Justin & Meredith Winokur's Kitchen Cooking Notebook
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posts/2012/07
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Carrot Cake Pancakes and Gimme Lean -- back to top
Meredith was here so we made carrot cake pancakes, again doubling all of the seasonings. I tired to make them without using pam to get a better side, but it stuck somewhat. The second batch on the pan with pam worked better. Now I know
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2074, 2012-07-01_221331
Tacos -- back to top
Inspired by horrible tacos Meredith got at a restaurant, I wanted to make better ones, even if I used Old El Paso's taco seasoning. They still beat the restaurant's. I also sautéd mushrooms, onions and peppers into the beef. I also followed this page to make taco shells. I pammed them, then put them between two grates (see the picture on the page), and baked them for 8 minutes. I also topped them with sliced avocado, some low fat cheese, chopped tomato and fat free greek yogurt.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2077, 2012-07-01_221419
Spaghetti Squash with home made sauce -- back to top
I made spaghetti squash with home made tomato sauce. For the sauce, I sautéed some onions and a bit of leftover mushrooms. I added garlic and let it sauté for a minute before adding petite diced tomatoes. I used a bunch of different seasonings, but I went heavy on the oregano and garlic powder. I do not recall exactly what I added but I know I tried using soy sauce instead of salt. I also added some balsamic vinegar and some red wine vinegar. I added a 6oz can of tomato paste so it was pretty thick. I did use some olive oil, but I tried not to use too much. The sauce came out really good! One of my better tomato sauces.
I followed a different sites instructions on the zucchini. I stabbed it many times with a knife and then microwaved it for 12 minutes. I then cut it long-wise and carefully scooped out the seeds. Then the meat part. It made quite a bit of food with little points!
I also made sweet potato fries but I let them cook a tad too long.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2085, 2012-07-02_205031
Meatloaf and corn -- back to top
I made meatloaf (or more correctly, meat loaflets) based on a few different recipes. I have never made meatloaf so I didn't really know what I was doing. I read a bunch of recipes and decided to base it on the one below but with lots more seasonings.
It is a bit strange since it uses oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. This is easier and saves having to make bread crumbs. Also, it is pretty healthy compared to bread crumbs.
Other than that, I also used some sriracha and a tablespoon of worcestershire (which almost every other recipe except this one calls for. Oh, and I cut it a bit to use only 2/3 lbs of beef.
It was pretty good. I made it into meat loaflets using a cupcake pan. Note to self, that I didn't need to cook it so long since it was smaller. I would do it again!
I also had corn which I just cooked with the husk in the oven for 30 minutes at 350.
Meatloaf ["Super Healthy"] (from A Small Snippet)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2091, 2012-07-04_111835
Salsa Tilapia and Pasta -- back to top
I made a really simple meal. I just baked tilapia with hot salsa for 30 minutes at 350. As a side, I made a small amount of the Plus type pasta with butter spray and Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle. Simple, easy, fast prep and relatively fast overall.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2095, 2012-07-05_082856
I made taco cupcakes using the method from here. I basically made taco meat, but with extra onion, then I added a chopped zucchini, some corn, and a can of black beans.
It actually made a bit too much meat. I overfilled the tacos making them come apart. I have to be more careful about that, but other that that, they were very good. I used Old El Paso low sodium seasoning. I may some day try to make my own taco seasoning.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2102, 2012-07-09_131022
Seitan and garlic and oil spaghetti squash -- back to top
I basically followed the same seitan recipe from my dad. I again used the food processor. I made the regular dark simmering liquid. I also added a bunch of different seasonings to the dough including some sriracha to the liquid part.
Overall, it was pretty good, but nowhere near as good as either the store bought, or my dads. Both the flavor and, more importantly, the texture. He uses the same recipe so I need to talk to him about_exactly_ what he does.
