Confetti Angel Food Cake (Single Serving)

 

Being that it is still January and I am still fully on board the eat-healthy train, I was looking for a tasty treat for dessert.

I love the many 5 minute microwave cookies and cakes we have on our blog (look under "single serving" under Labels on the side of the blog), but wanted something lighter and perhaps a tad healthier.

I decided to try and make an angel food cake for one.

I turned out fantastic - probably a touch more  dense than a full size angel food cake but, overall, pretty darn good.

Plus, if you make it in mini cappuccino cups it looks soooooo adorable...

 

 

Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......

so cute.

Anyway, other than cuteness factor, this also has a pretty high tastiness factor.

Oh, yes, and for the entire recipe (according to Fitday) it is -

180 Calories

0.7 Fat

40.4 Carbs

5.2 Protein

Throw some fruit on it or a spoonful of whipped cream and you have a LARGE piece of a very decadent dessert for about 200 calories. (In the photo below I also put a little scoop of Healthy Banana Strawberry Ice Cream on top for next-to-nil calories!)

Hallelujah!

 

 

Confetti Angel Food Cake (Single Serving)

 

Ingredients

1 3/4 Tbsp cake flour

2 Tbsp icing sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sprinkles

1 egg white

1 Tbsp sugar

1 drop lemon juice

 

extra sugar to coat ramekins

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a ramekin with cooking spray and then sprinkle it generously with sugar.

Make sure to coat the sides thoroughly with the sugar and then dump out any extra.

Whisk together flour, icing sugar, salt, and sprinkles in a small bowl.

 

 

In a larger bowl, beat egg white until foamy, gradually beat in sugar and lemon juice. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.

 

 

Gently fold the dry mix into the egg whites, being careful not to over mix and deflate the whites.

Spread in ramekin.

 

 

Bake at 350 for approx 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.

Remove from heat and turn cake upside down and rest edges of pan on cooling racks to cool so the cake does not deflate.

 

 

If you are not able to turn it upside down, let it cool on its side.

 

 

It will sink if you just let is stand upright!

As an alternative, I used my longer ramekin and lined it with parchment paper to see how it would work.

 

 

I ran a knife around the edge to loosen it and it came out with the paper just fine.

 

 

They just look so dang adorable.

 

 

You don't even have to add whipped cream or fruit if you don't want to.

But...of course...

you will probably want to.

I mean, it's only 200 calories for goodness sake!

 

Stop by My Turn (for us) and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons for some great links!

Savory Southwest Cheesecake

 

I've never made a savory cheesecake before.

I'm more of a cover-it-in-chocolate-and-whipped-cream cheesecake kind of girl.

I'm happy to say this far exceeded my expectations.

See...I needed to make something fancy schmancy for one of the ladies at the office where I work and she doesn't like sweet stuff.

Crazy..I know.

But, I was determined to come up with something as good as cake or "normal" cheesecake. Or, well...at least asprettyas.

This was pretty. And tasty. And addicting. Once you start eating it you really can't stop.

Oh, just one more bite you will tell yourself...but...it will be a lie.

You will eat and eat and eat until it is aaaaaaaaall gone.

Next time you need a savory treat to take to a party - definitely give this a whirl. People will think you are magic to be able to create such deliciousness.

 

 

Savory Southwest Cheesecake

(Slightly adapted from Someone Left The Cake Out In The Rain)

 

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips (with a hint of lime)

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Cheesecake

1 cup cottage cheese

3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

3 cups aged cheddar, shredded

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chillies

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper

4 eggs

 

Topping

1 container (8 oz) sour cream

1 container (8 oz) jalapeno cheddar cheese dip

 

Decorations

seeded, chopped tomato

green onions, chopped

aged cheddar, shredded

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. (I used a 7 inch and a 4 inch pan to make this)

Combine crushed tortilla chips and butter. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan (or pans).

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove from heat after 12 minutes and set on wire rack.

Meanwhile, place cottage cheese in magic bullet or blender and process until smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cottage cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chillies, garlic, tomato paste, and spices.

When well combined, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour over crust in prepared pan (or pans).

Bake 60 minutes.

