It's Been a Week of Salvage Operations

This week, I attempted to salvage lettuce, sardine fishballs, and some papaya and pumpkin fruit.

On Saturday, I made two fishball recipes. Both were a flops. I had over 60 fishballs to salvage.

With some DIY Tartar sauce or a red sauce, they worked as appetizers.

Then, I got a craving for Tostadas. That required lettuce. So, I have been eating a lot of Tostadas this week to save the lettuce and fishballs.

On a store-bought tostada chip, I added a base of refried beans, a crumbled fish ball on top of a base, with a little red sauce or DIY Tartar sauce, shredded lettuce and parm cheese.

The red sauce and DIY Tartar sauce helped add flavor.

There was not much difference in taste between the two types of fish balls. Plus, there’s not much difference in the pictures, either. I am too embarrassed to show the assembly of ingredients.

I can not afford to throw out these fish balls, so I will continue to look for ways to salvage them.

While I enjoyed these fishball Tostadas, another savage operation was a great success. Chicken Soup with pasta and a crumbled fishball.

The base of the soup was made from a previous Chicken broth recipe. The pasta was precooked and flavored with olive oil and basil. I just added the pasta and crumbled fishball to the broth. The fishball was like a dumpling.

Then, I thought about that bit of papaya fruit and pumpkn puree I had in the freezer.

Let's see if I add some plain yogurt, could I make mousses? Yes, I can.

Over the last five days, I saved 60+ sardine fishballs (some are frozen, will see how they work after thawing), a 1/2 head of lettuce and some frozen fruits.

#GERD-friendly

Microwave: Mug O'Apple Bread Pudding

During the COVID19 quarantine, I am rummaging around in closets, drawers, cupboards, and the frig.

I had a tablespoon of canned apple pie filling in the frig that had been sitting around for quite awhile.

I usually have a heel of bread somewhere in the frig.

So, I decided to make a Mug O’Apple Pudding based on a prior Mug O'Bread pudding recipe.

All I did different this time was stir the mixture well before microwaving.


Microwave: Mug O'Apple Bread Pudding Recipe
(Adapted from: https://riastoneblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/mug-obread-pudding.html)


Ingredients:

1 8oz coffee cup

1 TB Canned apple pie filling
1 Slice of bread, torn into pieces
1 egg
1 1-2 TB sugar
2 TB milk or yogurt (I used lactose-free dry milk mix)
1 TB vegetable oil (or margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
2 Dashes of cinnamon

Process:

Add apple filling 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.
Stir and mix bread, fruit and egg mixture together.
Microwave 2 minutes on high.
Remove, let it cool for a bit before eating.

It tastes like apple crumb cake!
 
Variations: use other types of fruit or no fruit.
 
#GERD-friendly

No Bake: Small Yogurt & Whipped Topping Pie

My recipes have devolved into small or single portion servings and minimalist ingredients.

While I don't have a sweet tooth, I do crave something sweet now and then. I made a version of this recipe, previously, but this one is simpler and more basic.


No Bake: Small Yogurt & Whipped Topping Pie
(Adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12225/strawberry-yogurt-pie-i/)

 
Ingredients:

6oz Yogurt, flavored
6 Tbspns Whipped Topping
6-8 Cookies, crushed, use more if needed
Garnishes: Cookie crumbs and cinnamon


Process:

Put cookies in a plastic bag.
Smash cookies into crumbs with something hard like a can or a cutting board.
Conserve some cookie crumbs for garnish.

Layer the bottom of a small pie dish with the crushed cookie crumbs.
Use a spoon to level the cookie crumbs in the dish out to the edges.

In a small bowl, add yogurt and topping.
Stir and mix well until smooth.

Pour yogurt mixture over cookie crumbs in pie dish.
Use spoon to smooth mixture out to the edges.
Place in freezer for several hours to set.

When serving, garnish with additional cookie crumbs and cinnamon.

For a variation, see other blog post:

No Bake: Fruit & Yogurt Dessert
https://riastoneblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/no-bake-fruit-yogurt-dessert.html

#GERD-friendly - this is GERD-friendly for some but not all. Because I use lactose-free milk and dry milk, the use of other dairy products sparingly does not cause a problem. Be cautious.

Microwave: Baked Apples with Jam, Oats and Cinnamon

Update 2/11/2020

I just made this recipe, again, because in the first recipe, I used wax paper, and overcooked the stuffed apples. I microwaved them on high for 10 minutes and they came out like hard candy. I don't think the wax paper was useful.

