Microwave: Mug O'Pinapple Bread Pudding

Microwave: Mug O'Pineapple Bread Pudding Recipe

This one worked right off the bat! It is easy, tasty and adaptable.

Ingredients:

1 8oz coffee cup

1/2 TB pineapple chunks
1 slice of bread, torn into pieces
1 egg
1 1-2 TB sugar
2 TB milk (or yogurt)
1 TB olive oil (or margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
2 Dashes of cinnamon

Process:

Add pineapple chunks to bottom of cup
Break bread into pieces, place in cup.
In separate bowl, mix rest of ingredients
Pour mixture over bread.
Push bread down into cup so all pieces are soaked in mixture.
I did not stir, I wanted the pineapple on the bottom.

Microwave 2 minutes on high.
Remove, let it cool for a bit before eating.

Cinnamon made it tasty.

Variations: use other types of fruit or no fruit.

The Search for the Very Best Bread Pudding Recipe

Mixed Apple Bread Pudding

Using the "Use What You Have" approach, I decided to use a can of baby apples I had had for a long time, two small frozen containers of apple slices and three apples in the frig to make another bread pudding.

I tried to follow my Peanut Bread Pudding recipe but instead of Peanut Butter, I used apples and made other changes.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 tbspn sugar
1 cup coconut cream or cream
2 cups milk
2 tspns vanilla flavoring
Lots of apple slices
6 slices of bread (multigrain), broken into chunks
Cinnamon, lots

Process:

Mix eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla. Stir thoroughly and set aside.
Spread the apple slices on the bottom of the microwave dish.
Spread bread chunks thickly over the fruit.
Pour egg mixture over bread and fruit.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the mixture.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Microwave on high for 15 minutes.
Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.

First disaster, the canned baby apples were little whole apples with stems and seeds. I had to “pare" the apples.

Second disaster, I had cleaned and rearranged the entire kitchen. I am a visual person. What I see to my mind is what I have. So, I grabbed my large round covered casserole dish and began making the pudding. As the bowl filled up, I thought something did not look right.

Then, I realized that before I had used a square glass cooking pan. Volume wise, I don’t think there was a big difference but soaking wise, it may make a difference since the liquid was at the bottom of the dish and the bread was on the top. They weren’t really mixed well.

Plus, with all the various apples, they took up most of the dish.

Third disaster, based on my previous experience, I knew needed more liquid, so I decided to add more milk or coconut cream, but I got carried away.

But, I went ahead anyway.

I let the dish soak in the frig overnight. Then, in the morning I cooked it in the microwave in 3 -five minute intervals, on high. It tasted good but was still soupy.

I was not going to give up.

So, I broke apart three more slices of bread and added the pieces to the mixture and let it soak again for several hours.

Then, I cooked it again for five minutes on high.

It worked. It is a tasty, "interesting" apple bread pudding. It really wasn't bad but I doubt I can duplicate this recipe.

No Bake -- Blackberry Shortcake-Styled Dessert

No Bake -- Blackberry Shortcake-Styled Dessert
Adapted from: Enjoy Cooking: The Costco Way, Blueberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
1 Soft sweet roll(s)
1/4 Chunk of cream cheese
2 Tbspns of Blackberry Marmalade or preserves
2 Tbspns whipped cream topping
Garnish: Crushed nuts (Optional)

Nuts not shown.

Process:
Slice roll in half horizontally.
Spread a portion of the cream cheese over the top of each roll half.
Add 1 Tblspn marmalade on top of cream cheese, spread out over cream cheese.
Add 1 Tblspn whipped topping on top of each roll half.
Sprinkle each half roll with a little crushed nuts. (Optional)

Suggestion: use a fork to eat.

In a way, making recipes for the next volume of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook has blown my food budget and my healthy eating diet.  I keep buying things that I will use infrequently like the blackberry preserves and whipped topping. But, it's fun and educational.

Leftovers Tomato-Based Soup and the Recipe that Got Away

In the last 2 years,  I have been focused on making recipes for Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook. While I am still a beginner in learning how to cook, I have a bit more confidence in just winging it for some recipes.

Today, I made a soup from leftovers and items in the freezer.

Tomato-Based Leftover Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 bag Peas, frozen
2 baggies of Celery, diced, frozen
2 slices of Spam, diced
1/4 Cabbage, frozen
1/4 Carrot, grated, fresh
3 Heaping Tbspns of Black beans, drained
1/2 Chicken bullion
3 Dollops of a tomato juice drink
ground black pepper
3 dashes of paprika

Process:

I put these items in a large pot and filled it with water (about 2/3) and brought it to a boil, then let it simmer on medium for an hour. It came out pretty tasty.


The Recipe that Got Away

I have used Amy Dacyczyn's Apple Crisp recipe often but the last time I used it, I tried to increase the portions by doubling the recipe. I was unhappy with the results, it was too dry, too heavy.