I also made a garlic and oil sauce and mixed in some leftover spaghetti squash.Unfortunately, it turns out the points of the olive oil (estimated about 7) were higher than the seitan (about 6 for half the recipe). Oh well. Still a low dinner.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2108, 2012-07-10_184720
I made the lentils in what is now becoming pretty standard. I sautéd half an onion and added lots of veggies. I added chopped mushrooms (lots) carrots, celery and parsnips. The latter being new this time. There were so much vegetables.I then added a 1/5 cups dry lentils (about 18 points plus). Then I added about 5 cups of water (more than regular ratio) and let it cook down until it was mostly dry and the lentils were cooked. Probably about 45 minutes. Oh, and a crapload of onion and garlic powder, plus lots of other seasoning. And crushed red pepper for some heat
The thing made two HUGE portions. I would say each portion was about 10 points plus to account for anything else I added.
They were so good. I do not know what the main trick is, but it makes a lot of food and only 10 points! That is really not too bad
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2111, 2012-07-12_184739
Roasted Veggies and chicken sausage -- back to top
I made the roasted veggie thing with chicken sausage from here. I went light on the potatoes. I also put in some broccoli instead of using artichoke hearts. It came out pretty good!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2114, 2012-07-13_184756
Zucchini Fritters -- back to top
I made the normal zuchinni fritters using the standard recipe. I wasn't overly hungry so this was all I had. I did a few thing differently. Most notable is that I put about a tsp o salt on the zucchini before pressing it. This was the draw pi more moisture. As usual, I added a bunch more seasonings including garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, etc. Oh, I also used a lot of minced dried onion in place of onion all together. It was different and certainly easier not having to chop and drain onion.
I had to scrape them off but I am getting pretty good at that and it wasn't all that difficult. They were pretty good and a perfect low point meal since I wasn't too hungry
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2123, 2012-07-15_215425
Great Northern Bean Falafel -- back to top
I made baked falafel, however, it would be more correct to call this baked bean patties. I was distracted as I was making it and opened a can of great northern beans instead of chick peas. Oh well, it still came out pretty good. I actually prepared the whole thing the night before since I knew I was going to be getting back on the later side. So, all I had to do was form them into balls, and bake.
They came out pretty good. They were easier to make and mash with the beans but also a bit wetter. I wouldn't aim to use the northern beans again, but it wasn't a big deal.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2127, 2012-07-18_151748
This was the standard taco stew. I kept it pretty darn close to the recipe. I think the only thing was I just put the whole seasoning packet in for extra flavor and ease.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2130, 2012-07-23_151807
Shrimp and Kale Pasta -- back to top
I kind of just threw this together. I sautéd some kale for a bit, then took it out of the pan and cooked shrimp. I resisted the urge to actually add oil and just used pam. While the shrimp was cooking, I threw in a bunch of crushed red pepper. Finally, as it was nearing completion, I added back the kale and let everything cook together. As the pasta was almost, but not completely done, I threw it in to let all the flavors meld. I also added salt, pepper, garlic powder and probably some other seasonings.
It ended up being pretty good and certainly eclectic looking. It probably could have used a big heaping thing of garlic but I didn't feel like chopping it. What I really loved was that it was a lot of food for very few points. There was half a pound of shrimp (which is a large serving) at 5 points and 1.5 servings of pasta (the "plus" kind with whole grain and extra protein) for about 7 points. Figure 1 point for the pam (if that) and I had a nice sized meal for 13 points (plus).
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2136, 2012-07-24_110219
Salmon Burgers and Edamame -- back to top
I made salmon burgers and steamed edamame. It was fast and easy_!_I let the salmon burgers cook for about 4-5 min on each side. I think I like them more cooked. They taste less juicy, but have a better texture.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2141, 2012-07-25_224426
Shrimp and Grits with Goat Cheese and Veggies -- back to top
I had read a few recipes on shrimp and grits and they were all basically the same: make grits, make shrimp, combine. I figured that was easy enough. Some recipes called for grits to be made in just water while other wanted heavy cream. I made 3/4 cup of dry grits which calls for 3 cups of water. So, I did 1 cup of water and two of unsweetened almond milk for more creaminess. I also threw in some Smart Balance "butter."
I have been a fan recently of putting extra veggies in food, even if you won't taste them much. So, while that started cooking, I julienned (with the mandolin) half a zucchini and then I thinly sliced small sweet peppers. I sautéd them to get them semi cooked and then I added them to the grits.
I cooked the peeled shrimp (about 1/2 pound) in the sauté pan with a tiny bit of old bay. When the grits were ready, I added everything together. I also added some onion and garlic powder and crushed red pepper
I also added a small amount of low-fat mexican cheese mix and two ounces of goat cheese. That was probably the largest source of points in the meal and ended up not adding much flavor.