Combine sour cream and jalapeno cheddar cheese dip until smooth. Spread mixture over hot cheesecake and return to oven. (NOTE ** - I only ended up using about 3/4 of the topping as my cheesecake rose so high I was worried about the topping just running right off. We ate the rest of the topping as chip dip so it didn't go to waste!) Bake 10 more minutes.

Turn off oven, crack open door and let cheesecakes cool in the oven until completely cool.

 

 

Run a knife along the side of the pan (or pans) to help loosen the cheesecake. Remove outer ring.

Place on serving platter.

Garnish with tomato, onions, and shredded cheese. (Other options would be black olives, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, salsa)

 

 

We really enjoyed this served cold/room temp but you can also serve this warm.

We had it with tortilla chips but crackers would work in a pinch too.

Here is the birthday girl enjoying her treat.

 

 

Aaaaand...just for good measure...another photo of the cheesecake in case you have already forgotten how delicious it looked.

 

 

Be sure to visit Adorned From Above and Hungry Little Girl and Blissful and Domestic for some great links.

 

Potato Bacon Casserole (Single Serving)

 

I was thinking all day today about breakfast casseroles. You know, those ones that you make the night before and let sit in the fridge and then bake the next morning.

Anyway, I wanted to make one for my dinner but had to figure out how to size it down to one serving as, like many other tasty foods, if there is a whole pan full I tend to go a little crazy.

I think I did pretty well. This turned out just like I had pictured in my head.

Gotta love it when that happens.

Especially when potatoes, cheese, and bacon are involved.

 

 

Potato Bacon Casserole (Single Serving)

 

Ingredients

1 small potato

2 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 Tbsp cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp green pepper, finely chopped

1 egg

3 Tbsp milk

salt and pepper

splash hot sauce

 

Directions

 Lightly spray an oven safe, single serving casserole dish with cooking spray, set aside.

Scrub potato clean under running water but leave peel on. Pierce with a fork 2 or 3 times. Microwave for 2 - 3 minutes, until fork tender. Let cool until you are able to handle it. Shred potato using cheese grater.

In a medium bowl, place shredded potato, bacon, cheese, onion and green pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk with salt & pepper and hot sauce.

Pour milk mixture over potato mixture and stir to combine. Pour into prepared dish.

 

 

Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook - preheat toaster oven (or full size oven) to 350. While oven is preheating let casserole sit on counter to warm up a bit (about 15 - 20 minutes).

Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

 

 

Uncover and cook another 15 - 20 minutes, until casserole is done. Top should be nicely browned and dish will be completely set.

Serve hot.

 

 

Prepare this the night before and all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. Or, prepare it when you are getting your lunch together and then you have your dinner ready to go.

According to Fitday the nutritional count is:

Calories - 357

Fat  - 17.8

Carbs - 31

Protein - 17.8

I don't know about you, but a delicious and filling casserole for only 357 calories works with my eating healthier plan. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Plus, you can switch this up to suit your own personal tastes. Use whatever veggies you like, switch the bacon for sausage or hamburger or leave it out, switch up your favorite cheese....

The possibilities are endless.

 

Be sure to check out The Rustic Pig for tons of fantastic links.

Quinoa Porcupines

 

One of our mother's favorite meals to make when we were growing up was Porcupines. They consist of ground beef, some spices, and rice.

I decided to change the recipe up a bit by trying quinoa instead of rice.

And then, I had a friend tell me that instead of using tomato soup as the sauce in their house, they used mushroom soup so I really wanted to try that version too.

I ended up doubling the recipe and making one dish with mushroom soup and one dish with tomato soup.

Verdict: I liked the tomato version a little bit better and Sue liked the mushroom.

Maybe our readers can be the tie breakers!

 

 

Quinoa Porcupines

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup onion, finely diced

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

1 cup water

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 can (10 oz) tomato soup (or mushroom soup)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly spray a medium/large sized casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together quinoa, water, onion, ground beef, onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper until well combined. Using a large cookie scoop (or your hands), roll into 2 inch meatballs.

Place in prepared dish.

 

 

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup water, Worcestershire, and soup. Pour over porcupines in dish.

 

 

Cover and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove cover and turn heat up to 350. Cook approx 15 minutes longer. (Until meat and quinoa are cooked through.)