Today, I covered the stuffed apples with plastic wrap and microwaved them on high for 3 minutes and they came out perfect.

I, also, made some minor adjustments to the ingredients.

So, I altered the recipe to reflect these changes.

You can find several online cookbooks at The Guelph Family Health Study.

I appreciated their goals of involving children in cooking in the kitchen and making recipes to avoid food waste.

Often, when I buy even 1 or 2 apples, somehow they don't get eaten quickly. So, I have to devise ways to cook them to preserve them. Often, I can freeze what I have cooked.


Microwave: Baked Apples with Jam, Oats and Cinnamon
(Adapted from: Baked Apple with Crisp Topping https://guelphfamilyhealthstudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GFHS-Fall-2016-Cookbook.pdf)


Ingredients:

4 small apples
4 Tspns of Jam
4 Rounded TBspns Oats
2 Level TBspns Flour
1.5 - 2 TBspns Sugar
4 Dashes of Cinnamon powder
1.5 - 2 TBspns Butter, softened
Plastic wrap to cover microwave dish


Process:

Wash apples.
Cut apples in half, horizontally.
Place apple halves in a microwave dish.
Scoop out cores.
Fill space with a Tspn of jam.

In a bowl, stir and mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon.
Add butter.
Stir and cream the butter into the mixture.
Add about 1 TBspn of mixture over top of apple halves.

Cover microwave dish with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes for small apples. Microwave a few more minutes, if the apples are larger.

New picture of 2nd Batch of Baked Apples

 

Microwave: Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

This blog has grown quite a bit over the years. In the past, I tried cooking several recipes in one day. That worked for awhile.

But, now, I am doing a bit of reorgranization. I am pulling out some of the recipes made on those marathon days and making them individual posts. I am also revising some of the recipes, like making a recipe GERD-friendly and such.



Microwave: Peanut Butter Bread Pudding Recipe 
(Adapted from: my Blueberry Bread Pudding Recipe)

Makes about 6-8 servings


Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 tbspn sugar
1 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
2 cups milk
2 tspns vanilla flavoring
2/3rds of a 16oz jar of peanut butter
6 slices of bread (multigrain), broken into chunks
Cinnamon


Process:

Mix eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla.
Stir thoroughly and set aside.
Spread the peanut butter on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spread bread chunks in a thick layer over the peanut butter.
Pour egg mixture over bread and peanut butter.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the mixture.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Microwave on high for 15 minutes.
Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Caution: pull edge of plastic wrap away from you to avoid steam burns.

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Mousse

Updated 1/9/21

 

As I peruse the peanut recipes created by George Washington Carver, a noted Botanist, who promoted new agricultural methods and cash crops like the peanut and sweet potato to assist farmers in the South, I found his recipe for Peanut Frappe below which I find similar to my Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Mousse.

 

Source:

 

How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, Seventh Edition, January 1940


By GEORGE W. CARVER, M.S. in AGR., Director

 

"5. Peanut Frappe

Make one pint of good gelatin; set aside to harden.
Stir 1 cup of granulated sugar into one pint of whipped cream;
when the gelatin is just at the point of setting, stir into the whipped cream by beating it with a fork;
add 3/4 cup of peanut meal;
serve in sherbert glasses with fresh or preserved fruit."

 

Slowly, I am discovering the fun and many uses of yogurt and peanut butter in various recipes.

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Mousse
(Adapted from: https://eatsmartmovemoreva.org/recipes/yogurt-peanut-butter-dip/)

Ingredients:

3 heaping TBspns creamy peanut butter

5 TBspns plain yogurt

1 Capful vanilla flavoring

Optional:

Garnish: fruit slices or berries

Topping: Cinnamon 

 

Process:

 

Add peanut butter into a bowl.

Add yogurt and vanilla. 

Mix well until smooth. 

If a thicker mousse is desired, add more peanut butter. 

If a thinner mousse or dip is desired, add more yogurt.

 

Serve in a small dessert bowl.

Add garnish and cinnamon.

 

 

References: 

 

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/carver-peanut

 

Miami New Times Blogs
Top 5 George Washington Carver Peanut Recipes
(Accessed 2/10/2010)

 

#GERD-friendly

No-Bake Cheesecake Experiment

I have been thinking about making a no-bake cheesecake for over a week. So, after some research I found three recipes that might work for me.

Initially, I thought I had all the ingredients.

As I examined each of the three recipes, I realized one called for condensed milk, didn't have that, so I dropped that one.

The other two were recipes for a much larger cheesecake than I planned for, so I had to halve the recipes to see what I could do.

