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

Home > posts > 2013 > 06

posts/2013/06

All sub pages for /posts/2013/06

Broccoli and Chicken in a white wine sauce -- back to top

I had this idea last week when I had italian food at a restaurant. It was supposed to be chicken in a sun dried tomato, white-wine sauce with broccoli over pasta. I asked for extra broccoli and it still had very little. And, I realized, I didn't really care about the pasta and I loved the broccoli. I always like it when it picks up the sauce. So I decided to try making a meal that was basically italian "pasta" dish but with broccoli instead.

I read a few things on white-wine sauce (Most notably Skinny Taste) and decided to follow her lead with replacing some of the wine with chicken broth. Here is my recipe/what I did. (Not copied, this is my writing it but that is also why it isn';t very specific)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

• ~1.5-2 lbs broccoli crowns
• Chicken, around 0.4lbs
• Flour
• A bit of smart balance
• 2 shallots, sliced and diced
• bunch of diced, smoked, sun dried tomatoes
• ~1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken broth (strong)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup white wine (plus more)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• lots of crushed red pepper
• chopped parsley
• Lots (too much) grated parmesan cheese

Thinly slice or cut chicken into strips . Mix some flour with salt and pepper and dredge chicken. Cook in hot pan with oil spray only. Stir a lot and use white wine to deglaze as needed. When cooked, remove chicken and deglaze pan. Add pam, some Smart Balance, then put in shallots and tomatoes. Stir. Deglaze with wine as needed

Concurrently, slice broccoli into florets and cores, etc. Steam (I needed two batches) and do your best to halt cooking with cold water. Let drain.

After shallots are cooked, add garlic and crushed red pepper. After 30 seconds, add the chicken broth and wine. Add back the chicken and add the broccoli. Stir A LOT. Salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook down until thicker and/or you're out of patience. Top with (too much) parm cheese.

Makes dinner and lunch

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Overall, I liked it. It wasn't as good as I had hoped but I think my sauce could be better. I just generally really like this idea. I can try other sauces or even just buy a sauce. And since the calories only come from the sauce and the chicken (and I used very little chicken for TWO meals), I can even use a higher calorie sauce! I guess this is kind of the italian version of broccoli beef. This is italian broccoli chicken.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6158, 2013-06-02_143556

Shakshuka -- back to top

I made pretty standard shakshuka. I put in the following in roughly this order:

• Half an onion
• two jalapeños with the seeds and all
• a whole poblano
• most of a bell pepper
• two stalks celery
• two big heads of broccoli
• 1 28 oz and 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• Lots of seasonings including: cumin, oregano,parsley, basil, 21 seasoning salute, garlic powder, salt and pepper

When it was all done, I poached 6 eggs in and then let them cook for a while. Then, after splitting it into two servings, I topped it with low-fat feta.

It was very good. Not overly flavorful but I could taste the seasonings and the feta brought out a nice flavor. I like getting all of the vegetables and I can get a lot of food for almost no food.

One thing I did differently was that I used the big stock pot. That made life very easy compared to the more shallow pan. I will do that again!

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6169, 2013-06-03_200531

Cod with Zucchini (and other failures) -- back to top

This meal basically failed. First, I tried to make roasted tomatoes. I didn't do much so I tried to do them in the toaster oven. Towards the end of cooking, I changed it from bake to toast so it would get the top a bit crispy. Well, most burned. And those that didn't burn, stuck. So much for that,

The zucchini slices were more or less fine. I used the crinkle blade on the thickest setting. I didn't see that you could do it on the setting smaller, so I'd do that next time. But many slices were uneven leading to some burned spots. Really, just nothing special.

Finally, the fish. I bough this fish a week ago on a Sunday, and froze it on a Tuesday. When I froze it, it smelled a bit fishy but not too bad. When I defrosted it, it smelled fine. I decided to cook it in the microwave since it worked well last time. I used the auto setting for fish and decided to trust it. First of all, it was overcooked. Very chewy and springy. Not very good by any means, but, about half way through eating it, I got a chemically smell. I tried to eat some more but I couldn't push past the strange smell. I threw out this piece and what I was planning for lunch tomorrow. I made salmon burgers instead (not pictured).

