Justin & Meredith Winokur's Kitchen Cooking Notebook
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posts/2014/11
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Breakfast Hash with eggs -- back to top
I wanted to make a breakfast hash and I wanted to save some calories so I made a hash with gimme lean. The rest of a mix of purple potatoes and sweet potatoes. Nothing else to it really. Topped with a fried [crisp?] egg~
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9130, 2014-11-02_102018
Roasted Pepper, Carrot and Tomato Soup with Poached Chicken -- back to top
I had been wanting to make tomato soup for a while but I also didn't want to use cream.
I ended up using The Kitchn's recipe with a few minor changes. The biggest was that I had leftover carrots from a long time ago. I put them in with the onions. Other than that, I used a medium jar of peppers but I think the size was probably about right. I also just skipped the lime.
I also poached two chicken breasts in broth (which I then used that extra-flavorful broth for the soup) and shredded them in the mixer. They were fine. Not a ton of flavor but were good in the soup.
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup (from The Kitchn)
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Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9133, 2014-11-03_182046
Jicima fries and a (bad) Thai stir-fry -- back to top
I wanted a stir fry so I tried to throw a Thai one together. But, not only did the sauce suck (more on that later) but I messed up and basically steamed the broccoli. The (bad) sauce was
It was too salty and a bit gross. Especially with the messed up
We also made shoestring jicama fries but the Jicima was so wet that it (a) didn't spiralize well and (b) didn't crisp. Not a good example of either meals
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9146, 2014-11-04_075033
Gambas al Ajillo (Spicy Shrimp and Garlic) with Roasted Twist Peppers -- back to top
Meredith and I made gambas al Ajillo (Spicy Shrimp and Garlic) from the same recipe as last time. Except this time, we did it better. We did have banana ketchup. Basically, we followed the recipe except we pulled the garlic after a little bit since it was going to burn. The recipe wasn't super clear on when to add the ketchup so we added it at the end. Oh, and we used a lot less oil. I do think we forgot the lemon.
What was also nice is that we bought really big shrimp. We had to peel and devein it ourselves but it was fine.
Anyway, it was really good! Lots of flavor and pretty garlicy.
We also made lots roasted twist peppers! We also made a dip with low-fat mayo, some banana ketchup, olive oil and garlic powder.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9149, 2014-11-05_195518
Pepper and Onion Stir Fry -- back to top
I made a pepper and onion stir-fry. It was also my attempt at trying with a cast-iron pan instead of the wok. It didn't work too well but I do not think it was hot enough.
Anyway, the recipe was based off of the one from Serious Eats. I basically halved it. It wasn't incredible. I would try it again but I also think that it would be better in a wok or a better-heated pan.
Oh, and I used packaged seitan chicken.
Chinese Pepper Steak [Stir-Fried Beef with Onions, Peppers, and Black Pepper Sauce] (from Serious Eats)
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Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9152, 2014-11-06_135546
Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles and a Fried Egg -- back to top
This was so good and so easy! We used the recipe from Inspiralized (and local copy). We basically just followed the recipe except we added the onion at the end just so it could get nice and aromatic but not burned.
We also topped it with a fried egg. It made enough for two dinners but didn't really leave enough for lunch. We basically got 3 medium plates out of the topping (though we had some beets leftover). Honestly, the hardest part was peeling and spiralizing the beets followed by cleanup.
We forgot the mint so we need to make sure we don't forget it next time.
Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles (from Inspiralized)
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Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9155, 2014-11-06_195513
Spicy Thai Beef Salad and French Onion Soup -- back to top
We had some type of Thai Beef salad earlier and decided to try to make it for dinner. We debated between Pok Pok's recipe and Simple Thai Food and ended up with the latter. PokPok's sounded more complicated and was very heavy on the fish sauce. It also called for very little meat. The Simple Thai Food one was very little fish sauce and mostly lime. Plus it called for all kinds of other stuff that sounded good. (The recipe is from a digital version of the book. See local link)
The major changes were:
While cooking the steak, the smoke from the peppers was really bad. But other than that, it was pretty good. Maybe a bit too spicy and definitely too much lime. I really like the idea of this salad but I think I would try a modified version of Pok Pok's next time!
