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/2013/03
All sub pages for /posts/2013/03
Butternut squash, seitan hash -- back to top
I kind of threw this together. I cut up most of a butternut squash into small pieces and then I kept tossing them in a medium-high temp cast iron pan. I just used pam as the oil. I kept tossing them, covering them some of the time and letting them cook down. I added lots of rosemary and some salt. As they got more finished, I put a thing of seitan into the mix. Finally, I cracked eggs into the pan and put it in the oven. I alternated between the oven at 450 and the broiler. I think I may have gone just a but too long as the yolks were more set than I would have liked, but not too bad.
The stuff was very good. I would definitely do it again. Other than cutting the squash, it wasn't too hard and made a nice, low(ish) point breakfast. I am not sure if you have to start counting the squash at a certain point or not.
Also, on Emily's suggestion, I tried roasted the squash skin. I ended up burning most of it, but the unburned pieces were surprisingly good. I expected them to be chewy and gross but they weren't
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3211, 2013-03-01_191300
Lentil Moussaka -- back to top
This was different. I made lentil Moussaka. I basically followed the standard recipe except instead of beef, I added 1-1/4 cup dry lentils. According to this Kitchn post you should be careful cooking lentils with acid because they can remain hard. I decided not to heed that and let it cook in the tomato sauce. Well, they were cooked but still noticeably crunchy. next time, I'll cook them separately and then add them towards the end. I also added more seasonings as I went since it didn't have the usual flavor.
Also, I made the béchamel with regular flour (no point change) but I used a more gentle heat. This worked well. I think I got a better sauce that tasted less floury.
Overall, it was pretty good. Nowhere near as good as the normal with meat, but not too bad either. I do think it needs more seasonings with the lentils.They are much healthier and vegetarian for Emily. Again, it made a lot. At least two big dinners and two nice size lunch type portions. And, as I said above. much lower points with the lentils
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3218, 2013-03-02_224746
I made the carrot pudding again twice. Yesterday was the normal followed closely, and the second batch today, I cut the sugar in half and added 4-5 splenda packets. It came out good but less caramelized looking and slightly fake tasting. I think this is fine but I won't go lower on the
(Note, this recipe is now included in my Recipe Book)
Below is an updated recipe with a note on the two:
Either:
--- OR: ---
Put the milk and the smart balance in the pressure cooker. Heat/bring close to boil. Grate the carrots and add to hot milk mixture. Mix all the dry ingredients separately then add them to the carrots in batches stirring in between. Bring pressure cooker to full pressure on setting 2 for 15 minutes (that timing starts when the regulator starts venting).
Release the pressure quickly (just with the gauge). Then cook on medium to reduce until it is the desired consistency. You may have to scrape the pan a bit.
For the sugar, I found that the 100g/9 packets was very good with lots of caramelization and not too much "fake" flavor. A good mix. However, the 50g/13-14 packets is also still tasty, but tastes_slightly_ more fake and less carmely (in flavor and color). It comes down to whether you're will to add the calories. Obviously, a mix in between is fine too._
_
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3221, 2013-03-02_230334
Emily and I made two ingredient cookies. Basically, you mash up two bananas and a cup of quick oats, then cook them at 350 for 15 minutes. We also added a little bit of Splenda. And we kept having to add some more quick oats since it seemed a bit too wet (and they mentioned that you may need to do that). Also, they warn you about them sticking but I used a silpat and it worked fine.
They were okay. About what you would expect. It just tastes like bananas and oatmeal. Not all that good, but they may serve to be really good on something like a bike ride.
Two Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies (From The Burlap Bag)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3226, 2013-03-02_232222
Vegetable and Egg Fajitas -- back to top
I made vegetable and egg fajitas for breakfast. I took a whole onion, a bunch of birds eye chiles, lots of mushrooms, a poblano and beans. I then added egg (beaters) at the end, and mixed it all in. I used salt, pepper and a bit of adobo seasoning.
