Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Lemon and Cinnamon Scented Flan...and Citrus Love Month

Since I'm into my second week of the WeightWatchers diet program, you would think that I gave up after this super delicious flan...but I did not give up, I am continuing with more enthusiasm, as ever! I lost an additional pound...4 lbs, loss, as of this morning. Yesterday, I went to the gym to work out for 50 minutes, and I mean...really work out, cardio, 30 minutes, and weights, another 20 minutes. I wanted to join in on the Citrus Love Month with something used with citrus. I can't be spending too much time with desserts, knowing that I can only have one bite, or maybe 1 cookie for a treat, so I'm sharing my flan to link up! Also, I will show off my very well planned out dinner...but only, when I have dinner at my daughter Lora's is when I get enthusiastic about it...otherwise, it's dinner for one, and it better be from the WeightWatchers, or similar type of dish!

Lemon and Cinnamon Scented Flan
inspired by Food & Wine

2 1/2 cups whole milk
Peel of half lemon
1 medium cinnamon stick, broken
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 large eggs


  1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Set six 5- to 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a medium baking pan.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, lemon peel and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes; discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick pieces.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook 1/2 cup of the sugar with the water over moderately high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to moderate and let the sugar syrup simmer, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 15 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into the ramekins, tilting them as necessary to evenly coat the bottoms.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, then strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into a flan comes out clean. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let the flans cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the flans for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  5. To serve, run a thin knife around each flan. Top each flan with an inverted dessert plate and unmold, letting the caramel run over the flans. Serve at once.
Make Ahead: The flans can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in the ramekins.

Linking to: Citruslove @ Mis Pensamientos
                   Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner
 I would like to share with you my well planned day of delicious home made meals, from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I usually have old fashioned oatmeal, with raisins, and cinnamon, sweeten it with organic agave nectar, my usual coffee with milk...actually, caffe latte, because I make it with espresso coffee, and heat up 1 cup of low-fat milk with it. Oatmeal, is 4 points, and coffee w/milk is 1 point, but this morning, I opted for half a banana bread, and my coffee=3points I made a delicious WeightWatchers Corn Chowder...minus the (turkey bacon)



Corn Chowder with Bacon (optional)
adapted from: Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
salt, and white pepper to taste
4 cups basic vegetable stock
4 medium all purpose potatoes peeled
and cubed
4 whole ears of corn shaved, or 2 cups frozen
corn kernels
1/2 cup water, mixed with 1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a medium soup pot, saute the chopped onions, till wilted. Add the stock, and the cubed potatoes. Cook until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn, simmer for about 5 minutes. (for the chopped peppers, you can microwave them in a small bowl for about 1 or 2 minutes to stir in the chowder at the end) Add the salt and pepper, and take half the portion of the soup to put into a blender. Puree, and put back into the pot. Now, you can add your cornstarch mixed in the 1/2 cup of water, and add the heavy cream. Heat gently till thickened. Stir in the steamed chopped peppers, or you can omit them. If you're using the turkey bacon, fry them till crispy, and chop them and top the chowder! Either way, it is a delicious and satisfying chowder, or soup, depending how thick you want it!
Makes 4 servings-Points value: 4
Pane e Vino-Bread and wine
Spaghetti w/homemade tomato sauce, Panko coated baked fresh Grouper fish
Pasta with sauce and Parmesan cheese: 4points, simple salad with balsamic vinegar-0, Grouper fish 4points, wine-2points a small piece of bread (from the piece in photo) 2points 1 Tbsp Flan 2 points. So, this is how the points were broken down...Total points 21, of my 22 allowed points...not too shabby, and even enjoyed that 1 Tbsp of the rich, and silky flan...yumm! If I can do it...so can you. Still not late to start a NEW YOU!


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35 comments:

Pegasuslegend said...

Everything looks great and none I can eat ... I am on a soup diet.. 12 pounds in two months! Your doing great keep up the good work love that flan will have to save for my trophy foods! Weight watchers is very cool you can eat so much! WOW! I may have to try that sometime.... only five pounds to go! Good luck!

Amelia's De-ssert said...

Hi Elisabeth, so happy to hear that your weight loss program is working well.Congrat that you lost 4 Ibs again, keep up the good work. You sure work hard at the gym, go slow first otherwise you torture your muscle.

Every thing on your menu look exceptionally good and delicious. I love the lemon flan, so tempting. Keep finger cross, I'll try it out during my Chinese new year holiday. My to do list is getting longer like toilet rolls, hahaha....

Have a nice day with my warmest regards to you.

Swathi said...

Delicious Flan Elisabeth, congrats on loosing weight, keep up with what you are doing now. Sure you can achieve the goal. Other recipe looks delicious too.

mangiabella said...

keep it up Elisabeth, you are doing SO GREAT!!!!!! I did P90X workout again tonight with my husband...each of us switching holding the baby who was a bit fussy while the other did our reps and the children quietly playing...whew what a workout....sore, but feeling good - Praying for the diligence needed to stay committed, and focused, and continue on through the summer with this regiment.

Priya said...

Mindblowing dessert, seriously a stunning flan with full of flavours..

Seafalcon said...

A kukoricalevest nagyon szeretem, ilyent még nem ettem, muszáj lesz kipróbálnom! Guszta!
Vittem a receptet!

Rosemary said...

Glad to hear you're doing so well with Weight Watchers and working out! I was thinking about making a corn chowder today -- this WW looks very good. (But I really want that flan -- ashamed to say I never made one!)

ping said...

