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/2020/04
All sub pages for /posts/2020/04
Meredith made One-Pot Mushroom Pasta from The Kitchn (LOCAL). Her notes are below:
Next time double mushrooms! It was really good and really easy. I think it would be great with a skewer of grilled shrimp on the side.
Salmon Croquettes -- back to top
Meredith made Salmon Croquettes again baking them rather than frying them. (375°F for ~15 minutes then flip and another 5-10). They were good as usual. The cornmeal adds an interesting texture. (2020-04-21: These changes are now in our recipe book)
Served with leftover pesto snap peas
Flourless Brownie Cookies -- back to top
Meredith made Flourless Brownie Cookies from Sprinkle Bakes (LOCAL). I think I put too much egg white in these cookies. They really spread when they hit the tray.
On Sunday, Meredith gave them another try. Her comments are:
Only the whites of 2 large eggs this time. Definitely looked thicker, but I was still feeling nervous so I tossed in another spoonful of cocoa powder. The cookies that had a lot of walnut pieces seemed to hold together pretty well, but the ones that were a little scant on the walnut front spread a lot still. But still less than last time. Topped with a little sprinkle of Maldon salt before baking.
And did the 5 minute rest after scooping onto the tray. I missed that direction last time.
Meatloaf (from the freezer) -- back to top
This was one of the frozen (frozen when raw) from 2019-12-09 of our typical meatloaf.
It cooked up fine but had a lot of fat and a lot of water as seen in the pictures below. The fat is likely because it was 88% lean which is fattier than we often do. The water is likely from the veggies having given off more water after freezing.
Buffalo Chicken Chili -- back to top
Buffalo (Quorn) chicken chili from the usual recipe. Unlike last time with Quorn, this time it was mushier and not as good. The only thing we could think of is that she used the dutch oven and simmered this on the stove instead of slow cooking in the Instant Pot. May or may not have mattered
Meredith decided to hop on the bandwagon and try Dalgona coffee. There are tons of recipes around but they are all basically the same: 2 tbsp each instant coffee, sugar, hot water.
However, we really struggled to get it to work. Here is what we tried:
I thought it tasted kind of icky on its own (probably because of the instant coffee) but mixed into the Oat Milk, it was really good!
Meredith made lemon bars from Martha Stewart (LOCAL)
Added zest of 1 lemon to crust and zest of another lemon to filling. Nothing is too lemony for a Huffsmith! My pan may be a little bit bigger, so I struggled to spread the crust to cover. Since I felt like I’d handled it kind of a bit, I stuck it in the freezer for 15 min before baking. It still needed to bake for the 20 min to get to a light golden color.
Next time, I would do 1.5 times the recipe for the crust. You really need enough to be able to press up the sides a ways. I was happy with the amount of filling though.
They tasted really good but were really sticky. They were hard to remove from the pan and then they stuck to the knife. Using some pam on the knife helped.
Carrot Cake Blender Muffins -- back to top
Carrot Cake Blender Muffins from Inspiralized (LOCAL). Added almond flour. Also, it make about 9 in a cannelés pan
The original plan was to use Five-Spice Powder but I got this idea as I was looking for the spices. I followed Serious Eats for the salt and baking powder then added these spices. So it was
I dried the wings then tossed them with the seasonings. I then let them dry overnight in the fridge. I made 12 but ate 10 (Meredith had the other two). It was certainly enough food!
They came out super, super crispy but they were also a bit of a letdown. Not bad by any means but also not super flavorful either. I could taste the spices but I think I should have sauced them. Next time!
Curried Chickpeas -- back to top
Meredith made curried chickpeas with the same changes and notes as last time. Only real note is that she had to use some Trader Joes coconut milk and it was separated and hard to homogenize
Man O' War (aka Loggerhead Turtle) Cocktail -- back to top
Meredith has been really into this cocktail from Salt and Wind (LOCAL). We've been halving everything to make just one serving except not only did we not halve the lemon, we increased the amount. Maybe 4X total.
We names the extra lemon version a Loggerhead Turtle since they are a predator of them.
Pistachio Arugula Patties -- back to top
I made our regular (modified) pistachio and arugula patties. I forgot the salt and the oil. Surprisingly, it did seem a bit more dry than usual. I am surprised 1 Tbsp makes a difference. The meat also may have been more lean.
As always, this (especially the sauce) was a hit with Caroline
Potsticker Stir-Fry -- back to top
Meredith made a pot-sticker stir fry. She used a recipe from Woman's Day (LOCAL) as a guide.
I made Carne Adovada. Since all I had was hot chile and since last time it was too hot, I didn't use any chile water this time. I am really surprised how much of a difference it made. It was still spicy but much more tolerable!
I made it around 11:30 while working from home, put it in the oven, and completely forgot about it until 5:30ish. I came downstairs and was wondering what smelled so good!
It was good. Much more tolerable spice! I made it into 9 servings though some feel rather small.
Hummingbird Easter Bunny Cake -- back to top
Meredith made a Hummingbird Cake for Easter. Like last time, she used the frosting from Add a Pinch. Each cake layer weighed around 1lb 15 oz (pan included), and then it made 6 cupcakes, too.