 

 

Serve hot.

We like to have ours over egg noodles.

 

 

I really like the texture of these. And the taste. And the nutritional benefit. Pretty much everything about them. The nutritional info isn't too bad. Lots of protein, zinc, vitamins B6, B12, C, niacin, etc..

Calories - 118, Fat - 7.2, Carbs - 7, and Protein - 6.8.

That is per meatball.

And they are a fair size so 2 or 3 is a good serving for dinner.  

I calculated the info using Fitday and the tomato soup. (Although the mushroom soup is not that different.)

These do not take very long to put together either. Maybe 10 minutes of prep and an hour in the oven. Perfect for those days when you are rushed for dinner.

Let us know what you think!

 

Stop by Jam Hands and The Chicken Chick and Ms. enPlace and Six Sister's Stuff for some fun and tasty links!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 

On my quest to find the BEST chewy oatmeal raisin cookies on the planet I have made many, many, MANY different recipes. Some have been good, some have been bad, some have been just plain odd.

My Above Average Oatmeal Cookies have been my go-to recipe for years because of how yummy they taste but the texture wasn't my favorite.

Then I made a few alterations to one of the recipes in our mother's ancient cookbook pile, and came up with these bad boys.

I think *gasp* I may have found my new go-to oatmeal raisin cookie.

It's not quite the cookie nirvana I was looking for BUT it is amazing.

Crispy on the outside.

Chewy on the inside.

Cinnamony and raisiny.

It is justthisclose to being perfect.

 

 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temp

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

3 cups oats

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup coconut, fine

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and sour cream and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in oats, raisins, and coconut. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Chill dough at least 15 minutes. (You can chill the dough before you scoop it out if you prefer.)

Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes. (15 minutes for larger cookies) The edges and bottoms will be golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

I used a large cookie scoop and got 28 cookies. I also baked mine for 15 minutes.

 

 

I think I might make these again with chocolate chips or butterscotch chips instead of the raisins.

Or...just make them again with raisins because...

well...

because I don't really need a reason.

Cookies make me happy.

 

Check out Or So She Says for some great links!

Deluxe Baked Potato (Single Serving)

Homemade cheese sauce, bacon, broccoli, baked potato.

Or, as I like to call it,

heaven on a plate.

I mean, come ooooooon...look at that drool inducing creamy cheese sauce. How can you not just want to dive right into it?

The good news is that my recipe only makes 1 potato so you will not be tempted to eat 2 or 3 or, you know, a million.

The nutritional values are: 400 calories, 15 fat, 50 carbs, and 19 protein (according to Fitday). 

I figure - I can eat the whole thing myself as a meal in itself for 400 calories OR I can share it, eat half for 200 calories, and then I can have a burger patty or chicken breast with it for a meal.

Either way I win.

Deluxe Baked Potato (Single Serving)

Ingredients

1/2 cup broccoli, chopped

pinch salt

pinch pepper

pinch nutmeg

1/2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup 1% milk

1/4 cup aged cheddar, shredded

1 large potato, scrubbed, skin left on

2 Tbsp fat free sour cream

1 piece bacon, cooked & crumbled

Directions

In a small saucepan, boil broccoli until tender. Remove pan from heat and set aside but do not drain broccoli as yet.

In another small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together salt, pepper, nutmeg, and flour. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Set aside.

Pierce several holes in potato with a fork. Place in microwave and cook until tender. About 5 - 6 minutes (this will depend on your microwave and the size of the potato)

Cut potato in half vertically and scoop out the flesh leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Mash the flesh with the sour cream until well combined and only a few lumps remain.

Spoon potato back into shell.

Drain the broccoli and place evenly on potato halves.

Top with warm cheese sauce.

Now, to finish off this masterpiece, top with cooked, crumbled bacon.

*cue angels singing*

You can, of course, bake the potato in the oven (or toaster oven) for an hour but it is not necessary. I find cooking them in the microwave is just as delicious.

From start to finish I believe this took about 15 minutes.

Look at your watch....

Do you want this inside your belly in the next 15 minutes?

You can totally do it.

Be sure to visit Carole's Chatter for some great links.