Meet our writers

Win $1,000

Go60 YUM - articles about food and the joys of dining
YUM articles - The enjoyment of food

Food Ventures

Good Cheap Eats and 5-Minute Mug Cakes

By Ann Hattes
Rate this item
(0 votes)

Many faced with time pressures turn to fast food, takeout pizza and over-processed food from the supermarket. Jessica offers an alternative with recipes like simple bean tostadas, chicken kabobs with mint-yogurt sauce, Cajun shrimp and sausage rice, ginger-orange crisps, and banana-walnut mini muffins.

Eat well on a budget with Jessica Fisher’s Good Cheap Eats Everyday Dinners and Fantastic Feasts for $10 or Less (Harvard Common Press). As the creator of the popular website, Good Cheap Eats, as well as a mother of six, Jessica is a seasoned cook and someone who lives by her hard-won wisdom for budget-friendly cooking. The more than 200 recipes are compiled into over 70 mix-and-match nourishing, from-scratch meals that save both time and money.

Designed for families of four, this book is also perfect for singles and couples. It would make a great gift for college students and newly married couples. Many faced with time pressures turn to fast food, takeout pizza and over-processed food from the supermarket. Jessica offers an alternative with recipes like simple bean tostadas, chicken kabobs with mint-yogurt sauce, Cajun shrimp and sausage rice, ginger-orange crisps, and banana-walnut mini muffins. There are chapters on Going Meatless, Stretching It, Make-Ahead Meals, Breakfast for Supper, and Meals on the Run.

She writes of bean and rice bowls as getting them out of debt, but also as a filling, affordable and great tasting meals. Recipes are color identified at the top as to whether meatless, dairy-free, gluten-free, make-ahead and/or freezer friendly. She talks of a pantry challenge, i.e. cooking what is already in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry. She includes info about making your own spice blends and what to do about leftovers.

Easy, delicious mug-sized microwave dessert recipes, each done in 5 minutes or less, can be found in Jennifer Lee’s cookbook 5-Minute Mug Cakes (Race Point Publishing). Lee is the creator of the San Diego-based food blog, Kirbie’s Cravings (www.kirbiecravings.com). Her book contains nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies and more. Simple favorites include 2-ingredient, flourless Nutella cake, salted-caramel chocolate cake, s’mores cake, chocolate peanut butter cake, red velvet cake, lemon dream cake and more. There are special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes. Every recipe is simple, fast and delicious. And cleanup is a cinch when you mix the ingredients right in the mug.

Lee describes essential tips for the best mug cake-making experience. Crucial is using a microwave-safe mug that can hold at least 12 ounces of liquid “ensuring that the batter stays within the mug when it is cooking and rising.” She usually uses mugs that hold between 12 and 16 ounces, though she used smaller mugs for photos in her book so that the cakes can be clearly seen. She also recommends a curved mug to prevent ingredients from getting stuck in crevices at the bottom, and thick walls to withstand heat better, preventing overcooking or unevenly cooking the cake. A small whisk is also required to mix the batter in the narrow confines of a mug.

Most of Lee’s cakes are eggless meaning that they are not dry, rubbery, eggy, or high in calories. The cooking times in her recipes are based on the 1000-watt microwave in her kitchen. If adjusting cooking time, add or subtract only about 15 seconds at a time.


 

Creamy Kale with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Courtesy Good Cheap Eats, Harvard Common Press). Serves 4. Meatless; Gluten-free. This same recipe may be prepared with chard or spinach.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups chopped curly kale

1/3 cup heavy cream

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and then cook the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale, lower the heat, and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

No-Egg Spinach Meatballs

(Courtesy Good Cheap Eats, Harvard Common Press). Makes 24 meatballs. Dairy-free; Make-ahead. Freezer-friendly. Tasty with marinara sauce, barbecue sauce or onion gravy.

1 pound ground beef

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

¼ cup milk

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two, rimmed baking sheets with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients just until everything is evenly distributed. Don’t overmix, as that will make your meat balls tough.

Form the mixture into golf ball-size balls and place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the meatballs until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Make it ahead: Store the cooked and cooled meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator, then reheat them in your choice of sauce on the stovetop.

 

Apple Spice Cake

(Courtesy 5-Minute Mug Cakes, Race Point Publishing.) Approximately 171 calories, without the cream. You could add a dollop of light Cool Whip for only 25 extra calories.

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1 & ½ tablespoons fat-free milk

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons chopped apples (1/2- inch cubes)

 

Topping and Decoration (optional). Serves 2.

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

 

Combine all ingredients except apple cubes in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Mix with a small whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in apple cubes. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes.

If desired, place the whipping cream and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), and mix on high speed until peaks form. Top the cake with the whipped cream and sift a little cinnamon powder on top of the cake. Cake is best consumed warm or within a few hours of being cooked.

 

Chocolate Bread Cake

(Courtesy of 5-Minute Mug Cake, Race Point Publishing). Make sure you use a super-premium, full-fat ice cream (like Haagen-Dazs), otherwise this cake won’t work. Create your own versions with different ice cream flavors, making sure to choose strong flavors like espresso, chocolate, and caramel.

4 tablespoons super-premium chocolate ice cream (not low-fat or fat-free)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

 

Topping and Decoration. Optional, serves 2.

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

10 raspberries

 

Melt ice cream in an oversized microwave-safe mug for about 20 seconds. Add flour and baking powder. Mix with a small whisk until batter is smooth. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes.

If desired, place the whipping cream and sugar in the mixing bowl of stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), and mix on high speed until peaks form. Top the cake with the whipped cream and decorate with the raspberries. Cake is best consumed while still warm.

 

Ann Hattes has over 25 years experience writing about both travel and food for publications both in the US and internationally. A senior living in Wisconsin, she’s a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the Midwest Travel Writers Association.

Meet Ann