It was very good but very spicy. We had it with low-cal tortillas.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3229, 2013-03-03_102252
Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn -- back to top
We made chocolate drizzle popcorn. We basically air-popped a bunch of popcorn and the drizzled chocolate over it. We used just plain old (boring) hersheys melted in the microwave. We drizzled it on the popcorn as evenly as possible and then refrigerated it. They came out pretty good with a nice mix. There was just a little bit of chocolate on every piece.It was good though my hands got covered in chocolate.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3233, 2013-03-03_103854
Miso-Marinated Portobello Carpaccio, Chia-Seed Pudding, and thrown together Banana Bread -- back to top
The main meal here was the mushroom thing based on the recipe below. Meredith had made it a while ago and we decided to do it again. We actually had planned it for the night before but scrapped it for lunch the next day so it had a long marinade. Meredith had found this mixed light-dark miso paste that was very good. We served it on a bed of arugula. It didn't make much but it was extremely flavorful. I would happily make it again, but I would make more. I think Meredith_may_ have used less oil.
Meredith also made chia pudding. I do not recall all of the details but basically chia seeds in vanilla almond or coconut milk and let it pud (yes, it's now a verb) in the fridge. We topped it with chopped pistachios. It is very good and pretty easy. It tasted a bit like tapioca pudding but much easier to make. I also added some splenda to mine to make it sweeter. Oh, and we also used dried fruits.
Finally, we threw together a banana bread. There is absolutely no chance we could make it again or even describe it. We were trying to make a banana filling with mashed banana, splenda, maple and some other syrups. It got way too soupy so we tried to add some corn starch. Still not much success. Finally, we gave up and made it into banana bread. Meredith did it and I do not recall the details but it got very puffy. Whatever Meredith looked up called for some cider vinegar. Of course, when we added the baking soda, it bubbled. So we added some baking powder. It was a bunch of adding this and that until we were satisfied. We divvied it up into mini-muffin tins and these ramekins. They came out a bit tough (probably too much mixing) but they were really good. I was happy with them!
Miso-Marinated Portobello Carpaccio [Vegan] (From SeriousEats)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3242, 2013-03-09_175547
Taco Stew and Brussel Sprouts -- back to top
I made this at Adam's apartment. I used roughly the normal taco stew but we really just threw it together more than anything. I used extra zucchini, more meat, lots of salsa, etc. I also used peas instead of corn since that is all we had. There really isn't much more to tell about it. It was pretty standard. As a side note, we didn't have any sour-cream or yogurt so we used bleu-cheese dressing. It was actually a really different but nice flavor.
The brussel sprouts were done between 400 and 450 (I don't recall which we used, I think it was 450). They were pretty good!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3253, 2013-03-12_182534
Soy Chorizo Roasted Cauliflower and Spice Red Lentil Spread -- back to top
This was another recreation of something Meredith made a while ago. It was really easy too. We started by roasting chopped cauliflower at 450 for 20-30 minutes until it was starting to show some browning. Then, we sautéd half an onion and a lot of finely chopped mushrooms. After they had been well reduced and cooked, we added a thing of the Trader Joes Soy Chorizo (pictured below). We then immediately added the roasted cauliflower and mixed it together. We let it cook and get a bit crispy. We also added some capers and the brine. It gives it a bit of saltiness and more flavor. Extremely good and extremely easy. The chorizo is 4.85 servings at 3.9points plus per for 19 total. Add two or three for oil and incidentals. Basically, two large servings at 12 points each! I would definitely make this again. Also, the soy chorizo may be good when used in something else. I'll keep it in mind.
We also made a red-lentil dip from the recipe below. I think she followed the recipe pretty closely except she used grits in place of corn meal. I am honestly not sure if there is really any difference. It's interesting how the corn meal gets cooked by the lentils and not on its own. We also probably used extra sriracha. I liked it a lot. It was maybe a bit gritty but not too bad. I would go lighter on the parsley as well. I could imagine making this as a meal unto itself, or spreading it on some vegetable as a really nice side. It could also take the place of hummus
edit note: Added note to capers
Spicy Red Lentil Spread (from The First Mess)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Soy Chorizo:
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3265, 2013-03-18_183818
Lentil Sloppy Joes -- back to top
I had been wanting to try this for a bit. I basically started making normal Sloppy Joes without meat. While it was going, I cooked about 2/3-3/4 cups of dry lentils covered for a bit. I let the sloppy joe sauce simmer then, after the lentils were partially cooked (partially uncovered to cook down), I added them and let it cook. I basically stayed true to the recipe but with extra mustard, a bit of honey, splenda, lots of garlic powder and a tiny tad of Dave's Insanity (to really kick up the heat). I served it with spinach on top.
