A foodie's quest to turn up the heat through strength and conditioning with whole food and a hungry mind.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

WIAW #34 Healthy Microwave Birthday Cake with Greek Yogurt Icing


If I have been going for making shorter and less frequent posts this month, I have so far succeeded. But that’s not what I’m going for; it’s just panning out that way….boo.
 
My actual job has been taking up most of my time this month, but the super busy time has passed…for now. I was able to do more in the kitchen this past weekend, but hardly have any pictures for #proof. I do have some lovely pictures of Kelley, my dear wife, enjoying a delicious Chocolate Protein Layer Cake I made in the microwave. It was her birthday last Friday, but since I wouldn’t dare buy a cake from the store, I had to make my own.

She let me have a small bite, it was good, but that’s obvious from her leaving nothing behind. She was nice enough to take a big bite in front of me and rub it in, but I was just happy she liked it. Making a healthy yet delicious personal cake is perfect to avoid having leftovers staring at you and beckoning to eat it. Make it yourself, you'll see taste what I'm talking about; recipe at the end of this post.

Oh yeah, and, Happy Birthday, Kelley! I never made a post to say this on Friday, so I’m saying it on the blogosphere now.
Poor cake, never had a chance....
 
Aside from making microwave cakes, I ventured in the realm of non-dairy milk making this weekend too. My pictures are less than stellar, but this is pumpkin seed milk. The green tint is hard to distinguish in the pic, but it’s pretty green, just like my pistachio milk. Both would be perfect for a St. Patty’s Day beverage, and both are creamy, delicious, and healthy! I laugh at store bought milks now...ha ha ha ha....see.
 
The leftover pulp went to good use in another experiment; nut pulp dessert hummus. I’m sure you get the picture; I basically used the pumpkin seed pulp in place of garbanzo beans to make a sweet and healthy hummus. I think next time I’ll make it spicy with added peppers and of course cayenne. Once I get a chance to get the measurements down, I’ll have to share the recipe because you MUST try it!

I also ventured in making red lentil milk and a soy/black bean mix milk. The lentil milk turned very viscous and would hardly pour out of the bottle I put it in. This stuff was pretty much gel. Since there was no pulp left, I figure it’s what makes the milk so thick. I added stevia, vanilla, and sea salt to the gelatinous milk and used it to add to a couple bean and veggie dessert dips I tested. Recipes for these will come.
 
Soy/Black Bean mix milk is pretty good and similar to soy milk with a darker tint. I think I’ll try all black beans next time to see what that’s like. I bet it would be a good base for a Halloween drink! There, that’s my “Spooky Treat” for this What I Ate Wednesday. Sorry, I’m lacking in this department, so please work with me here.

Speaking of WIAW, I once again do not have a full day’s worth of eats, but rather some notable meals. Please accept these for now and hopefully I’ll get back on track soon! Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons!
 

Spooky Snacks and Healthy Halloween Treats


Enjoy and Happy What I Ate Wednesday!!

This is our staple Meatless Monday Meal...had on Wednesday
 

A tasty Kevita Mango Coconut Probiotic Drink along with my lunch. Refreshing!

 

Chocolate puree made with the think lentil milk, pumpkin puree, spinach, peanut flour, and cocoa powder

Pumpkin Pie Omelette. Recycled picture but sooo delicious! I see a lot more of these in my future. Belly beware!!

Today is supposed to be the last warm day here in Texas before a cold front blows in. Oh joy, just in time for the neighborhood garage sale at my mom’s that Kelley and I are helping out with. Nothing like waking up at 5:30am to sell our junk to others. Hey, that’s what coffee is for, right?

 
Oh yeah, here’s the microwave birthday cake recipe. Make it for friends, family, and yourself…..NOW!!

Microwave Chocolate Protein Birthday Cake
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons vanilla or chocolate protein powder (I used stevia sweetened egg white protein powder)
3 tablespoons peanut flour or just more protein powder
3 tablespoons whole grain gluten free oats or flour (I used quinoa flour, but any other should work)
1/4 tsp salt
12 drops liquid stevia or 3-4 packets of stevia powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, applesauce, or mashed banana (I used pumpkin)
1/4 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 whole egg or 2 egg whites; can use one flax or chia egg for vegetarian option
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Peanut Butter Greek yogurt icing (optional; recipe below)

Directions
Combine dry ingredients and mix well; add liquid, stir, and then transfer half of the batter to a greased round, shallow dish like a ramekin.
Microwave 2 minutes and 10 seconds (may need another 20 seconds if not set). Wait for it to cool about 2 minutes, remove from dish and cook other half of batter.
Spread icing on top of first half, set other half on top and use remaining icing to cover the top.
Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon or cacao nibs with a cherry or strawberry on top. Oh, I bet sliced banana would be great too!
Chobani Greek Yogurt Icing
1/3 cup plain, non-fat Chobani Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup peanut flour, vanilla protein powder, or chocolate protein powder
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
No worries if you have icing leftover because it’s wonderful by itself….YUM!

13 comments:

  1. Aren't pumpkin omelettes the best?? My husband things it's the strangest and oddest combination. I tell ya, he's missing out :)

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    1. Pumpkin anything is the best, but yes, pumpkin omelettes rock my world. So glad I got Kelley hooked too! Sorry to hear your husband doesn't like them; I guess more for you! Have a great week!

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  2. Yay! More support for the microwave baking movement :) Looks delicious and I love how you actually shared.... I never share my microwave creations. Haha.

    I used to love making homemade nut milks. My favorite was almond milk. I seriously think it tasted better than storebought. Oh, and now that I can't have nuts, homemade rice milk is my favorite.

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    1. Yes microwave baking FTW! I usually don't share and Kelley usually doesn't want my creations, but this one she liked. Plus, I can make one exception for her b-day, I guess.

      I still need to give rice milk a try, that's next in line. Can you have seeds? The pumpkin seed milk is pretty good.

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    2. I basically stay away from all fat, which sucks to put is mildly :D I take flaxseed pills but otherwise, no nuts, seeds, coconut for me!! I can definitely tell that I'm not getting enough fat, because my energy is drained, but I'm working on taking lipase so hopefully I can digest it soon. Oh, and I think almond milk is WAY WAY BETTER than rice milk :D

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  3. Replies
    1. Thanks, Nikki, hope you can try it soon if you haven't already!

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  4. Yum! I'm a fan of anything that is quick and easy!

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    1. +1 to that that! Healthy food prep and fast usually don't go together, but this is an exception to the rule! Thanks for reading!

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  5. This looks like such a delicious little cake... filled with a protein punch! My birthday isn't for 5 months, but I think I could still enjoy this one ;)

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    1. I know you can and should enjoy the cake now! I mean, you have to make sure you get the recipe right before the official birthday cake, right?

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