Such a pity I'm so far away. I'd be happy to help out a friend anytime ... to finish her dessert for her after she takes a bite :D
You're doing so great! Lost 4 pounds and pounding at the gym even. I've been pounding at the tennis courts and gaining pounds ..bleh.

Junia said...

ahhhh kudos for losing more weight! the diligence pays off :). and i love how the healthy eating requires all of us to get busy in the kitchen and cook new, delicious meals :). the citrus flan looks beautiful. i've actually never successfully made one before - i can't seem to get that sugar to caramelize! last time i tried, it was 6 years ago! maybe it's time to get started again :).

Mari @ Mari's Cakes said...

Elisabeth, this is great food! I love it. I am glad you are accomplishing what you want :) I love the cinnamon in the flan.

Have a great Thursday :)

Becka (The Elegant Eggplant) said...

This looks absolutely delicious! I have never made my own flan.. need to get on that! :)

Elizabeth @Mango_Queen said...

I Love Flan, we have it all the time. But this is a great recipe with lemon & cinnamon! Thanks for sharing citrus-love!

The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥ said...

i LOVE flan and this looks incredible! i found you over at Katherine's corner and i am now your newest follower! : ) if you ever have a moment -- come and visit me at thecottagemarket.com : ) you enjoy your day and i am going to be making this this weekend...YUM!!!

Patty said...

Looks delicious...

I hate showing this to Dennis...he will want it...

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

My husband is a big fan of flan and after making so many times my kids and I started to love too. I would love to try lemon and cinnamon scented version. Sounds awesome! I've seen so many wonderful citrus recipe thanks to Citrus Love Month!

Beth said...

Citrus love month ... what could be better?

Petra said...

Imádom! Jövök. :DDDDD

Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} said...

Hooray for the 4th lost pound! You go Elisabeth!
Sending some #citruslove your way

Gizi said...

Nagyon finomakat készítettél. Látom Te is nagyon kitartó vagy, és meg is van az eredménye. Csak így tovább!!! Én minden nap 1 órát tekerem a szobabicajomat, és már sikerült 2 kg-tól megszabadulnom.:)

Lizzy said...

Oh, I'm so glad you joined in on the citrus love! Beautiful flan...and I usually just take a sample, too...and then I don't feel deprived! And there is that fabulous corn chowder Lora was talking about...yum, yum!!! Congrats on your progress so far! xoxo

WineDineDivas said...

Weight Watchers is great if you can eat all that! Thank you for the inspiration... have to make flan again!

Monet said...

Delicious! I'm so excited to see how this journey unfolds for you. I know you will continue to do great! I'm drinking a big cup of tea, but even with that hot beverage in my stomach, I'm hungry! I think I need to break out the banana bread. Thanks for sharing this lovely citrus-spiced treat, sweet friend!

Jane said...

I had no idea January was Citrus Month. Your flan is simply beautiful - gorgeous colour.
I love corn chowder - and seeing as it's yellow, it fits in perfectly with citrus month! You are doing fantastic and a point to spare, lol! Congrats on those 4 pounds :)

egycsipet said...

Fantasztikus ez a flan! :)
Kitartást a WW-hez, nagyon ügyes vagy, csak így tovább! :)

Quay Po Cooks said...

I am so proud of you Elisabeth:D I am sure you are heading towards a healthier life and a new YOU! Hugs. BTW, I have left a message on your entry post for the White Christmas Challenge and ask for your address. Although you did not win prize from the Sponsor but you have won the prize from me. You are always so supportive and you are a winner in my heart. I want to send you Rosevelt's abum. Please let me have your address. My email : quaypocooks@gmail.com. HUGS

Shabs said...

Congrats Elisabeth and keep up the good work , you are really inspiring me to go on this delish diet you are doing . I have so much things going on right , hope all things will settle down in a few weeks and I am gonna join you on this healthy path . Have a great weekend my dear friend : D .

Angie's Recipes said...

What a beautiful flan!The colour is sensational! I am so glad that you didn't give up the dessert ;-) I want some of your panco-encrusted grouper!

Miz Helen said...

Hello Elizabeth,
This is a beautiful flan and I NEED it for my dessert today. I love your combination of flavors. Thank you so much for sharing with our 1st Anniversary Party at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week end and come back soon!
Miz Helen

mellissina2 said...

Elizebeth!
Gyönyörű!!!Még nem ettem ilyent!!!!!és ezért ki is próbálom!!!!!
puszi!!!!

CNA Training Online said...

Hello Elizabeth... good food you have there.. i wanna try making flan this weekend and i wanna try your recipe.. :)

Lyndsey said...

Elisabeth, with all this good food and still on WW you are bound to succeed! Everything looks very tasty and satisfying indeed! Now, when am I coming for dinner? I forgot? :)

Katherines Corner said...

Thank you for participating in the Thursday Favorite Things hop. xo

Kathy said...

Elizabeth, Congrats on 4 lbs!! What a great dessert...I love flan...in fact I will be posting one this week! Lemon and cinnamon flan sounds so delicious!!

the Junkie book said...

hmmm...losing weight, flan, corn chowder...all of it ultra desirable ;p

love flan as it is and if citrus flavored, then nothing like it!

hope the new year finds you with shedding pounds!!

Magic of Spice said...

Such gorgeous flavors in this flan! And 4 more pounds...you are amazing!