I liked it a lot. It was pretty easy and I think healthier than the regular one with beef. Last time I said it was 11 for the beef. Considering this was 9 for the lentils, I guess I didn't save too much. Still different and really good.
The green beans were done with Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle. I started with just olive oil and the sprinkle and once it was a bit blackened, I added some water, with a lid to steam it and get it to cook all the way.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3280, 2013-03-18_204053
Baked Cod and Steamed Asparagus -- back to top
I made a very simple meal. I sprayed apiece of cod with pam, sprinkled it with McCormick chicken Seasoning, garlic powder and pepper, then baked it for 25-30 minutes at 400. I think I overcooked it a bit since it was a tad chewy, but not too bad. Still, it was pretty good and extremely simple! Nothing out-of-this-world, but definitely good enough.
I also steamed asparagus (cut into thirds) and sprinkled it with parmesan cheese. I bought the skinnier ones since they tend to be more flavorful. I do not know if it was the asparagus, cooking time, etc, but this was probably the most flavorful asparagus I have ever made. I didn't do anything special; it was just really, really good! And also very simple.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3288, 2013-03-19_101508
Buffalo Chicken and Veggie Stuffed Pepper -- back to top
The original plan was to make something like the buffalo chicken poblanos but I couldn't find poblanos and I only had a small piece of chicken. So I used green peppers and I made a filling with lots of vegetable fillers. First, I cut the pepper and baked it in the oven (425°F) while I was preppy the rest so it could pre-bake. I didn't time it but I'd say it was about 20 minutes. I made a filling with the following:
I used goat cheese instead of Laughing Cow wedges because I thought it would add more flavor. I didn't end up tasting it at all so I probably won't do that again. When this was all done, I filled the peppers, topped them with a bit more shredded cheese and baked them at 425 for half an hour.
It was very good but very wet. When I cut into the pepper, water basically poured everywhere. I ended up cutting it so it was basically like eating the filling with a bit more pepper. I still enjoyed it but I think I need to do a better job draining the drying the filling first. And maybe use fewer peppers in the filling so that the pepper shell's flavor didn't meld into it.
I also had a plain spinach salad.
Points Plus for the peppers:
Shredded Cheese...5
Goat Cheese...2
~9 oz chicken...8
-----------------------------
15 for two so figure 9 for last night (since I ate the extra filling) and 7 for lunch.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3293, 2013-03-20_075100
Oven-Fried Zucchini -- back to top
I made oven-fried zucchini as a side (leftovers from yesterday were the main meal). I sliced a long zucchini in half, the. I used the mandolins on the largest setting to make slices. I breaded it with egg beaters and bread crumbs then baked then on a silpat, in the oven at 475. I flipped them at a about 15 min and the gave them 10 more.
They were very good and you could easily think they were fried! I enjoyed them very much. Unfortunately, bread crumbs are not very low in points. I should look for an alternative (NOT fiber one). Also, using the silpat worked very well. I should use it more!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3297, 2013-03-21_102348
NY Strip and Roasted Cauliflower -- back to top
I made steak and roasted cauliflower. The steak was an 11oz NY strip. I rubbed a bit of olive oil on it and then used salt and pepper. I did it on a hot cast-iron grill pan. I did about 6 minutes on the fist side and 5 on the other. I was aiming for medium. See the photo below. It came out about right but I think the outside could have been a bit more cooked with this redness inside. I wonder if I should have used a hotter pan (this was around setting 8 on the induction). After it was done, I covered it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.
I think this is the best steak I have ever made, though I have most certainly had better. It was pretty juicy; not overcooked and tender. I'd definitely try making it again.
I also made roasted cauliflower. I used the curry cauliflower recipe but with a mixture of chili powder and cayenne (with a bit of olive oil)
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3329, 2013-03-23_214237
I made shakshuka in a manner combining the first time and last time. I started with some fennel (which I need to read up on the propper way to cut) and onion. I added to that a habanero pepper, a poblano pepper,broccoli, carrots, celery then a 28 and 14 oz can of tomatoes (once all the other veggies were well softened). I also used a bunch of paprika, hot hungarian paprika, oregano,parsley garlic powder, salt, pepper and probably other stuff I don't remember. I let it cook uncovered for about 25 minutes. I then poached 6 eggs into it and let them cook. I ended up turning up the heat to try to get rid of more liquid. It burned the bottom pretty badly, but it wasn't a big deal. when it was done, I added 4oz of light feta.