And we made french onion soup. I actually decided to write up the reciepe. We made it with a whole wheat english muffin as the bread and skipped the cheese. It was pretty good! I think the long simmer with the onions was really key. Using flour was new and it worked ok but I am not sure it was really needed.
Thai Spicy Grilled Beef Salad [Yam Nuea Yang] (from Simple Thai Food [ book, Amazon Link, page 126])
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Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9163, 2014-11-07_203536
Tuna Tataki over Salad Greens -- back to top
We made tuna tataki using our regular recipe. The tuna was super fresh since there was a special thing going on at the Asian market. We've made this before but I never did the rub. Well this time we did it (with black sesame) and it was incredible! The pan was super hot so we got a really nice crust and a nice sear while the insides were still nearly raw (it's sushi-grade tuna). We made the dressing and served the whole thing over salad greens.
This was so good! We should make this more often!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9185, 2014-11-08_211054
I forgot to take a picture of this, but really, it was no different than my regular taco stew. I probably set a record for throwing it together in record time. But once it was together, I let it simmer for a really, really long time.
It was really good as usual but nothing special.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9211, 2014-11-09_183304
Mie Goreng [Indonesian Fried Noodle] with Kohlrabi Noodles -- back to top
We made Mie Goreng, a Java Fried Noodle that Meredith had and loved when she visited Indonesia. The biggest thing we did though was to use spiralized kohlrabi for the noodles. We spiralized 3 of them and the stir-fried it in two batches until they were softer and beginning to cook.
For the rest, we made two batches of the recipe (lunch and dinner) and made the following changes to each batch:
It stir-fried well. I was a bit worried about the shrimp but I threw them in a few second before the greens and they cooked enough. I did have to scrape (with a wooden spatula) the bottom of the wok from the paste sticking. Making the paste was torture on the eyes from the shallots but other than that, the work of the meal was really just chopping.
And it came out really good. Meredith said that it was reminiscent of what she had in Indonesia. We'll make it again. And, it was pretty low points. Basically just from the shrimp, the oil and the sugar in the Kecap Manis.
Kecap Manis [Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce] (from Fuss Free Cooking)
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Mie Goreng [Indonesian Fried Noodle] (from Wok With Ray)
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Original WP Post ID: 9201
Original WP Pub Date: 2014-11-10_203529
Soy Chorizo and Cabbage -- back to top
We threw this together quickly. In the past, we really liked mixing roasted cauliflower with soy chorizo. This is essentially the same idea. We roasted 2/4 head of cabbage and then sautéd a whole soy chorizo with half of a leftover seitan chicken and some capers. Topped it with a fried egg.
Nothing special but it was easy!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9214, 2014-11-11_213552
Burmese Shan Tofu Salad and Cod -- back to top
The real star of this meal was the Burmese Tofu Salad. We used the recipe fromBurma: Rivers of Flavor (local copy) to make it. We made the tofu in the morning as per the recipe and let it harden during the day (we did the one with turmeric). Then, we made the sauce exactly as she said including with kefir lime leaves. The two biggest things we missed with the recipe was we forgot the sesame seeds and we made a quicker shallot oil. Her recipe for shallot oil takes a long time and we forgot it. So, instead fof15 minutes, we made a (very much scaled down) version in about 5 with higher heat. Honestly, it was fine and contributed really nicely to the flavor.
The Shan Tofu on its own was a bit strange. Had a grittiness that you often don't find with soy tofu. And it was a bit salty. But it was really good in the salad. The lime leaves really do add a ton of flavor! And you could really taste (and smell) the shallots and shallot oil. I will say though that I thought it had just a tinge of a Lemon Pledge scent. Not unpleasant but still a bit surprising.