So, when I had two apples I needed to use before they went bad, I just winged it. Using Amy's recipe as a basis, I did not adhere to a rigid doubling of the recipe. But, also, I did not make note of the measurements of the ingredients I used because I thought I was going to fail, again.

Instead, it was a melt-in-your-mouth, light, not overly sweet, perfectly cooked dessert. It was the best thing I ever tasted. I cried because I doubted I would ever be able to duplicate that recipe, again.

Amy's Basic Apple Crisp Recipe
adapted from: Tightwad Gazette

1/2  red apple, chopped
1     teaspoon brown sugar (Substitute: white sugar)
1     teaspoon flour
1     teaspoon oatmeal
1     teaspoon butter or margarine
cinnamon

Mix sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine.
Stir in chopped apple until coated.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.

No Bake -- Fruit & Yogurt Dessert

I could tell you about the melt-in-your-mouth recipe that "got away." But, I am on a roll. Three decent recipes in a row! 


No Bake -- Fruit & Yogurt Dessert

Ingredients:

1 Medium Baggie
2-3 Small Dessert Bowls (approx 8oz)
1/2 cup Blueberry or Strawberry yogurt
6 Tablespoons Whipped topping
1 cup Blueberries or Sliced Strawberries (save some for garnish)
6 Medium Sugar cookies, crushed (save some for topping)
Garnish: Blueberries or Sliced Strawberries

Process:

Place cookies in a baggies and smash into crumbs.
Set cookie crumbs aside.
Mix yogurt with whipped topping.
Add in blueberries or strawberries.
Mix well.
Garnish: Cookie crumbs and Blueberries or Sliced Strawberries

In each dessert bowl, add about 1 inch of cookie crumbs.
With a spoon, make a slight well in the center.
Save about 2-3 teaspoons of cookie crumbs for topping.

Add about 3-4 tablespoons of fruit, yogurt & topping mixture into the well of cookie crumbs.
Push down lightly, crumbs should move up along the sides a bit.
Add any remaining mixture evenly between the dessert bowls.\

Freeze for about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle a teaspoon of cookie crumbs on top.
Add garnish: blueberries or sliced strawberries.

Peanut Butter, Cream & Grape Juice Popsicles

I found something to do with my failed Whipped Topping.

After successfully making Peanut Butter and Yogurt Popsicles, I got the idea to use that failed topping and make peanut butter & cream popsicles. Then, I got the idea to add grape juice.

Ingredients:
These are approximate estimates.

2 Tblspns Creamy peanut butter
2 cups cream or milk
1/3 cup grape juice

Process:
In a bowl, mix the ingredients. Mash peanut butter with a spoon against the edge of the bowl to mix it with the milk and juice. Continue to stir until mixture is fairly smooth.

The mixture will be like a soup.

Pour mixture into popsicle tray. Insert popsicle sticks or handles, or pour mixture into several small freezer containers with lids.

Freeze for 6-8 hours.

While these popsicles taste good, in the future, I think I will reduce the amount of cream and increase the amount of grape juice. Also, I will probably experiment with other mixtures and flavors.

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Apples with Bonuses -- Updated

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Apples
(Adapted from: http://domestikatedlife.com/2014/10/04/mac-and-cheese-baked-apples/)

This was an interesting recipe to adapt for my kitchen.

I usually cook for one. Plus, I do not have an oven, so I have to convert portion size/ingredients and baking times to microwave times.

I had two apples, I had been meaning to use for something. Where I got the idea to look for stuffed apple recipes I don't recall but I found this Mac & Cheese Baked Apple recipe and it looked like something I could do.

Ingredients:

Pasta, 1 small bag of ribbon pasta
2   dollops olive oil
3   Tblspn flour
1   Cup milk
2  Tblspn parmesian cheese
1  cup grated cheese (I used gouda)*
s/p to taste
2 red apples

Directions:

Pasta

Cook pasta according to package.
Add a dollop of oil to water to help keep the pasta from sticking together later.
When done, drain pasta in a colander.

Cheese Sauce

In a large saucepan, add 1 dollop of oil.
Cook at medium heat.
Add in flour and stir until smooth.
Gradually add milk, stir, and cook until the sauce thickens.
Add parmesan and grated cheese.
Stir until sauce is smooth.
Add pasta to sauce.
Stir until pasta is fully coated.
Season with s/p to taste.

*The original recipe called for a sharp cheese. I used Gouda cheese and it seemed bland in this mac & cheese. 

Apples

Slice off about a 1/2 inch of top of apple. Save it to use later as a lid.
Using a melon ball scoop, scoop out the inside of the apple to create a deep, wide hole for the mac & cheese.
Fill apple with mac & cheese. Pat it down with a spoon. Fill to the top.
Place apple "lid" on top.