Oh well. I guess sometimes the meal just has to fail.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6174, 2013-06-04_095755

[Almost] Vegan Broccoli and Chicken in a Balsamic sauce -- back to top

This was another attempt at making a mostly broccoli meal in a sauce (see first attempt). I was trying to recreate the sauce that is on a pasta dish at a restaurant I like. The dish and description is as follows: (Bocci restaurant, Menu)

Chicken Sca & Sausage with Broccoli, Pepperoncini &Cherry Peppers in a Spicy Balsamic Sauce over Pasta

but, when you look it up, no only version of Chicken Scarpariello fits that description. Also, it does not mention it, but there is an asian taste to it too. I describe it as a Chinese food restaurant cooking italian. So, I was left to my own devices. I decided to try to use the Broccoli Beef recipe for rough proportions of liquid and I figured that corn-starch would help coat it. (As I will mention later, I forgot the cornstarch which may or may not have had an affect on the output). That recipe isapproximately8 Tbsp of liquid to 2 tsp of cornstarch. So I aimed for 12 Tbsp liquid (3/4 cup) to 1 Tbsp cornstarch (3 tsp). Here is what I used for liquid:

• 5 Tbsp chicken stock (made strong. Use Osem to make vegan)
• 1 Tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (see below for how I mixed it
• 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy
• squeeze (~1.5 tsp) Sriracha

I used an immersion blender to mix it all (and to make an emulsion with the olive oil). I forgot the cornstarch

We used about 2.75 lbs of broccoli. Since Meredith didn't have a steamer, we roasted it at 425 for 20-25 minutes. As it was almost done, we sautéd some Trader Joes Imitation Chicken. Then we added the roasted broccoli. Finally, I added 8 or so chopped peppadews, a little of the peppadew liquid and some crushed red pepper. I mixed it all and let it boil down.

Honestly, it was really disappointing. The broccoli became almost water-logged and tasted like I had boiled it; the sauce was thin and not very flavorful, and it was just kind of boring.

My guess is a few things went wrong. First, forgetting the cornstarch made the sauce not really thicken making it harder coat everything. I am pretty certain this was a contributing factor. Then, I think roasting the broccoli was not the way to go. Roasting dried it out (which is very good when eaten roasted), but it was then able to absorb the sauce and taste water-logged. I think steaming works better to keep the broccoli more crisp. Blanching would probably work really well but according to Alton Brown, even blanching removes the nutrients of the broccoli.

Procedures aside, I think the final nail is the couffin is simply that I still haven't even gotten close to the flavor of the sauce. I am not sure how to proceed on this one. I guess I will continue to look up different recipes and see if I can get closer. Maybe I'll make smaller batches to try different techniques.

Also, just to note, the Trader Joes chicken is mediocre at best. It was better mixed in but raw, it had a funky and smoky flavor. I am trying to make this vegan, I'd go with a different protein.__

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6177, 2013-06-08_100259

Soy Chorizo Roasted Cauliflower -- back to top

This was again making Soy Chorizo cauliflower like we did on 2013-03-18. We sprinkled the cauliflower with salt, pepper and paprika and roasted it for a bit. We didn't time it but took it out when it looked done. It has some crispiness to it, but I think in retrospect, we should have roasted it longer and hotter. Also, we had some extra broccoli stems in it from the night before.

After it was done, we sautéd up a small onion and about 2/3 of a thing of Trader Joes Soy Chorizo. That stuff is very, very flavorful. While it was sautéing, we added a bunch of capers plus their brine and mixed in all of the cauliflower. There may have been something else, but I do not remember what it is at the moment. Note that last time we used the whole chorizo. We were fine with the smaller portion today

Note that the entire thing of the chorizo is just under 5 servings at 4 points each. So, our entire (2-3 servings) dish was about 13 points. Plus a few here and there for oil, etc.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6182, 2013-06-09_103029

Zucchini Fritters -- back to top

I made Zucchini fritters at my moms. I tried to basically follow the recipe but I messed it up a bit. Most of the issues I had were that I didn't add enough salt at first, thought it was too dry, added an extra (real) egg, and then the salt. The extra salt_then_ pulled out the moisture. I ended up having to add lots of extra zucchini and flour.

I also cooked them in a convection oven. One tray seemed normal while the other seemed floppy and not quite cooked. However, after I flipped them, I separated the trays more in the oven and they all seemed to cook nicely enough.

