Crème Brûlée

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Updating as we go

Earlier in 2021, I made the move to relocate and update my website; I’ve been making changes and improving all of the things as I go. This recipe is one of the many things I’ve tried to make better. 

Something for a special occasion

This is the height of opulence in my book, and as such, I tend to crack out crème brûlée for special occasions. I first made this recipe for Jaime and my third anniversary, and it was amazing; even more impressive is that we celebrated our 11th anniversary in late 2021. Time fly’s when you are having all of the fun.

Not as tricky as you think

I always thought that crème brûlée was challenging to make, but the truth is they are straightforward to make. The bonus of making them is they make a big impact on those you put them in front of. This is one of the few recipes on this website that you will find normal white sugar. I tried for a long time and had many failed (burned tasting) attempts at this recipe before I realised I had to use white sugar. It is a minimal amount of sugar on the top of the custard.

Crème Brûlée recipe

Ingredients

  • 500ml double cream
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1 vanilla pod
  • 100g coconut sugar
  • 6 egg yolks 
  • 3 tbsp. white sugar

Instructions

In a saucepan, mix together cream and vanilla.

Bring them to the boil.

When the cream comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Watch this very closely; the cream can boil over very quickly.

In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy.

After 5 minutes, bring the cream back to a boil.

Pour a small amount of the cream over the eggs and whisk vigorously.

When the cream has been beaten into the eggs, start to add more.

Slowly pour in the rest of the cream over the eggs, continuously whisking.

Strain the mixture, then pour it into ramekins.

Place the ramekins in a bain-marie.

Bake at 150 degrees C/300 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

The custard is set but still wobbly in the middle.

Remove bain-marie from the oven and chill the ramekins until needed.

Sprinkle a small amount of sugar over the top of each custard.

Caramelise the sugar before serving.

You can do that would a kitchen blowtorch or under a hot grill. 

Crème Brûlée

  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 500ml double cream
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1 vanilla pod
  • 100g coconut sugar
  • 6 egg yolks 
  • 3 tbsp. white sugar

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, mix together cream and vanilla.
  2. Bring them to the boil.
  3. When the cream comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  4. Watch this very closely; the cream can boil over very quickly.
  5. In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy.
  6. After 5 minutes, bring the cream back to a boil.
  7. Pour a small amount of the cream over the eggs and whisk vigorously.
  8. When the cream has been beaten into the eggs, start to add more.
  9. Slowly pour in the rest of the cream over the eggs, continuously whisking.
  10. Strain the mixture, then pour it into ramekins.
  11. Place the ramekins in a bain-marie.
  12. Bake at 150 degrees C/300 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.
  13. The custard is set but still wobbly in the middle.
  14. Remove bain-marie from the oven and chill the ramekins until needed.
  15. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar over the top of each custard.
  16. Caramelise the sugar before serving.
  17. You can do that would a kitchen blowtorch or under a hot grill. 

Nutrition

Per Serving:455 calories; 38 g fat; 26 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Whisk 
  • Mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Ramekins
  • Baking dish
  • Blowtorch

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Easy mayo

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Years ago, mayo was a high-use item; I think at one point we were using 500g a week. The problem was that the mayo we used contained a considerable amount of sugar, which is not ideal. The solution is to make your own without the sugar.

Make your own

If you are like me and you try to avoid mass-produced processed foods, the best option is to make your own. When you make your own, you control which ingredients you use and how much or how sweet you want it to be. Once you’ve tried making your own and seen how easy it is, you will never go back to store-bought again.

Making it for ourselves

Easy mayo in a jar
Easy mayo

I came across a mayo recipe in a book and decided to give it a go, we all liked it but it’s me so I couldn’t help experimenting and seeing what if would be like using different kinds of mustard.

The winner for me was whole-grain Dijon. It added a nice flavour and a little texture that I liked. What I appreciate most is knowing exactly what went into it. It takes just a few minutes to make, and the taste is fantastic. Once you try it, you’ll likely never go back to store-bought mayo.

