats Recipe:

Serves: 1

Calories per serving: ~210

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats 1 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder 1 plum 1 large egg white Pinch of salt Vanilla extract Water Instructions:

Mix oats, cocoa powder, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl or container. Cut plum into eighths, removing the pit. Prepare into a sauce by processing in a food processor or blender with a little bit of water. Add more water to the plum sauce until its total volume is about 1 1/2 cups, or slightly less for a thicker cereal. Crack the egg and separate out the white, mixing it into the plum sauce, then add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing well. Add more water if you want yours to be more runny. Microwave on high for 2:30, then let stand for one minute before eating. You can cook for longer or shorter depending on the volume and desired viscosity of the cereal, but cook for at least 90 seconds to ensure the egg white is cooked.

While I did come up with this recipe, the idea for letting it sit overnight in excess liquid to increase the volume was inspired by a similar post on Chocolate Covered Katy. You may want to check it out.