She used the idea from Easter Bunny Cake [Jenny Steffens] (just the design). You make a single layer of cake and cut it in half, then glue together with frosting into a half moon shape. Then you cut a small bit out of the top and use it to make a tail. Cover with shredded coconut. She made an extra bunny to give to our neighbor friends.
She wanted to note that this frosting recipe is super soft and not good for piping or trying to do any sort of intricate decoration. Not bad for covering in shredded coconut, though.
The cake came out really good like last time! This is my favorite cake!
Meredith made her new favorite salmon salad. She had 2.4 lbs salmon so she doubled the recipe for the rest. It was bit salty but very good!
Meredith used shallots instead of red onion!
And really not too unhealthy with just 1/2 cup mayo in the whole thing!
We made a small Easter Brunch this year. There as only the three of use because of the quarantine. We had a ham from Costco and made pesto cauliflower. Meredith roasted it for about an hour with salt and garlic powder and then tossed it with pesto (from Costco) afterwards.
Meredith also made Hummingbird Cake but that has it's own page
Meredith made Hot Dish. We bought the beef last week and Meredith made the beef mixture a few days before making the rest (this note was added to the recipe). She made the soup a different day and split it into two serving dishes as seen above.
We got about 3.5 servings (two rows of tater tots) out of the small one and froze the larger one.
We used Walmart brand tater tots. They were fine but we think our favorite is Sprouts.
Zucchini Soy Chorizo Ragu -- back to top
Soy Chorizo Ragu with zucchini noodles
Malted Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies -- back to top
Recipe from Serious Eats (LOCAL). Used golden syrup instead of barley malt syrup, since I had that from making Anzac biscuits. Also, did a mix of 1/2 walnut, 1/2 pecan for the nuts. For the chocolate, I used up some dark chocolate chunks, then added semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular and mini size) to make up the rest. I chopped all the chocolate focusing on the chunks because they were pretty nice sized chunks.
The cookies were certainly good. Not the “revelation” we hoped for but very good!
Meredith made Christmas Ham Sandwiches using leftover ham from Easter. She halved the recipe since she only bought one pack of rolls and only let it sit for a few hours. Still, the were very good! Using the leftover ham worked well enough. Cutting it was a bit harder and it pulled some ham from the neighboring sandwiches but not a major issue.
Mushroom Pasta with Shrimp -- back to top
Meredith made her new favorite meal: Creamy Mushroom Pasta. This time she actually used double the mushrooms. And used 1/2 cup cream and 1/4 cup whole milk to slightly lighten it.
This time we also did grilled shrimp for protein.
I did the shrimp like I like to do chicken on the grill. I brush it with oil first and then season it. I McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning. I grilled it for about 3 minutes per side. They came out pretty good!
Matzo Ball Soup -- back to top
I made my dad's traditional passover Matzo (Matzoh) Ball Soup but less traditional.
For the soup, I added 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks and one whole onion to boiling water. For the onion, you cut off the top leaving the root intact and peel. This holds it together until the whole thing dissolves.
Anyway, I used Better than Bouillon and simmered it for about 10 hours (total). I was constantly playing though. I struggled to keep the simmer. It would either be too low or nearly rolling boil. Still, I tried my best. I also had to keep adding water as I went. I was going by taste to see how much Bouillon and how much water should be in there.
I also made a double batch of Knaidlach adding a handful of parsley (finely chopped) and a scant tsp of nutmeg. That at in the fridge for about 8.5 hours. I did use real butter (making it really not kosher)
I turned up the heat and individually formed each knaidlach then dropped them into a roll of the rolling boil. Once they were all in, I covered it and brought it back to a simmer (this time, erring on the side of too hot, not too cold). I let it cook for 1.5 hours, covered. It made about 20 medium-sized knaidlach.
It was really good. The onion all but dissolved. The carrots held on as did some celery. Caroline even really liked the cooled broth!
Lemon Blueberry Almond Sheet Pan Pancakes -- back to top
Meredith didn't feel like having pancakes so instead she made a Sheet Pan Pancake. She used the recipe from Krusteaz (LOCAL). She halved the recipe and used almond extract, lemon zest, and some blueberries.
I also cooked some bacon in the microwave.
Meredith made Vegan Ceviche as a side for dinner (just fish sticks). Only chance was to not use chile pepper in case Caroline has some.
Huevos Rancheros -- back to top
I made Huevos but I tried two new things. For both mine and Meredith's, we used a large flour tortilla since it's all we had.
I did Meredith's pretty much the normal way otherwise except I had to rely much more on the broiler since the tortilla was much larger and thicker so the eggs weren't cooking.
I tried to do mine differently. The plan was to put the tortilla on top of scrambled eggs but I didn't have my act together so the egg was too cooked. I will likely try again soon
One-Pot Tomato, Beans, and Orzo -- back to top
Meredith made One-Pot Tomato Chickpeas and Orzo. We used a mix of great northern beans and chickpeas. We served it with some pesto since it calls for serving with parmesan and basil.