Microwave 6 minutes on high.
Remove from microwave.
Remove apple "lid" and spoon or pour juices over apples.

I cut my apples in half vertically and then into fourths.


Bonuses

With this recipe, there was plenty of mac & cheese leftover for other meals. Also, I could not throw out those apple ball cores, so I decided to make a dessert based on the Apple Crisp recipe in Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook.

Apple Ball Core Dessert

apple ball cores from two apples
6  tspn oatmeal
1 1/2 tspn sugar
3 tspn flour
2  tspn butter
cinnamon

With the apple ball cores in a bowl, add additional ingredients. Make adjustments to the ingredients to suit your situation.
Stir mixture until apple core balls are coated.
Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste preference.
Microwave on high for one minute or until apples are soft and warm.

Guess what, no disasters!

Honey Peanut Butter & Chocolate Balls

Here's the peanut butter ball recipe I was looking for.

Honey peanut butter & chocolate balls
(Adapted from: http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/honey-milk-balls)

Servings: about 16 (depends on size)

1/4 cup honey
2 heaping tablespoons  peanut butter
2 heaping tablespoons dry milk, low-fat/non-fat
2 heaping tablespoons chocolate mix (cocoa milk mix)*
1/2 cup cereal, crushed+
1 dab of olive oil

*My cocoa mix is a mixture of Chocolate Ensure and a powdered cocoa milk mix.

+I used bran flakes.

Mix honey and peanut butter.
Gradually add the dry milk and  cocoa mix.
Stir mixture. Mixture will be very stiff.
Chill to make "dough" easier to roll.

Add dab of olive oil to one palm, rub palms together, to make it easier to roll the "dough."
Take a small amount of mixture and roll between palms.
Roll ball in crushed cereal.
Sprinkle some cereal over ball.
Roll in palms again. (optional)

Place finished balls in small container.
Cover when done.
Chill until firm.

Notes:

These peanut butter balls are best when "frozen."

I am going to try the same recipe but coat the balls with different types of crushed cereal and make some with crushed cookies.

Update:

I made more peanut butter balls with three types of cereal.

The winner is Choco Krispies. They were tasty and crunchy. I will skip the crushed cookies for now.

A Few Cooked Rice Desserts

I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth using what I had on hand. I had already eaten all my sweets, so that meant innovation.

A search of Cooks.com for a rice dessert, found Bibingka (Coconut Rice Dessert) which called for a special rice, coconut milk, brown sugar and milk. Other recipes suggested other additions.

All I had was milk, cream, and Creme of Coconut, raisins, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.

So, here is what I cooked:

1 cup rice
1 cup Creme of Coconut
1 cup water

Add all ingredients to a skillet. Mix all ingredients together. Cover. Cook at simmer until rice has absorbed the liquid (about 20 minutes).

Variation: use 2 cups of milk instead of Creme of Coconut and water.

Additions and toppings

First, I cooked the rice. It was good just as it was but I went on to make a few combinations.

No. 1 Rice mixed with a few raisins topped with a dollop of honey.

No. 2 Rice mixed with vanilla flavoring with cinnamon sprinkled on top. (This was my favorite.)

No. 3 Rice mixed with cream topped with a dollop of honey. (Truly creamy taste.)

Also, it tastes good cold.

Yogurt, Fruit and Oatmeal Parfait

Update: 3/5/16, changed picture (while it looks similar, the ingredients used varies slightly, one difference, I used plain greek yogurt which is more solid.)

This is one of my favorite recipes so far.

It is a meal in a glass. I find it filling. It can be a breakfast dish or a dessert.

Another reason I like this recipe is that it’s hard to make a mistake with it.

Yogurt, Fruit and Oatmeal Parfait

(Adapted from: http://www.bestbonesforever.gov/recipes_main/Breakfast/breakfast.html)

Ingredients

1 tall glass

 3 oz yogurt, plain or fruit flavored

1/8 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (optional)

2 tablespoons oatmeal (or cereal)

1+ tablespoon pineapple chunks (canned)

1+ tablespoon peach halves, diced (canned)

1 banana, sliced

4 tspns mixed nuts and raisins, crushed

honey

Process

Stir vanilla into plain yogurt or use fruit flavored yogurt.

In the glass, layer yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, banana, nut mix, then start a new layer. Add layers to fill the glass.

Top off with nut mix, banana slices and a drizzle of honey.

Optional: Use any fruit you like.

Notes

Most of the yogurt in Mexico where I live is a drink, not an semi-solid from a container, so I do not really get a yogurt layer.

I make a peanuts, raisins, fried plantain chips, sunflower seed, and soy nut mix for snacks. I put 4 tablespoons of the mix in a plastic bag and crushed/smashed the mix with my solid wood cutting board. No damage to board or me.

I had tried this before with fruit flavored yogurt but I like the plain yogurt mixed with vanilla flavoring better.