Anyway, it was extremely tasty, though as I just noted, you barely tasted the goat cheese. I did notice the peppers and zucchini though not much. The grits (which were from the Whole Foods bulk bin, BTW) came out very creamy and everything melded well. I would absolute make it again, but skip the goat cheese to save points. I do not know about the mexican cheese mix. I could probably skip that too.
Points Plus: I just guessed how much smart balance and mexican cheese I used
3/4 cup grits...8.7
2 cups almond milk...2.2
2 oz goat cheese...4.2
Smart Balance...2.6
Mexican Cheese mix...3.2
8 oz shrimp...4.5
-----------------------------------
25.4
So the whole meal was pretty large at about 25 points plus, but it made a lot of food and could be cut down to less in the future. Also, considering how many points I have a day, this isn't too bad.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2145, 2012-07-27_224644
I followed largely the recipe from here. It called for 3 cups of quinoa and, according to a website, quinoa expands 4x. Well, I decided to use a cup of quinoa just in case. I am glad I did since It only made 2.5 cups. Good to know in the future. I made the quinoa with beef broth defeating the vegetarianism, but it can be done without. Also, it took about 18-20 minutes and not the 10-15 it calls for.
Otherwise, I used a bit of extra carrot but just one zucchini. I also added a bunch of seasonings including garlic powder, minced onion (a lot) and 21 seasoning salute. I had to use a bit extra flour (whole wheat) since there wasn't as much quinoa. It was still wet but it worked fine. I didn't have green onion. Also, I used a bit less than a tablespoon of ground thyme. I also used ricotta salata instead of parmesan cheese. I cooked them for about 17 minutes per side on 440 (yes, I cannot use normal values)
I was a bit nervous that it wouldn't be very good since when I tasted the batter it was just okay, but they came out really good! More pronounced flavor than last time and really good
Points Plus for the 11 patties:
Quinoa (1 cup dry)...17
Egg Beater (2 egg worth)...1.3
Whole Wheat Flour...2.7
Greek Yogurt...1.4
Ricotta Salata...7 (just a guess, but a very safe one)
-----------------------------
~29.4 for two servings.
So about 15 for all of dinner isn't too bad!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2151, 2012-07-29_211937
Tacos with Mushrooms and Kale -- back to top
I made tacos again. I used the shell idea I posted here though I didn't pam them first. I do not know if that was what made the difference, but two or so of the shells really puffed up. The rest were fine.
Anyway, the beef was pretty standard with about 2/3 lbs of lean ground beef and sautéed onions and the Old El Paso low sodium seasoning. However, I didn't have a lot of "normal" taco toppings. So instead I did two interesting things. First, I finely chopped and sautéd mushrooms. Instead of lettuce, I chopped up andsautédlacinato (aka Dino or Tuscan) kale. Some of them got crispy like kale chips, but I didn't mind. I also used fat free greek yogurt for sour cream and sliced avocado.
They came out pretty good. Nice and simple with a good lunch for the next day. I could have cut the calories with if skipped the avocado or cheese
Points Plus:
2/3 lbs lean beef...11
avocado...8
~2 oz cheese...4
6 small tortillas...8
some greek yogurt...1
----------------------
32==>16 each
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2156, 2012-07-30_140445
Kale and Tuna-Shrimp curry pasta -- back to top
First, the kale chips since they were better. I used dino/Lacinato/Tuscan kale. I cut off the stems but kept the leaves long. I used olive oil pam and and sprayed a tray, layed the kale on it, then pammed it again. I then sprinkled salt. Cooked them for 20 min @ 300°F. They really did crisp nicely, though I think they may have burned a bit. I like them a lot though they got rather "dust" as I ate them. I would definitely do it again. I wonder how it works with regular kale. Not that there is much to say about the kale, but I based it on this
I also made a rather awful tuna/shrimp/pasta concoction. I basically mixed canned tuna, canned shrimp (very tiny ones) and pasta with a lot of seasonings including curry powder. It was a dry higher-than-I-would-like point meal. Not to be done again without some improvement!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2161, 2012-07-31_140656