We also made seared cod using my usual searing method but for less time since cod is more delicate. The topping was a 7-Seed Crust we had bought. I thought it actually had kind of a strange taste. Not sure if it was the cod, the crust, the cooking method or a combination thereof.
Burmese Chickpea (Shan) Tofu Salad [Tohu Thoke] (from a digital version ofBurma: Rivers of Flavor)
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Original WP Post ID: 9221
Original WP Pub Date: 2014-11-12_213524
Shan Tofu Salad Take II -- back to top
This is a follow up to yesterday's food. I had leftovers of the tofu so I made the same thing but I tried it this time with cilantro rather than kefir lime leaves. Also, I topped it with a fried egg that was fried in the same oil as the shallots
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9228, 2014-11-13_120528
Fesenjan Chicken and Carrot Salad -- back to top
Meredith and I were having my uncle over for dinner and we wanted to make something different so we decided on a Persian dish called Fesenjan. It is a pomegranate chicken with walnuts. The key ingredients are toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses. You can make the latter by cooking down pomegranate juice or you can buy it (which we did). The walnuts get toasted and then ground.
The recipe is from Minimalist Baker (_local_). It is actually pretty easy. We essentially stayed true to the recipe except we 1.5x it. We did use brown rice but also first toasted it a bit to bring out extra flavor (and we made extra for another dish)
It came out extremely good though not very pretty. It turns black while cooking! Also, I think it was a bit wet. We would certainly make this again; maybe as a side with chickpeas and some whole walnuts.
BUT... there is one downside. It ends up being a lot of points. See the nutritional information below. The only thing is, I do not know about the molasses. The numbers on the nutrition label for each constituent source of calories does not meet the number of calories. And, there is little agreement amongst the internet. A few sites say about 40 cal/Tbsp while a lot of others say 40cal/tsp. The calories on the bottle we bought say 120cal/Tbsp (which == 40 cal/tsp). So, I think I will go with that. 6 Tbsp = 18 points. However, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice is 136 calories so this still may be way off.
We also made the carrot salad from 2014-10-27. It was good though not as good as I remembered.
Fesenjan [Persian Pomegranate Chicken] (from Minimalist Baker)
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Included is the outline I made for timing. I was about 20 minutes off of it though.
Again, see note above about the pomegranate molasses. And note that this includes rice.
| Item | x | Cal | Fat | Carbs | protein | fiber | per | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pom Syrup* | 4 | 120 | 0.00 | 36.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.91 | 15.63 |
| Walnuts | 1.5 | 523 | 52.00 | 11.00 | 12.00 | 5.00 | 15.26 | 22.89 |
| 1 cup rice | 1 | 684 | 5.00 | 143.00 | 15.00 | 6.00 | 17.70 | 17.70 |
| Chicken (oz) | 16 | 35 | 1.39 | 0.00 | 5.32 | 0.00 | 0.84 | 13.50 |
| Honey | 2 | 64 | 0.00 | 17.00 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 1.85 | 3.71 |
| Oil | 3 | 120 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.60 | 10.80 |
| Total | 2996.50 | 147.24 | 337.50 | 118.32 | 13.50 | 84.24 | ||
| Per Serving | 4 | 749.13 | 36.81 | 84.38 | 29.58 | 3.38 | 21.06 |
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9235, 2014-11-13_200008
Beef Bourguignon, Zucchini with Asian Peanut Sauce and Cilantro-Eggdrop soup -- back to top
Meredith and I had company over so we decided that it would be a good idea to make a few things that we like and know would be good but still kind of special.
We made three things we've had before. We made cilantro egg drop soup (w/o meat) and with less oil and nothing special on the croutons. For the meal we made our now-standard-but-intense Beef Bourguignon (with less meat and olive oil instead of butter) and we made zucchini noodles asian peanut sauce.. It came out a bit watery but it was still good. We also served bread.