It was very good. No overly strong flavors (not even the anise) but it was a lot of food with some good flavor. And I especially love when broccoli cooks in tomato sauce! The whole thing was 4 points for the feta, plus 12 for the eggs for 16 total. It made a large dinner and lunch so 8 for both! Not bad.
I also roasted some of the extra broccoli. It was good.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3344, 2013-03-24_202844
I made falafel based on my regular recipe. I again went very heavy on the cilantro and parsley. I also went very heavy on the crushed red pepper. Though I forgot the salt but that was fine. The real breakthrough was using the food processor (using pulse) to break up the chickpeas and bring it all together. The worked really, really well to mix it and save my having to crush the chick peas.
But it made it very, very wet. I had to add a bit more flour. It was still very wet. I cooked it for 15 minutes as directed but when I flipped them, I let them go for 30 minutes (2x the recipe) to get them to dry out more. They flattened a lot and gave a strange shape as you can see. That worked fine but I need to plan for the timing.
They were really good. I liked them more than the previous ones and they were so easy (at least compared to the old way).
I also made steamed asparagus. Pretty standard.
Point wise was pretty low.
1 can chick peas...9
1/4 flour...3
1 tsp Olive Oil...1
--------------------------
13 for the whole thing isn't bad!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3350, 2013-03-25_204526
Seared Salmon and Kale -- back to top
Standard seared salmon with the stove-oven technique. I do not know if I just had my timing perfect, or if it was the fish (from TJ's, frozen), but this was the best salmon I think I have ever made. I used sandwich sprinkle on it as well, which was good, but I'm not sure it added too much flavor.
I was also going to make kale chips but I opted for just sautéing t instead.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3355, 2013-03-26_194819
Tacos and Roasted Cabbage -- back to top
I made tacos and roasted cabbage. I used red cabbage to mix it up this time though it didn't affect the flavor. It was good as usual though I think I am getting a bit sick of it. I should look for alternative cabbage recipes or just give it a break for a bit.
I also made taco meat with beef, onions, 1/2 a bell pepper and a bunch of spices (including taco powder). The meat was pretty standard and fine. The problem was I tried to put it in wraps that were too old and too big. It just didn't hold together well. I think I prefer when I make hard shells out of smaller tortillas and use them.
Oh, and I used a spinach-arugula mixture inside of it too.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3368, 2013-03-28_210737
5-Ingredient Banana-Oat Bars -- back to top
I made Banana-Oat bars for a long bike ride the next day. I figured I usually have oatmeal with a banana for breakfast so I could just have half of this recipe for breakfast and take the rest for snacks on the ride.
It was based on the recipe below but there is a lot of freedom. I used a bit less than two cups of oats since it is what I had, and it was quick oats (smaller pieces) so they were more dense. I also used about 2 1/4 banana since they were small. I added some almonds (slices; toasted first), chopped dates and some cranberries. I also used a bit of Splenda. Finally, when I pressed it into the pan, I then sprinkled it with pumpkin-pie spice.
I like the bars a lot. It was certainty more interesting than just eating oatmeal and also a lot easier since I could eat while getting ready. I ate half for breakfast (1 cup of oatmeal) and then I had a quarter as a snack at one point on the ride. I liked the dates and the cranberries however I was disappointed with how lost the almond flavor was in there. I would have preferred to use the slivered kind but they didn't have them. I'll probably just skip them in the future so as to not have the calories with no flavor.
Banana-Oat Bars [4 Ingredient] (from The Kitchn)
Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3371, 2013-03-29_073409
Roasted Vegetables and Sausage -- back to top
I made my pretty standard roasted veggies with sausage. I used the same smoked turkey sausage as last time. Again, I didn't like it at first but the flavor really grew one me.
This came out pretty spicy. I do not know if it was the poblano or the crushed red pepper. I should note that other than salt, I put all of the spices in a mortar and pestle to mix and crush. In the thing, I used:
And spices:
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 3376, 2013-03-31_073526