Justin & Meredith Winokur's Kitchen Cooking Notebook
Sitemap ·
Our Recipe Book ·
Steven's Recipe Book ·
Ann's Recipe Book ·
Meal Ideas ·
Copied Recipes
Random ·
Random Links
posts/2012/10
All sub pages for /posts/2012/10
Salmon and Roasted Cabbage -- back to top
First, the salmon. I used the technique discussed on 2011-12-25 involving both the oven and a cast-iron pan. I figures that since the fish was thin, I figured it would need less time. When I was transferring the fish to plate I dropped a piece on the floor. I guess the good thing about that was I could see that it was woefully undercooked. Back in the oven it went! (and the floor piece became mostly lunch and partially Gracie's dinner). Overall, it was pretty good. Nothing special. I think higher quality fish would have helped.
I made the cabbage from the recipe below but completely skipping the bacon. Basically, I quartered it, cut the stem out, and cut it again. The pieces didn't stick together too well. I liked it a lot, but I had higher hopes. I figured that since I LOVE roasted brussel sprouts, I would love this. Well, I did like it, but again, it wasn't out-of-this-world. I think next time I will try to shred it (and then have to mix it more in the oven). I want more smaller pieces.
I was happy with the meal though. Lots of food for very few calories.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2281, 2012-10-01_220756
Roasted Broccoli and Spaghetti Squash -- back to top
I wanted a big but very low point meal. This is what I ended up with. I roasted the broccoli in the oven (425 for about 25-30 min, rotated once). As usual, it was awesome. I love broccoli like this.
For the spaghetti quash, I tried something difference. I halved it raw (no easy task, BTW), and scooped out the seeds cold. I then pammed it, put some salt and pepper on, then microwave dit (cut side up). I started with 8 minutes but ended up adding like 6 more. The advantage of cutting it first was that I didn't have to scoop out the seeds of a hot squash. And, I felt like more came off the skin.
I made a pretty standard tomato sauce. Half an onion, some garlic, 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and a full can of paste. I added two frozen basil cubes (not sure if I could taste them), lots or oregano and dried parsley, plus other seasonings. I also added some balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Finally, I added sriracha to kick up the spice!
All in all, the meal was HUGE but almost no points. Really, the only points came from the small amount of oil on the broccoli and the onions.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2284, 2012-10-03_202323
Pasta with all kinds of stuff -- back to top
This was a classic what-can-I-make-with-normal-stuff-I-have. Basically, I sautéed some onions, then I added a can of tuna. I then mixed in about 1.5 servings (~3oz) "Plus" pasta. I added hot sauce, pepper relish (hoagie spread), and spicy mustard. Finally, I used some laughing cow and a bit of low fat mexican blend. I added some of the pasta water to help give it moisture, and to steam it all.
It ended up being pretty good. I didn't calculate the points, but it is presumably a bit high. But lots of protein (from the tuna) and carbs (I was doing a 100+ mile ride the next day)
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2291, 2012-10-05_111544
Italian Wedding Soup -- back to top
I made italian wedding soup. I looked at a bunch of recipes and basically just made some meatballs with bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and other seasonings. I read a bunch of different recipes; some suggested cooking the meatballs first while others said to cook in the soup. I decided to cook it in the soup. It was hot enough and I let it boil for a while to make sure that not only the meatballs were well cooked, but the soup was well boiled.
I used chicken broth (better than bouillon) and carrots. When it was almost done, I put a whole bag of spinach in the soup. For the pasta, I smacked a bunch of rotini and used that.
The soup was okay, but definitely not as good as others I have had. It just didn't have that much flavor. I do not know what other recipes do, but I will read more recipes before I try again.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2297, 2012-10-07_094534
I followed the basic recipe except I went very heavy on the parsley and cilantro, and I used minced onion since I was out of regular. They were pretty good, but a pain-in-the-ass to mash. I need to find a better way to mash to dough. They were also a bit dry today. I do not know what that is.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2294, 2012-10-08_094511
I made taco stew. It seemed too thick so I added more water. That may have been a mistake as it was then very watery and more like taco soup than stew. Oh well. It made a lot but still not too bad calorically
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2307, 2012-10-09_210050
Dijon Chicken and roasted Broccoli -- back to top
I used the leftover chicken from 2012-08-12 but I didn't even try to use the grill and just used the cast-iron grill pan. I ate both pieces since it wasn't really that much and the pieces are small. I also had roasted broccoli It is my favorite way to make it and its so easy as long as I do not need the oven
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2310, 2012-10-10_210103
Seared Sea Scallops with Broccoli Rabe and White Beans -- back to top
Meredith had pinned this recipe (below) a while back. We chose it since we wanted a fast, easy, and healthy meal. Basically you sauté broccoli rabe, then add beans. Then just make scallops on a hot pan. I was a bit uncertain about the scallops since it didn't seem hot enough and I had to leave them on for a while. However, thankfully they didn't turn out dry and were actually pretty good. All I did was slice a little bit on top, then add salt. Also, since we didn't feel like peeling garlic, we sliced up some roasted garlic and added that.Appropriately we bought the scallops and broccoli rabe at whole foods. Also, we bought 1 pound for two people which was a bit too much. Oh, and no lemon
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Seared Sea Scallops with Broccoli Rabe and White Beans (from Whole Foods)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2317, 2012-10-15_210810
Salmon Burgers and Sweet Potatoes -- back to top
An orange meal! The salmon burgers were from Trader Joes. They weren't anywhere near as good as the ones from Costco. They had less flavor and cooked out a lot more fat.