Easy mayo

Easy mayo ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 cup extra light olive oil

Instructions

Put one cup of oil into something that makes it easy to pour.

Put everything else into the blender or food processor.

Take a blender
Take a blender
Add the egg
Add the egg
Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup of oil
Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup of oil
Add the mustard and let everything hang out
Add the mustard and let everything hang out

Let them come to room temperature together, 30 minutes.

Mix everything together thoroughly so it is well blended.

Give everything a blend together so it is well mixed
Give everything a blend together so it is well mixed
Everything is well blended
Everything is well blended

Now, for the most challenging part, incorporating the remaining 1 cup of oil into the mixture.

Now for the hardest part
Now for the hardest part
incorporating the remaining 1 cup oil into the mixture
Incorporating the remaining 1 cup oil into the mixture slowly

This is the hardest part because it needs to be done slowly, I mean, the slightest drizzle you can manage.

Adding the oil should take 3 minutes
Adding the oil should take 3 minutes

Adding the oil should take 3 minutes; if you do it quicker, it may not work.

The sound of your blender or processor make will change as the closer you get to your mayo being done
The sound of your blender or processor make will change as the closer you get to your mayo being done
The sound of your blender or processor make will change as the closer you get to your mayo being done
Scrape down the sides of the blender

The sound of your blender or processor will change as you get closer to your mayo being ready.

You will end up with a silky and shiny mayo
You will end up with a silky and shiny mayo 

You will end up with a silky, shiny mayo ready to be put in a jar and kept in the fridge.

Ready to be put in a jar and kept in the fridge.
Ready to be put in a jar and kept in the fridge.

Easy mayo

  • Servings: 30
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Easy to make, this mayo uses the whole egg and has no extra sugar or nasties.



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 cup extra light olive oil

Directions

  1. Put one cup of oil into something that makes it easy to pour.
  2. Put everything else into the blender or food processor.
  3. Let them come to room temperature together, 30 minutes.
  4. Give everything a blend together so it is well mixed.
  5. Now for the hardest part, incorporating the remaining 1/4 cup oil into the mixture.
  6. This is the hardest part because it needs to be done slowly, the smallest drizzle you can manage.
  7. Adding the oil should take 3 minutes; if you do it quicker if may not work.
  8. The sound of your blender or processor make will change as the closer you get to your mayo being done.
  9. You will end up with a silky, shiny mayo ready to be put in a jar and kept in the fridge.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 83 calories; 9.2 g fat; 0.4 g carbohydrates; 0.2 g protein

Equipment

  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring jug
  • Spatula
  • Blender 

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Cauliflower couscous

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What do you do?

When setting off on a journey to remove processed foods from your diet, you may stop and ask yourself the question What can I eat instead of rice/couscous/pasta/bread? 

The answer is to find a suitable replacement.

The options are limitless; you can find gluten-free, sugar-free, grain-free, I could go on. An easy way to eat clean and simple is to switch out the standard meal padding of rice/couscous/pasta/bread with a vegetable alternative or something you can make yourself. 

This recipe is an excellent alternative that can be easily added to your meal. 

Easy to make with the right tools 

It is simple to make when the ingredients are prepared, but the preparation can take some time. I spent a year grating all of my cauliflowers by hand before moving over to a food processor and away from the weekly skin grafts to my fingers. I was becoming concerned that my family would develop a liking of long pig in their food. A food processor with a grating attachment is a must if you intend to move away from real rice. You can process 4 cauliflower heads in the time it takes to grate one by hand. To make couscous I like to use the larger grating attachment to get a more chunky texture.

Perfect hot or cold

As with regular cous cous you can have this hot or cold, once it has been cooked the options are unlimited. You can freeze cauliflower if it is raw or cooked. That means you can make the most of cauliflower when they are in season and cheap. I like to buy in bulk, grate, portion and freeze.

Cauliflower couscous recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower grated
  • 1/2 onion, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced (optional)

Cauliflower couscous

  • Servings: 4
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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This easy to make alternative to couscous is a must know recipe for clean eating, paleo, primal and keto diets.