Other than that, they were pretty good. I think I may have used either too much and/or too potent of black pepper as that flavor was strong.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6186, 2013-06-13_104534

Falafel -- back to top

I made falafel following the regular recipe doubled. Except the parsley and cilantro. For them, I was just more careful to get more of the leaves. The only other difference in the ingredients was that I used some chopped hyssop instead of za'atar (but that's a major ingredient).

However, it all came together pretty differently than usual. I was at my moms and used her food processor. Not only is her food processor smaller than mine, but I also doubled the ingredients. The net affect was that I had to really blend it more than chop it. So, it was a very wet dough. Basically, as you can see, they really flattened out. I also had to use non-stick Reynolds Wrap instead of a silpat.

Meredith also made tzatziki with fat free greek yogurt. I do not know her recipe but I know the cucumber was much bigger than usual and drained less. Still, it was very good; just wetter than usual. I'll let her comment or edit this with her recipe if she wants.

We also served it with warmed mini-pitas and garlic Sabra hummus

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6188, 2013-06-13_234659

(Almost Vegan) Broccoli "Beef" with homemade (almost vegan) "Oyster" sauce -- back to top

I made a vegetarian (and extremely almost vegan) Broccoli "Beef".I replaced the beef with seitan strips (and I did still marinate it in the marinade). I bought 2x 8oz boxes (the WestSoy red boxes)

Replacing the oyster sauce was harder. I made a vegetarian (and almost vegan) oyster sauce from the recipe below. Instead of mushroom bouillon cubes, I used Better Than Bullion mushroom base. It has milk derivatives which is why this whole meal wasn't vegan. I used a garlic and black bean sauce instead of just black-bean. And finally, I used turbinado sugar instead of brown. I may have let it cook down a bit too much since it was rather thick but it was enough for what I needed.

Other than that, I followed the recipe pretty closely except doubled. I also used the mushroom base instead of chicken broth. I steamed the broccoli in the microwave. Alton Brown had mentioned that the microwave ruins the nutrients but based on the comments in this The Kitchn article and the linked NYtimes article, I decided it was probably still fine. (and considering I made over two pounds, it was really the only way)

Overall, I liked it very much. The seitan did perfectly well in place of the beef. I cannot say the sauce tasted identical, but it was either pretty close and/or perfectly good on its own.

The whole meal was pretty low point-wise. There were two boxes of seitan as the main points contributor. It made 2 Justin-size meals or one Justin size and two Meredith size (she had leftovers for lunch -- It wasn't that it was_that _much food, it's just that not everyone can eat a pound of broccoli). I would definitely do it vegan (or vegetarian) again.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Vegan Oyster Sauce (from Food.com)

Local Copy -- password is the name of my dog, all lower case

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6194, 2013-06-17_215418

Broccoli Slaw Red Curry with Seitan -- back to top

My obsession with broccoli continues. I tried to make a broccoli slaw pasta-ish dish. I steamed broccoli slaw for about 4 minutes. While that was happening, I half an onion and half a pepper. I then added a box of cubed seitan. I added the slaw and a whole bottle of Trader Joes Red Curry sauce (12 points in the whole thing). I mixed it all and let it cook down.

I like the idea of trying broccoli slaw as pasta, but I definitely need to steam it longer. It was still crunchy and after a while, I felt like I was just eating straw. I should also continue to explore other sauces. This one was pretty good but was too rich by the end.

Still, this was relatively low point (only other source of points was the seitan) and quick meal. I will try to expand on it in the future

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6201, 2013-06-20_215634

Spicy Balsamic Broccoli with Chicken Sausage -- back to top

I again tried to make a balsamic broccoli (last time) concoction. I made a sauce with the base being fat free balsamic dressing. I used the Trader Joes one since it is not chemicals. It is basically different vinegars and some other stuff but all pretty basic.

I used the following ingredients. However, when it was all cooking, even as it cooked down, there was not enough liquid. I had to add more dressing (1/4 cup).

Sauce:

• 1/2 cups Trader Joes, Fat Free Balsamic Dressing (2.5 points plus)
• 1 Tbsp low sodium soy
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 5-10pepperoncinis cut into pieces

I mixed it all and let it sit for 2 hours. At the end, I added 1 tsp crushed red pepper (I would have added it sooner, but I didn't think of it). And then, as I note above, 1/4 cup additional dressing while it cooked.