I also made sweet potatoes like I do hash browns. I microwaved them for a bit, then I used a sauté pan.
Overall, it was a pretty mediocre meal
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2322, 2012-10-17_131121
Spaghetti Squash Vindaloo and Zucchini Chips -- back to top
I made spaghetti squash vindaloo. I had bought this vindaloo curry sauce (pictured below) a while ago but I have been hesitant to use it since the whole thing has 250 calories. But, I decided I could use it with spaghetti squash and be okay. So, I microwaved the squash (more on that below). As it was almost done, I mixed a bit more than a cup of water, this paste and some other seasonings (garlic powder, curry powder, crushed red pepper, minced onion, etc). I added the squash and let it boil away for a while. I probably could have let it go even longer but I grew impatient. It ended up being pretty good. Some spice but lots of flavor. Not the normal vindaloo flavor I expected, but still good. I originally saved some, but decided to eat it all. Basically, the only calories were from the sauce.
I also made zucchini chips, first noted here, and then done again here. Like the last time, I used the thicker setting (3mm). The interesting thing is they cooked very unevenly, even on the same tray. The ones that have a little bit of brown were incredible. They had a lot of sweetness, a nice crisp, and lots of flavor. The other ones were mushy and bad. I do not know why there was such disparity. I think next time, I'll go back to the thinner setting and watch them very closely.
_Note on the spaghetti squash:_As I did for the first time here, I cut it first, took out the seeds, and then microwave dit. I noted then that cutting it raw was hard. Well, I figured out the trick this time. I cut off the top and bottom, and then I was able to cut length-wise very easily. Taking out the seeds while it was cold was, again, so much easier.Definitely the way to go. I pammed it, put some salt and pepper on, and microwaved it, skin side down, for 13.5 minutes.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2330, 2012-10-18_145444
Chicken Sausage and Roasted Veggies -- back to top
The basic roasted veggies with chicken sausage. I used a lot of onion and pepper. About 1lbs of potato. I also used artichoke hearts
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2777, 2012-10-19_202208
I made the usual Moussaka. Despite what I noted last time, I again forgot how intense it is to make this. There really isn't a moment when you can stop.Especially when trying to keep the mess contained. I followed out adapted recipe pretty closely. However once the beef mixture was done, I tasted it and was lacking a bit so I added more spices. It didn't have the full affect since they didn't cook into it for 45+ minutes but it helped.
I again sliced the eggplant length-wise with the mandoline. That made it much easier. Also, I didn't worry about layering it a bit since the slices are pretty thin after being cooked. Another thing I did differently was, after laying out the potatoes, I sliced them to make cutting easier later.
It took so long to make that by the time it was in the oven and the kitchen cleaned, it was late. While it was cooking, I realized I wasn't that hungry. So I actually ate something else and just had a bit of this for dinner. It made 3 nice sized lunch portions, a large dinner portion (for the next day), and a smaller side-dish type portion which I froze.
The bit I ate was very good though, as I said above, the sauce could have used a bit more flavor. And maybe less salt.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2781, 2012-10-21_115509
Cauliflower couscous -- back to top
This was inspired by the recipe below. I have to say, it started off very flavorless. I kept adding more seasonings (including curry powder, garam masala, garlic powder, salt and Osem). I tried to keep it kosher for the sake of it. It still never really got a lot of flavor. I finally gave up and decided to just eat it. While half way through, I remembered I bought [lite] feta cheese for a later recipes. The original one called for goat cheese which I ignored. I cut off a bunch of them and putting that in brought out a lot of flavor. Not just the feta itself but a lot of other flavors. Then it was pretty good. I wouldn't rush to make it again any time soon, but I wouldn't write it off. And, it was very low points.
Cauliflower 'Couscous' with Goat Cheese (from The Stone Soup)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2785, 2012-10-24_075709
Pasta with Squid and White Beans -- back to top
This was inspired by the recipe below. I followed the idea pretty closely, or at least the idea. Dealing with squid is gross! They are just really strange. And I had to clean out the body part to get rid of the sand and stuff. I was careful to make sure it was well defrosted and then I blotted it dry. However, when I added it to the oil, so much water came out that I had to let it steam and cook out for a while. I was worried that it would be overcooked and rubbery, but it wasn't too bad. I also added a lot of other seasonings but I do not remember what they were.