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower grated
  • 1/2 onion, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced (optional)

Directions

  1. Break the cauliflower into large florets.
  2. Use a food processor with a corse grating attachment to grate cauliflower.
  3. If you don’t have a food processor you can grate the cauliflower by hand.
  4. Finely chop the onion.
  5. When all of the cauliflower is grated transfer it to a mixing bowl.
  6. Take a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt some coconut oil.
  7. Add the onion to the frying pan.
  8. Cook the onion until it is softened.
  9. Add the cauliflower to the frying pan.
  10. Cook the cauliflower and onion for 5 minutes.
  11. Keep the cauliflower moving in the pan, you don’t want it to colour.
  12. When the cauliflower has softened it is ready to serve.
  13. Serve hot or cold.
  14. You can freeze the cauliflower cous cous to use anytime you need it.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 54 calories; 0 g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein

Equipment

  • Food processor 
  • Grating attachment
  • Mixing bowl
  • Frying pan
  • Spatula
  • Measuring spoons

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Soufflé

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Master the basics

Eating clean gets a lot easier once you have mastered a few essential recipes. This recipe is basic, not like basic unicorn basic, more like beard and flannel basic. Back to the point (which isn’t Unstable unicorns), having basic skills and recipes in your arsenal means you will never be left with only UberEats as your weeknight options. Once you master this recipe, the possibilities are endless.

Time for a secret

I’m going to tell you something, and it may be hard to believe, but I promise you it’s true. 

A Soufflé is easy to make.

Honestly, it is. I was like many people and thought a Soufflé would be impossible to get right. It’s not, truth be told, it is so easy it’s ridiculous. This soufflé is so simple to make I am more than happy to crack them out for breakfast on the weekend. They look impressive and taste amazing; the bonus is that you can customise them, and it doesn’t impact the basic recipe.

If you want to make something to impressive for breakfast, this is a winner.

Souffle recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 cups cheese, grated

Instructions

Separate the eggs into two large bowls. 

Make sure to use a large bowl for the egg whites and good sized one for the yolks.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff peaks; I would recommend using an electric whisk if you have one.

Beat the egg yolks and mix in the cheese. 

If you are adding any vegetables, this would be the time to put them in.

Take one third of the egg whites, mix and beat it into the egg yolks. 

You don’t have to be gentle at this point; you want to mix in the egg whites, so you have a nice smooth egg mix.

Now is the time to be gentle when folding in the rest of the egg whites.

Add in small amounts, and work in whites in gently you want to keep as much air as possible in the mix.

Grease 4 ramekins and spoon the mixture into them. 

Take care not to get any of the mix up the sides, as this will burn when you cook it.

Bake at 180 degrees C/ 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

Don’t open the oven if you can help it. 

The time they take to cook can vary depending on what other ingredients you have included.

Serve them straight from the oven.

Souffle

  • Rating: ★★★★★
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“If



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 cups cheese, grated

Directions

  1. Separate the eggs into two large bowls. 
  2. Make sure to use a large bowl for the egg whites and good sized one for the yolks.
  3. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff peaks; I would recommend using an electric whisk if you have one.
  4. Beat the egg yolks and mix in the cheese. 
  5. If you are adding any vegetables, this would be the time to put them in.
  6. Take one third of the egg whites, mix and beat it into the egg yolks. 
  7. You don’t have to be gentle at this point; you want to mix in the egg whites, so you have a nice smooth egg mix.
  8. Now is the time to be gentle when folding in the rest of the egg whites.
  9. Add in small amounts, and work in whites in gently you want to keep as much air as possible in the mix.
  10. Grease 4 ramekins and spoon the mixture into them. 
  11. Take care not to get any of the mix up the sides, as this will burn when you cook it.
  12. Bake at 180 degrees C/ 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 
  13. Don’t open the oven if you can help it. 
  14. The time they take to cook can vary depending on what other ingredients you have included.
  15. Serve them straight from the oven.

Nutrition

Per Serving:272 calories; 21 g fat; 2 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl x2
  • Electric whisk
  • Spatula
  • Ramekin x4

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.