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.

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.