The meal was pretty good and it made a lot! I used the full lbs of squid but less pasta (and I used the "plus" kind). I even had enough left over for breakfast the next day (I know, squid for breakfast; GROSS!, but it was fine)
Pasta with Squid and White Beans (from Serious Eats)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2792, 2012-10-26_200255
Shakshuka with Fennel and Feta -- back to top
First, the brussel sprouts. It was a while ago that I made them so I had to refresh my memory of how I was doing it. I followed a Serious Eats recipe. I'll reiterate it here for future reference. I heated the oven to 500_with_ the pans. Then I put the halved sprouts on the hot pan. Some people recommended flipping it to cut side down but I decided to leave it as is. I had already tossed them with a bit of olive oil and lots of salt and pepper. Anyway, I put them on the pan and put them in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating half way. One thing about doing it this way is you really have to watch the leaves that broke off since they will burn.
For the shakshuka, I followed the recipe pretty closely. with an extra serrano and a very large jalapeńo. I also skipped the parsley and used a mix of regular and hot paprika instead of the smoked. For both the paprika and the crushed red pepper, I used a lot extra. I also threw in some garlic powder. I didn't make any more changes that I can recall except messing with the times as needed. I was worried that the eggs were overdone but they were perfect. Since I wasn't doing bread, I wanted slightly harder (somewhere between runny and medium) and that is exactly what they were. I used lite feta instead normal. Oh, and I used 6 eggs. It made a lot but it was enough for 2 meals. (Despite what the recipe says)
I didn't really taste the fennel but it was my first time cooking with it and I liked it. I smelled it a lot while cooking. I wonder if I can do anything to add more of its flavor. I am sure I did taste it in there, but maybe not very strongly.
Shakshuka with Fennel and Feta (From A Sweet Spoonful)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2796, 2012-10-28_202002
Shrimp and Grits -- back to top
I made shrimp and grits a lot like last time. I only used 1/2 cup of grits but I think I had more shrimp. I did the grits with the directions below, except I used 1.5 cups almond milk and 1/2 cup water. I added a lot of salt, a bit of smart balance plus lots of seasonings. I do not recall all of them, but I know I used crushed red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, some habanero tabasco. I also had some tomatoes so I cut them up and threw them in as well. The tomato didn't do much, but I had it so I used it. I also added some colbyjack cheese but not too much. I think I can skip the cheese next time
I just did the shrimp in a frying pan with pam. Nothing special.
Overall, the meal was pretty good, though not as good as I recall it being last time. Maybe I should have done more to bring out the shrimp flavor. As I said, I'll skip all cheese next time as it gets lost.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2801, 2012-10-29_205945
Red Curry Spaghetti Squash and Zucchini Fritters -- back to top
The spaghetti squash was based very loosely on the recipe below. Basically, I just used it for tips on how to deal with red-curry paste. I wasn't making soup though, so I didn't really need the majority of it. Anyway, I used about 2 tbsp of red curry paste though I didn't measure so who knows. I followed the instructions on frying it a bit in olive oil. I used 1 cup of (Osem) chicken broth with splenda instead of sugar.
The one thing I need to keep in mind in the future is that it takes a long time for all of the water to cook down. I should plan for that better time wise. Also, maybe a cup of water is too much. With tomato sauce, you are putting it on top but with the curry, both this time and last, it is more about the flavoring.
For the fritters, I followed the standard recipe, again with extra seasonings (paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, TJ's 21 seasoning, etc). However, instead of onion, I used_a lot_ of minced, dried onion. Probably a bit too much as it took over the flavor, but that wasn't a big deal. I did my normal pressing of the zucchini between trays with paper towel, but it was still pretty wet. I ended up letting it cook a bit longer to dry it out more. Also, for the first time ever, I didn't have to scrape it off the tray to flip. I do not know what changed, but I am not complaining.
I just reread the recipe and I used twice the amount of egg. Oh well. I'll be more careful next time.
20-Minute Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken (From Serious Eats)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2805, 2012-10-30_203909
Roasted Cabbage with Parmesan and fake meat thing -- back to top
The main star of this meal was the cabbage. I followed the recipe below and I didn't need to make many changes except I used shredded cabbage. I think the only thing I did was let it cook a bit longer to brown. The cheese was very important as it enhanced the cabbage flavor. Otherwise, I think it may have just been bland. I used real ground parmesan as opposed to the fake stuff. I thought it came out really well. Some of the cabbage was more browned but there was a nice mix of flavor and char. And, as I said, the cheese really came through and brought out the flavor of the rest.
Shredding it was also really easy. I peeled the outer layers and then quartered it. I cut diagonally to remove the core. Then I used the mandolin to slice it along one of the flat edges. Super easy and quick.
I also threw together a protein part. It is basically sautéd onions with some Trader Joes fake beef strips. I added some red wine dijon sauce (used here and here). I do not love the beef strips, but I had them and wanted to use them up.
Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Parmesan (from Daily Unadventurous in Cooking)
(2014-01-08 Note: This recipe was added to My Recipe Book)
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 2811, 2012-10-31_202604