recipe: small-batch eggnog

Quick and easy small-batch eggnog

I tried 2 variation on the same recipe from http://maplepepper.com/recipes/drink/ (cut recipe in 6ths)

(a) 1 egg, 1/2c heavy cream, 1/3c milk, 1/6c maple syrup
(b) 1 egg, 1/2c heavy cream, 1/3c milk, 1/2t vanilla extract, 3 T dk brown sugar.

Blend until frothy.
Hardest step is letting it sit in fridge for several hrs :)

result: yum!  the maple syrup version is tasty but the maple flavor is overpowering.  the vanilla version was by far everyone's favorite, though a little less vanilla would probably be even better

whipped cream and a light dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon make it perfect :)


Just made up a full batch: 3 c cream, 2 c 2% milk, 1 c brown sugar, 1 T vanilla extract, 6 eggs

Doesn't taste right until added a little nutmeg, maybe 1/4-1/2t ground? Helps bring out the egg flavor but only use a touch 

recipe: small batch heavenly cocoa brownies

small batch heavenly cocoa brownies

I wanted chocolate, but didn't want to share or eat a whole batch by myself
so I did a little math, quartering this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cocoa-brownies-recipe/index.html (which I had never tried before)

Small Batch Cocoa Brownies (modified from Alton Brown recipe)

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 ounces melted salted butter (1/2 stick)
• 5 T cocoa (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 T flour
• dash of sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Grease or use cupcake liners in 4 openings of muffin tin
In a bowl, stir eggs thoroughly. add sugars and stir.  add all other ingredients and stir until almost smooth.
Pour the batter into the 4 muffin cups (will fill each about 2/3 to 3/4 full) bake for about 30 minutes*. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean.  Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before digging in!

These came out rich and moist, with a little bit of chewy/crispy around the edges.  If you like the crispy/chewy edges like I do, greasing the muffin cups would probably work better than paper liners.  They will come out a lot cleaner if you let them cool, but we all know how hard that is :)

* I used my convection toaster oven, would probably take longer in a regular oven


(that's a saucer/desert plate :)

recipe: savory broccoli

Easy savory broccoli (low carb)

 

3 oz of broccoli (3/4 cup) - cut close to florets so falls into small pieces
1 T salted butter
3 medium cloves garlic (this seems like a lot, maybe just 1 clove?)
1 T grated 100% parmesan

chop broccoli into small pieces.
melt butter in frying pan over medium heat.
add garlic (use garlic press or mince fine), saute until garlic is slightly browned.
add broccoli, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently,
until broccoli is bright green and barely cooked.
add parmesan cheese and cook for another minute.

serve immediately so broccoli stays crispy and garlic/parm bits are still crunchy

makes 2 small or 1 large serving

nutrition info (calculated on myfitnesspal.com) per 1 large serving:
130 calories, 12.5 g fat (3 g saturated), 7 g carbs (3 g fiber, 1 g sugars), 5 g protein
4 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 328 mg potassium
58% vitamin A, 136% vitamin C, 8% calcium, 4% iron

recipe: spicy sweet pecans (low carb)

Spicy Sweet Pecans (low carb)

Something more interesting than just plain nuts for those on a low carb diet, these pecan halves have been coated with a sweet-spicy flavor.  They have 2 grams of net carbs per 1/4 cup serving

2 cups raw pecan halves

2 T salted butter, melted

1 T chili powder

½ t cayenne pepper

1 t Splenda Essentials with fiber

Combine melted butter, Splenda, chili powder, and cayenne pepper

Add raw pecans and toss to coat

Bake at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes, just enough to dry coating

Cool and store in airtight container.

Makes 8 servings, ¼ C each

Nutrition information per ¼ lb serving:

239 calories, 24g of fat, 3g of protein, 5 g of carbs, 3 g of fiber

recipe: Nutty Parm Chicken Nuggets (low carb and gluten free)

Nutty Parm Chicken Nuggets (low carb and gluten free)

1 lb of chicken breast tenderloins

½ C almond meal

½ C grated parmesan

¼ t salt

½ t basil

½ t oregano

1 egg (nutrition info based on ½ egg, since lots of it stays in bowl)

Trim and cut the chicken into big cubes

Mix dry ingredients in shallow bowl

Mix egg and a bit of water in another shallow bowl

Dredge chicken pieces in egg then dry ingredients

Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or foil

Bake until golden brown (sorry, no temp or time.  Maybe 20 min at 350?)

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition information per ¼ lb serving:

240 calories, 12g of fat, 30g of protein, 3 g of carbs, 2 g of fiber

recipe: Turkey taco meat

Turkey Taco meat lower carb

1 lbs ground turkey

½ Beef Bouillon Cube

1 T White Flour

1½ T Dried Minced Onions

2 t Chili powder

1 t Paprika

1 t Salt

¼ t cayenne Pepper

¼ t Garlic powder

¼ t Sugar

½ C Water

Cook ground turkey until browned. 

While meat is cooking, mix together all other ingredients except water.

Drain ground turkey if necessary.

Sprinkle spice mix over turkey, then add ½ cup water (can add up to 1 cup).

Stir thoroughly and let it simmer for several minutes to let spices get into meat.

Serve rolled up in small flour tortillas with shredded lettuce or spinach, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, and salsa.  Or over top of a bed of lettuce and tomatoes as a taco salad

Makes 4 servings (1/4 lb each)

Nutrition information per ¼ lb serving:

185 calories, 9g of fat, 21g of protein, 5 g of carbs, 1 g of fiber

recipe: ground beef taco meat with homemade seasoning

Taco meat beef (homemade lower carb seasoning)

1 to 1.5 lbs ground Beef (nutrition info based on 1.5 lbs 80%)

½ Beef Bouillon Cube

2 t Chili powder

1 t White Flour

1 t Paprika

1 t Salt

¼ t cayenne Pepper

¼ t Garlic powder

¼ t Onion Powder

½ t Dried Minced Onions

¼ t Cumin

¼ t Sugar

½ C Water

Cook ground beef until browned. 

While meat is cooking, mix together all other ingredients except water.

Drain ground beef.

Sprinkle spice mix over beef, then add ½ cup water (can add up to 1 cup).

Stir thoroughly and let it simmer for several minutes to let spices get into meat.

Serve rolled up in small flour tortillas with shredded lettuce or spinach, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, and salsa.  Or over top of a bed of lettuce and tomatoes as a taco salad

Makes 4 to 6 servings (1/4 lb each)

Nutrition information per ¼ lb serving:

179 calories, 10g of fat, 20g of protein, 2 g of carbs, 1 g of fiber