Pesto Chicken Salad -- back to top
Meredith made pesto chicken salad. It was based on Costco Rotisserie Chicken Breasts (about a 1/3 of a package) and Kirkland brand pesto. She used mostly mayo with some greek yogurt mixed in too. She also added some cucumber to add crunch and veggies.
It came out really good!
Salmon Croquettes -- back to top
Meredith used her normal recipe which she moved to its own recipe page.
Egg Quesadilla / Tortilla Omelet -- back to top
This is a retry/adaption of what I was trying to do on Monday.
First, I diced up and sautéed (really just to heat) a bunch of leftover ham. I then took that off the stove and let the pan cool a bit. I then added two beaten eggs (with a splash of milk). Topped it with the ham then then some mozzarella. Finally, I put a tortilla on top and pressed down to try t get it to seal with the eggs.
I flipped it (carefully, in the air) and let the bottom cook for a bit. I used some more mozzarella and a bit of Adobo powder. I finally folded it.
It was good. I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it any great revelation in cooking but it was a nice change.
This is a better list of steps:
On a mostly-cool (see updated recipe), well-greased pan over medium, add two eggs scrambled with a splash of water or milk
Quickly add desired toppings. Toppings can be added here or at a later step. Cheese should go later. I like meat at this step
Place large flour tortilla on top and press into the egg. The egg should still be liquid on top
Cook until the tortilla is well "glued" to the egg. Carefully slide a spatula under the eggs to ensure it is loose. Spray the tortilla with pam
Carefully flip. Tossing it works well but be careful. Reduce heat to low or medium-low
Add additional toppings to one side of the egg. Generally, just cheese
Cover and let melt. Then fold.
Hotdogs and Asparagus -- back to top
Nothing too special. I grilled hotdogs including trying one “spiral cut”. I actually liked it more and I would try it again.
I also grilled about a pound of asparagus. I did kill it dead overcook it a bit. I had tossed it with olive oil and Everything Bagel Seasoning
Coconut Banana Sheet Pan Pancakes -- back to top
Sheet Pan Pancakes but with coconut, bananas and mini chocolate chips.
Southwestern Chicken Salad -- back to top
Meredith made Southwest Chicken Salad with:
Next Time: Would benefit from crunch such as radishes (or celery). Maybe some jalapeño when Caroline can handle spice. Also a squeeze of lime
Grilled Broccoli and Hotdogs -- back to top
I grilled broccoli using the grill basket. Maybe a bit too hot for not long enough as there was a mix of char and some raw but really not bad either. And hotdogs...
Grilled Shrimp and Vegan Ceviche -- back to top
Grilled shrimp with half Montreal Seasoning and half Adobo. I actually meant to do just Montreal but realized that after the Adobo went on one half.
Meredith also made Vegan Ceviche except that the cilantro went bad so it was missing.
Fiesta Burgers and Broccoli -- back to top
I made "Fiesta Burgers". I basically mixed a packet of low-sodium taco seasoning into 1.5 lbs of ground turkey. While I do not consider myself a burger aficionado or connoisseur, I have done a lot of reading so I knew I was making two major burger mistakes. (A) I was super handling it to add the seasonings and (B) I was mixing salt into the patties (which makes it more like a sausage texture). I also tried something different. Like I do with chicken, rather than oil the grates, I oiled the top of the patties. I tried to pull the patties off the parchment (meh success) and flip then onto the grill. I got a few minor flare ups. Then, before turning, I oiled the top. Flipping it this time caused major flames. Oops.
They did come out pretty good though. Not a great texture but we liked the flavor.
I also grilled broccoli with Fox Point seasoning. I did better at not burning it and going for longer at a lower temp. I thought they were cooked enough but could have used more. Meredith was happy with it.
Milk Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies -- back to top
Milk Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies from Joy the Baker (LOCAL)
Meredith’s Notes
They were good and very reminiscent of cookies and cream ice cream. But “not everything I wanted them to be”. Not my “go-to” cookie recipe.
Almond, Lemon, and Blueberry Sheet-pan Pancakes -- back to top
Caroline loves these. She at two servings!
Pasta Salad with Roasted Peppers, Tuna, and Oregano Vinaigrette -- back to top
Meredith made Tuna Pasta Salad from The Kitchn (LOCAL)
Notes:
We liked it enough. Caroline was not very impressed but she just may not have been hungry
I made Tofu Satay as I’ve done before. This was the first time I actually used pineapple juice. The coconut milk was from Trader Joe’s and it’s awful. It’s entirely non homogenized and super chunky. You can see it in the photo below. The fats did melt as I grilled the them and coated the tofu.
They came out pretty good and the baby even likes it (especially with the peanut butter sauce).
Meredith made the easy-version sauce and it was really good!
Turkey Pistachio Arugula Meatballs -- back to top
I made what is quickly becoming a standard. Turkey Pistachio Arugula Patties based on this recipe and some of the mods at the top.
This one was 1.5x. I just used a giant onion instead of two smaller ones. Still, it was super, super wet. Between being really wet and making more so they were cramped on the pan, I left them in "ball" state and not patties. I also cooked them longer before broiling. And I managed to drain a lot of liquid between cooking and broiling.
-- back to top