Quote

"I cannot live without books: but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thursday, June 6, 2019

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.

Black Bean Salsa

As I post this recipe, I have spent over two weeks researching and trying recipes for the Toaster Oven.

Buying the Toaster Oven threw my entire grocery/preparation/cooking system into chaos and blew a hole in my budget because I had to shop for other ingredients and a few extra cooking vessels, several times.

More chaos occurred when I tried to make bagels, biscuits and a potato croquette recipe where with each one I drown in sticky useless dough that was flung far and wide in my kitchen. I am still finding bits here and there.

I gave up and moved onto other recipes. I will try, again, to bake biscuits, cake and other recipes in the future.

While I was successful making:

DIY Bagel Everything Seasonings Variation
DIY Tartar Sauce
Toaster Oven: Baked Salmon Balls
Toaster Oven: Salmon Muffins
Microwave: Mug O’Oats and Spinach
Toaster Oven: Fruit Tart
Chocolate Frosting
Peanut Butter and Yogurt Mousse

there are plenty of desserts in that group, a few meal dishes, but no vegetable dishes. You can't eat Peanut Butter and Yogurt Mousse all day.

So, after more research, I found I had to fall back on several of my previous recipes in order to have a balanced choice of meals and side dishes.

After making:

Faux Spanish Rice
Carrot, Raisin & Almond Salad
and now Black Bean Salsa

I am getting back on track.

As a single person, it is a struggle to avoid food waste, so I often eat similar meals for days.

So, I hope to use this salsa as a side dish, snack, and quesadilla filling.

While this recipe has a mild flavor, others can beef up the taste by adding additional spices and vegetables.


Black Bean Salsa Recipe

(Adapted from:  USDA Confetti Bean Salsa Recipe)



Ingredients:

1 560g (approx 20oz) Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 220g (approx 8oz) Can Kernel Corn, drained and rinsed
3 Tspns of Canned Salsa
1/2 Capful Lime juice concentrate
10 dashes of Onion powder
S/P to taste


Process:

In a medium bowl, add black beans and corn, stir well.
Add salsa, lime juice and onion powder, stir well.
Add S/P to taste, stir well.



Chill before serving.

#GERD-friendly

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Hotplate: Faux Spanish Rice

Since rice can be the base for many meals. I needed to make a batch of rice.

So, I went back to my old Spanish rice recipe and made some adaptations.


Hotplate: Faux Spanish Rice
(Adapted from: Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook)


Ingredients:

2 TBspns Olive oil
1 Cup Uncooked white rice
1 Tspn Onion powder

1 Tspn Garlic powder
1 Tspn Oregano
1 Tspn Chili powder (optional)
 2 Cups Water
1 8 oz Can salsa

S/P to taste


Process:

Add oil to deep skillet.

Heat to medium.
Add rice. Stir to mix with oil.
Add seasonings. Stir.
Cook until rice is a bit brown. Stir occasionally.
Add water and salsa. Stir to mix well.
Add S/P to taste. Stir well.
Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until rice has absorbed the liquid.



FYI: To order a POD of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook, go to:
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1597585

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Microwave: Mug O'Scrambled Eggs with Corn, and Salsa Topping

Microwave: Mug O'Scrambled Eggs with Corn, and Salsa Topping
(Got the idea from: http://bstrecipes.blogspot.mx/2015/07/squaw-dish-scrambled-eggs-and-corn.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed)


Ingredients:

1 roll
a bit of olive oil
1 egg
A dollop of milk
1 tbpsn kernel corn
Ground black pepper to taste
A dash of paprika

Toppings: 1 tbspn canned salsa
1 tbspn imitation bacon bits


Process:

Cut roll in half and toast in skillet with a bit of oil.
Set aside.
Break egg into an 8oz coffee mug with a wide brim.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Mix and stir vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
Microwave 1-2 minutes until liquid has cooked off.
Scoop egg out and place on top of one half of toasted roll.
Top with salsa.
Sprinkle bacon bits over egg mixture

Toaster Oven: Baked Salmon Muffins


I will attempt to describe how I made these muffins but during the process, I veered a bit from the ingredients and did not make notes.


Toaster Oven: Baked Salmon Muffins
(Adapted from: https://efnep.ifas.ufl.edu/media/efnepifasufledu/pdfs/recipes/Salmon-patties-English-UF.pdf)


Preparations:

Pre-heat Toaster Oven, set on Bake at 350 degrees.
Using a paper towel or a reusable clean cloth, wipe muffin tin slots with olive oil.


Ingredients:

3 -140g (4.94 oz) Cans of salmon, drained
1 TBspn Lime juice
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Celery, diced
1 TBspn Bell pepper, diced
1 TBspn Onion powder+
1 Cup Bread cubes, fresh*
1 TBspns Olive oil
1 TBspns Flour
S/P to taste
Topping: 2 Tspns of canned salsa
Garnish: Lime slices


Process:

Add salmon into a large bowl.
Add lime juice. Stir.
Crack eggs into salmon mixture.
Stir well.
Add celery and bell peppers.
Stir well.
Add onion powder. Stir well.
Add bread cubes.
Stir thoroughly. Mix cubes into mixture.
Add Olive oil. Stir well.
Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir well.
Add more bread cubes, if mixture is too moist.
Add water, if mixture is too thick.
Need mixture to be slightly thick and stiff to shape into muffins.

+Note: I added a dab of LO pickled onions from a carryout order.

Using tablespoon, scoop up mixture and fill tin slots with mixture.
Add extra mixture to each until you have an even amount of mixture in each slot.
Press the mixture lightly with the back of spoon to shape mixture evenly in the slot.
Top each slot of mixture with 2 Tspns of salsa.

Bake 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove when done, place muffin tray on cooling rack.


Salmon muffins should be easy to lift out with a spoon onto a plate or into a refrigerator container with a lid.

*Can use commercial bread crumbs, or crushed crackers.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

A tin of cocoa powder has been sitting in my frig for quite awhile. In the past, I was making lots of Microwave Bowl Cakes but none recently.

So, I wondered what can I use the cocoa powder for? Originally, I thought of making a frosting for cookies and I came upon this recipe on BBCFood.com.


Easy Chocolate Frosting
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/simple_cocoa_frosting_95104)

This recipe makes a small amount of frosting.


Ingredients:

1 heaping TBspn of cocoa powder
 6 heaping TBspns of confectioners sugar
1 TBspn Olive oil
8 TBspns of heavy cream

Add ingredients to a container with a lid.
Stir and mix ingredients thoroughly until it is creamy.
Add lid.
Store in frig for future use.

I am trying to make drop biscuits or cookies and plan to ice them with this frosting.

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