Eventually, I adapted Valerie's recipe with insight from the other two and that's when the recipe became an experiment.

I knew I had confectioner sugar but I had several unlabelled jars of white powder in my cupboard. I tasted them. Two were baking soda, two were confectioner sugar. I labelled the jars.

I used a gram to ounce online converter to determine amounts.

https://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm

With only two "pans" to choose from, I choose the 7" round glass pie pan.

No-Bake Cheesecake Experiment 
(Adapted from: https://www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/easy-blueberry-cheesecake-dessert/

 with consultation from: https://divascancook.com/easy-no-bake-cheesecake-recipe/ and https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2018/04/04/lazy-cheesecake-v-vg-df/)

Ingredients:

Crust

113g (3.98 oz) cinnamon flavored crackers or sugar cookies, crushed (depending in size of cake pan, you may have some crumbs left)

olive oil

Cheesecake

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 Cup confectioner sugar

1/2 Cup Whipped topping

1 Tspoon vanilla flavoring

1 Tspoon lime juice concentrate

Optional toppings: slices of fresh or canned fruit (drained), dried blueberries or chocolate syrup

Process:

Crust

To make the crust, put crackers or cookies (I choose the cinnamon flavored crackers) into a large baggie. Smash crackers with the bottom of a heavy glass or measuring cup until it becomes a bag of crumbs.

 

(Sugar Cookies or Cinnamon flavored crackers)

Add crumbs to large bowl.

Add a bit of olive oil. Stir and smash crumbs and oil thoroughly.

Add a bit more oil until the mixture sticks together.

Stir thoroughly.

Add some of the mixture to the pan.

Smash mixture down into center of pan. Add more mixture. Smash down mixture from center of pan to sides of pan until bottom and sides are coated with crumb mixture.

Set pan in frig while making the cream cheese mixture.

Cream Cheese Mixture

In a large bowl, add cream cheese.

Add confectioner sugar. Stir well. Stir to remove all lumps. Smash lumps with spoon. Stir until smooth.

Add Whipped topping. Stir well.

Add vanilla flavoring and lime juice concentrate.

Stir thoroughly.

Get pan with crumb mixture.

Carefully, add the cream cheese mixture into the center of the pan. It will be a mound of cream cheese mixture. Using a spatula or a spoon, carefully spread cream cheese mixture over bottom of pan up to the sides.

Smooth top of cream cheese mixture with the spatula or spoon.

Put pan in frig.

Refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, until firm.

Add toppings when serving.

I tried a slice with some dried blueberries I had heated in the microwave with a little water to soften.

Later, I tried another slice with chocolate syrup. I liked it better than the one with blueberries.

It was also good without any topping. The cracker crumb crust was good.

Chia Frozen Yogurt with Dried Blueberries and Almond Slivers

After I researched Ratatouille recipes, I worked on one I adapted from SimplyRecipes (See previous post, 12 Step Ratatouille).

While I waited for the liquid to reduce, I was inspired by another SimplyRecipes Recipe, Chia Pudding with Blueberries and Almonds. But, as usual, I had to adapt the recipe according to what I had and what I could do.

Chia Frozen Yogurt with Dried Blueberries and Almond Slivers
(Adapted from:  https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chia_pudding_with_blueberries_and_almonds/)

I used three small containers with lids.

(Not Shown: Vanilla, Honey, Cinnamon)

Ingredients:

1 8oz liquid apple yogurt

milk as needed

1/2 teaspoon chia to each

1/2 capful vanilla flavoring to each

1/2 capful honey to each

sprinkle of cinnamon to each

dried blueberries

almond slivers


Process:

Divide the yogurt into the 3 containers.

Add a bit of milk to almost fill the containers.

Add chia, vanilla, honey and cinnamon to each.
Stir each.

Put caps on containers.

Let them sit for 15-30 minutes.

Place in freezer.
Serve after freezing several hours, eight hours recommended.

When serving, tip container into small bowel.

Top with dried blueberries and almond slivers.

Microwave: Mug O'Zucchini Cake

Microwave: Mug O'Zucchini Cake
(Adapted from: https://kirbiecravings.com/zucchini-mug-cake/)

 Ingredients:

4 level TBspoons flour

1 level TBspoon sugar

1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon baking soda

A sprinkle of cinnamon

4 TBspoons milk

Almost 1 TBspoon olive oil

3 Level TBspoons grated or shredded zucchini (remove excess moisture)

1/2 TBspoon Peanuts, crushed

Honey (optional)

1 baggie

1 8oz mug

1 heavy glass

Several tablespoons and teaspoons

Cheesecloth or paper towels

Process:

Put peanuts in a baggie. Smash with bottom of heavy glass to crush.