The meal was pretty good. It took a bit too long making it and made our friends wait a bit but we were only a few minutes late. The meal was a success though.
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Original WP Post ID: 9240
Original WP Pub Date: 2014-11-15_181000
Fast [faux] Pho ga -- back to top
I was craving Pho but I didn't want to go out and get it and I didn't want to go crazy like last time. Instead, I tried to make an easier version at home.
I made one gallon using mostly the seasonings from last time (just the first addition). And, instead of making stock, I used light Better Than Bouillon (I usually go heavy. It calls for 1tsp/cup or 4 tsp/qt and I go heavy. This time, I used 3tsp=1Tbsp/qt).
Also, instead of all rice noodles, we used mostly spiralized kohlrabi. Once it softened, it was pretty good!
It worked out well but could be improved as I note below. I liked the fully developed flavor and it certainly tasted like mediocre pho. Not as good as the real thing, but honestly not bad either! And I think with my noted changes to be made next time it will be even better!
We also used the opportunity to poach chicken to shred for later in the week and some for the soup
Here are the ingredients I used this time with notes on what to change for next time (especially the black pepper). This really came together quickly! And it was pretty good.
In the broiler, char onions and ginger. Note that the ginger may need more time. Add to the broth when finished.
Make l stock out of the water and Better Than Bouillon or use purchased stock. Note that this represents a 1 Tbsp (3 tsp) to 4 cups (1 qt) ratio as opposed to what is called for.
Toast the whole spices (anise through fennel seeds) in a pan until aromatic. Add to the broth. Add the salt, sugar and cardamom.
Bring to a simmer. Add chicken and poach chicken for 13-18 minutes or until it has reached 160. Remove chicken and allow the soup to continue to simmer, covered, for an hour or so. Strain and serve
Serve with normal Pho things
The biggest thing is to cut the pepper as noted. The soup had a very strong pepper spice that kind of burned! Also, I will reduce the cinnamon and the star anise.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9258, 2014-11-16_173553
Cilantro Veggie Stir-fry -- back to top
My quest for a cilantro stir-fry sauce continues. This time, I used a low fat and calories (70 cal/ 0.25 cup) cilantro dressing from Trader Joes. I mixed 1/2 cup dressing with 2 Tbsp of the thin low-sodium Kikkoman Teriyaki. It was good but not what I was going for. Honestly, it kind of tasted like a slightly cilantro lite italian dressing.
The actual stir-fry was
It was certainly a good and fast meal. I will keep playing with sauces
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9262, 2014-11-17_191542
Lentil Moussaka -- back to top
I made lentil moussaka. The only real change was that I used green (or french?) lentils instead of the brown ones and I used asian eggplant. The brown ones may be a bit boring, but I think they are better in moussaka Just a better texture.
As you can see from the photo, making it in a big tray meant I didn't have enough "bechamel" sauce. Next time, I'll make more if I am using a tray like this.
Also, I used the mandoline to slice the eggplant and potatoes into 1/4 in slices. While it is fine for the potato, I think it may be a bit thin for the eggplant since it shrunk and was too thin.
It was nice in that it made 8 solid servings!
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9271, 2014-11-18_192009
Mahi Mahi and Swiss Chard -- back to top
This was a simple Wednesday night dinner. It was mango coconut mahi mahi from Whole Foods and sautéd swiss chard. I did the mahi mahi on the stove+oven. Simple and fast. Pretty good too! (The mahi mahi may have been a tad overcooked)
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9267, 2014-11-19_123523
Teriyaki Eggplant -- back to top
This was a super-simple side dish for lunch. I sliced up an asian eggplant and stir-fried it. For sauce, I just used a bit of the thin, low-sodium teriyaki.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9276, 2014-11-20_142507
Steak Tacos with Peppers and Onions plus Cabbage Slaw -- back to top
We had steak tacos with cabbage slaw and some sautéed peppers and onions. The cabbage slaw was from this meal. I used a bit too much onion but other than that it was really good (I like this recipe a lot). It is a bit strange for this meal but we planned it when we had considered shrimp tacos so we stuck with it. The onions and peppers were just cooked in the cast-iron pan before I did the steak.