The mustard was there to help make the emulsion.

Other Ingredients:

• 1 pack italian chicken sausage (5 links, 100 cal each. From TJs)
• 2 pounds of broccoli
• 1 red hot pepper (not sure of the type)

I added the sausage and pepper, then the steamed broccoli once it was cooking. I then added the sauce, and a bit later, the extra dressing.

Overall, this was really good and I think it was closer to what I have been looking for. I would do it again pretty much the same way except I'd add more dressing (and more liquid all together). Plus, probably some more corn starch to match the additional liquid. Maybe an additional red pepper and/or some cherry peppers.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6204, 2013-06-24_184139

Baked Salsa Cod and Green Beans -- back to top

I made a pretty simple meal. I baked (defrosted) cod topped with hot salsa for 20-25 minutes at 350. And, I also made green beans with blackened Penzeys sandwich sprinkle.

After my failure last time with the cod, I didn't want to microwave it so I baked it. I actually bought it this time at Target and I was pretty happy with it. I got the baking time and temp from their recipe. It was very good though a bit overcooked. I didn't mind that too much since the salsa gives it a lot of flavor and sufficient liquid.

The green beans were pretty standard. I gave them more time in the pan at a lower temp so that I didn't have to add water and steam them at all. I think that made a big difference. That was made easier by the fact that I didn't make my usual gross amount of them. The spices got nicely blackened on them

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6208, 2013-06-25_195401

Taco cupcakes and zucchini -- back to top

I made taco cupcakes doing the pretty standard mixture. I used 2/3 lbs lean beef and a whole zucchini julienned. I also added beans (which I don't usually do but I have done in the past). I added salsa (which I do not recall if I usually do) and corn. In the taco seasoning, I also added garlic powder, onion powder,cayenne, 21 seasoning salute, and a few other things. The salsa gave it a bit more heat than usual but I really liked it.

I again didn't use cheese on the bottom layer but I did use low-fat mexican cheese on the top. I was a bit worried since the shells were past the expiration but they seemed okay.

I also made oven-fried zucchini with the extra zucchini but this time I actually used the right temperature (475). They actually were a bit over-cooked. I'll be more careful next time

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6215, 2013-06-26_195627

Soy Chorizo and Roasted Cauliflower -- back to top

I made the vegan soy chorizoand roastedcauliflower again. I basically did the same thing as before. About 2/3 of the thing of soy chorizo with some roasted cauliflower (450 for ~30 minutes). Then add capers and caper juice. I also sautéd an onion (not sure if I did that last time) and, in addition to capers, I added chopped pepperoncini and juice. I do not know if that made much of a difference but the entire thing was very flavorful like last time. It make two servings. It wasn't an incredible amount of food, but it was enough

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6217, 2013-06-27_195711

Egglets (kugelets?) -- back to top

It was roughly inspired by the idea of salt and pepper kugel though I didn't actually use any recipes. I started by chopping up a ham steak into cubes, then sautêing that with sliced pepperoncini. I then added 1.5 servings of "Plus" pasta. I also added lots of salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I put them into muffin tins (below). I then mixed up a big thing of egg beaters with more salt, pepper, garlic powder, plus a tiny bit of olive oil, and a big squeeze of sriracha. That ended up being only enough for 5. So I made more of the egg mix but skipped the olive oil and sriracha. Notice how much more those puffed up (right two). I cooked them at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Overall, they were very good. Flavorful and very tasty. Maybe a bit salty, but still very good. I would do them again, though they were a bit high on points (see below) at 22. I could eat fewer of them and save it for another meal.

(2015-12-15: Nutrition moved to separate page)

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6232, 2013-06-28_204438

Soy Chorizo Salsa Pasta -- back to top

I was trying to make something out of leftovers and other things I had around so I came up with this meal. I started by browning half an onion. I then added 1/3 of the soy chorizo (from the other day), and I dumped in a bunch of salsa. In the mean time, I cooked up 1.5 servings of "Plus" pasta. As that was almost done, I added two wedges of laughing cow. I mixed in the pasta and topped it with half an avocado.

It was actually really good and super simple. Probably mediocre in terms of points but I didn't calculate it specifically.

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6237, 2013-06-30_211933