Combine dry ingredients in mug.

Stir thoroughly.

Add milk and oil.

Stir until batter is smooth.

Remove water from zucchini either by placing in cheesecloth and wringing out excess moisture, or use paper towels and pat dry.

Add zucchini and nuts to batter.

Stir well.

Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds.

When done, overturn cup on a small serving plate.

I drizzled a little bit of honey over the cake (not pictured).

It was interesting. There was no egg in the recipe and the nuts made it tasty.

Note: I did not have any cheesecloth or paper towels. But, I had some leftover clean, lacy curtain material. I cut a small swath and used it to wring out the excess moisture from the grated zucchini and it worked great. It also washed up well and dried quickly.

Frozen Fruit & Nut Yogurt Cubes

When I don't have my usual sweet snacks around, I get inventive.

I had made my usual fruit and nut snack then I got an idea. Make frozen yogurt cubes with the mix.


Frozen Fruit & Nut Yogurt Cubes

Ingredients:

Fruit and Nut Mix Snack, see previous post.
1 220g (~8oz) container of liquid yogurt (Almost any flavor will do, I used Piña Coco)
1 ice cube tray


Process:

Take the ice cube tray and add about 1/2 teaspoon of fruit and nut mix into each of the cube slots.
Carefully, pour yogurt into each cube slot. Do not fill to top.
Place tray in freezer.
Wait at least 8 hours before eating.

Tasty. One cube is a mouthful but filling. Now, I have a sweet treat for at least a week.

Microwave: Small Bowl Cake

Microwave: Small Bowl Cake Recipe
(Excerpt from: Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook)

Searching for simple recipes or ones for one or two persons is like a treasure hunt. So, finding a recipe for Mug Cake on Fun Foods on a Budget was a find. But, I did not have chocolate chips. This is how my disasters usually start; I am missing one ingredient. But, I forged ahead with confidence because the recipe said the chips were optional.

Instead of chocolate chips I used 2 tablespoons of a dry chocolate milk mix. Mixing was the hard part. When done, it was like a brownie but it tasted good. Oh, my egg had two yolks; wonder if that made a difference?

This seemed like a simple recipe, so I tried again with one change. I did not use the dry chocolate milk mix, but it still came out like a brownie.

Now, I was determined to figure out how to get a more cake-like outcome. I made more revisions. I used 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 5 tablespoons of milk, and cocoa milk mix instead of cocoa. Through the microwave window, I watched wide-eyed as the mixture bubbled and spilled out over the mug. But, it worked! The result tasted like a wonderful piece of chocolate cake.

Then, I made another revision. Due to spillage, I used a small bowl instead of a mug, and surprise, I made a beautiful, small, chocolate cake.

Next, I will revise the recipe again, to get that cake back into a mug. Then, I may venture to make microwave “bread.”

As you can see, this recipe has many possibilities.

(Author’s Note: it was after I made these experiments I found a microwave cake recipe on Fun Foods on a Budget, mine is different.)

Microwave Small Bowl Cake

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons chocolate milk mix or cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
5 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
dash of vanilla flavoring 

Process:

Add flour, sugar, chocolate milk mix, and baking powder into bowl. Stir well. 
Add egg and stir. Add milk and oil. Stir well. Add vanilla, then stir. 

Microwave: 3 minutes on high.

Dressed Up Store Bought Cake

Dressed Up Store Bought Cake

Part of my morning routine is to have coffee and a slice of store bought nut cake. One morning, I decided to dress up my usual slice of nut cake with a plain yogurt sauce, a few dried blueberries, banana slices and a few dashes of cinnamon. Presto: breakfast.

Microwave: A Dish of Apple Pie

 While the original recipe was a mug recipe, for this recipe, I used a small dessert dish.

This recipe is similar to Amy Dacyczyn´s Apple Crisp recipe in the Tightwad Gazette.

A Dish of Apple Pie
Adapted from: http://www.curryandcomfort.com/2012/11/2-minute-apple-pie-in-mug.html


Ingredients:

1/2 an apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 Tsp flour
1 Tsp olive oil
a few dashes of Cinnamon
a dash of Nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp lime juice concentrate
Toppings: crushed cookies, whipped cream or ice cream


Process:

Mix all ingredients together, except toppings.
Stir well.
Microwave 1 minute on high.
Add toppings.