The steak was a big piece of round. I thought it was similar to Eye of Round from thai restaurants but this had a lot more fat in it. It was really chewy. I also wasn't sure if I cooked it well. I think I had too high a heat on the cast iron so the outside overcooked before the inside. I checked the temp a bunch with the thermometer and got inconsistent readings. I let it sit 5 minutes before cutting it but it still lost a lot of juice. BTW, I had marinated it in 1 Tbsp oil plus 2 Tbsp soy sauce. So while I would do steak tacos again, I would look for a better cut of meat.
The tortillas were from Whole Foods. I had considered making my own the the Whole Foods ones are really good and it saved a lot of work.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9280, 2014-11-20_213015
Smokey Tortilla Soup -- back to top
Meredith and I made a smokey tortilla soup from Home Sick Texan (local link).
We stayed pretty true to the recipe with the following changes
The soup was really good. Smokey but lots of flavor and delicious. I would certainly make this again. It was also pretty easy.
Note the chicken was from the pho earlier in the week.
Smokey Tortilla Soup (From Homesick Texan, page 127)
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Original WP Post ID: 9290
Original WP Pub Date: 2014-11-22_225510
Smokey Cauliflower Fritters and Steamed Shumai -- back to top
I will come back and update this but Meredith made smokey cauliflower fritters. Mashed roasted cauliflower and added some smokey seasonings. We also had store bought (frozen) steamed chicken Shumai. Pretty good meal. I kind of liked the combination of store bought and home made. It make life easier but still felt like we cooked
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9297, 2014-11-23_202029
Broccoli and Brussel Sprout Stir-Fry -- back to top
This was a quick stir-fry of broccoli and brussel sprouts with some miso ginger dressing. For protein, I diced some tempeh. It was a while ago so I do not recall everything. But my wok kept craping out with the induction so I heated and used the cast-iron dutch oven. I think I will try to use this from now on or a while over the wok. We'll see how well it works
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9300, 2014-11-24_132006
I made chicken pho which is now part of my recipe book. As I noted last time, I cut the pepper and some of the spices. I was out of fennel seeds but that didn't matter much. Also, adding a packet of gelatin was nice. It have it some more mouth feel.
See the recipe for the most up to date on how I like to do this. This time, we also used real rice noodles. And some veggies and a fried egg
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9303, 2014-11-24_202028
Tuna Tataki and Veggies Samosas -- back to top
I again mixed home-made with pre-made. We had some store-bought veggies samosas. They were small but you got a good amount in a serving that was only ~250 calories. Not bad.
And we made tuna tataki. We had some issues with the pan not being hot enough or something like that but it came out pretty good. Not as good as last time but the fish was probably inferior. The crust on these is really good and adds a lot.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9306, 2014-11-25_212023
Fesenjan and Caramelized Butternut Squash -- back to top
For Thanksgiving, I made vegetarian Fesenjan and caramelized butternut squash.
The fesenjan was the same recipe as last time but vegetarian. I used Osem for the chicken (following the guidelines roughly on amount) and for protein I had chick peas (1 large and 1 small can) with more toasted whole walnut. It was good like last time but the color was different. Maybe it was me not using the dutch oven or maybe it had to do with the chicken stuff. We made double and tried to thicken it more. It was really good but a bit rich. Fine for Thanksgiving style side dish.
I also made caramelized butternut squash. I didn't choose the recipe but I made it. The recipe is from Ina Garden. I basically followed it with the changes being
It was very popular though I thought it was a bit mushy. Still, I'd make it again for a special occasion.
Caramelized Butternut Squash (from Ina Garten)
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Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9309, 2014-11-27_132041