The Grate Latke Cook Off Results

Well folks the results are in and I am a bit surprised.  My son's version of traditional latkes tasted better that mine.  We all got together in my kitchen the last night of Hanukkah.  I had already made a batch earlier in the day following the steps I posted last week with one change.  My daughter uses her immersion blender to get the desired consistency in the grated potatoes.  I decided to try that and boy was it easier.  I used the food processor to  grate all the potatoes and the onion, dumped it into a large bowl and used the tool below to finish the job.  It was so much easier and faster that grating the potatoes twice in the food processor and there were many less bowls to wash.

As for the latkes, he used the same basic recipe but followed the Bon Appetit steps and really drained the grated potatoes and onions.

http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/12/the-best-latke-recipe.html

The key differences are:  Lots of onions (about 1 lb for every 3 lbs of potatoes, but you can use slightly less if you like); DRAIN the mixture. let them sit in the colander and you can use your hands to squeeze them.  To make THIN crispy latkes (no hockey pucks) he took my quarter cup measuring cup and filled it with the potato mixture.  He dropped it into the hot oil and then used the back of the measuring cup to flatten them and salted them when they come out of the pan.

Those are his keys to success.  Also, you don't need a ton of oil, just make just sure it's very hot.  Not so hot that the latkes burn, but hot enough so the oil doesn't simply absorb into the latkes.

For reheating his favorite technique is to put them in the toaster oven on 375ish for 5-7 minutes until the oil in the latkes is bubbling on the outside.  Then cook for 90 seconds on each side in a hot pan with a little drizzle of hot oil, to recrisp and make sure they taste fresh.

As for topping the latkes, my friend sent me an interesting recipe that she modified from the December 5 edition of the NY Times, which can be used to serve with latkes or for vegetable dip.

Garlicky Beet Spread with Yogurt, Dill and Horseradish

TOTAL TIME

20 minutes, plus 1 to 1 1/2 hours’ roasting 

Ingredients

·  2 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed (you and use Trader Joe's from refrigerator section)

·  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for beets

·  45 grams walnuts (about 1/2 cup)

·  1 very large clove garlic, minced (if it is too garlicky-adjust to your taste.)

·  3 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon), more to taste

·  1 cup Greek yogurt (plain, get the thickest variety) or if doubling, you can use 1 part yogurt and 1 part sour cream to improve the taste & thickness.  (Can use 0% fat for both.)

·  2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste- my friend used more used more

·  2 teaspoons chopped dill – my friend used more & added lemon zest.

·  1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish – (my friend thought it was too much. So adjust to your taste.)

Preparation

1. To roast beets, heat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add 3 tablespoons water to bottom of dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning beets after 45 minutes. Let cool, then peel. (Or you can use fresh cooked beets from Trader Joe's refrigerator section & skip the messy roasting/peeling)

2. Using a food processor, grind walnuts, garlic and salt until very finely ground. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the peeled beets, oil, yogurt, lemon juice, dill and horseradish and pulse until relatively smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon or salt, or both, if needed. Serve with latkes or fritters, or use as a dip for vegetables. (You can start with a mini food processor and finish with the immersion blender which makes for easier clean up.)

YIELD- 2 cups; It’s very pretty. Also my friend thinks it tastes better if you let it sit overnight or for 1-2 days.

Enjoy!

The Grate Latke Cook Off Challenge

Last week I was challenged to see if I could make latkes that were better than the ones bought at a famous deli on Third Avenue.  The tasters were several friends one of whom was a vegan so I had to make two batches one with an egg and one without an egg.  Finding the right egg substitute was not difficult since there are literally hundreds on the internet, but almost all of them are intended for baking.  I did choose the Flax Vegan Egg Substitute below because I thought it would work the best.
 http://www.food.com/recipe/flax-vegan-egg-substitute-104832

In the past, when I have made latkes, I have taken the lazy girl's approach.  I threw all the ingredients into the blender and blended until the mixture was the consistency of pancake batter.  Although the latkes tasted terrific, they lacked the crunchiness associated with the ones that were grated by hand by all our mothers.

I knew that the lazy girl's approach would not work for this challenge. My ancient Cuisinart blender only has three blades, and the one intended for grating produces large chunks of potato that could not be used for frying.  So I tried a different approach.  I also bought two kinds of potatoes that required no peeling, yukon gold and and white potatoes. I started with two bowls.  I scrubbed the potatoes and cut them into quarters.  I also cut the onion in half because I wanted to work in batches.  I grated two potatoes and half the onion, transferred the mixture to the first bowl, put the mixture back into the food processor and using the blade intended for mushing, I pulsed the mixture for 5 pulses. I put that mixture into the second bowl and repeated the process with the remaining two potatoes and onion.  This method produced a mixture that was very similar to the one that you can get using a hand grater.

LATKE INGREDIENTS:
4 large potatoes or 6 medium
1 medium sized onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
3 tablespoons matzo meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
vegetable oil for frying

NOTE:  For vegan latkes substitute the flax vegan egg substitute

I then added the remaining ingredients and mixed them well.  I added some oil to my largest frying pan and first formed the mixture into egg shaped balls and then flattened and fried them.  I made two batches, one vegan and one non-vegan.

Now came the taste test.  All 3 batches of latkes were transported to my friend's house and reheated in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

After some agonizing moments, the results were in.....and it was unanimous. My home made latkes were the best (both non-vegan and vegan) and the famous deli ones were a distant second.  And because I used potatoes that I did not have to peel, the entire process was much less tiring.

Summer Soups

I love soup.  Anytime I see a soup recipe my heart goes pitter patter.  So you can imagine my delight when the June 3rd New York Times Magazine had twelve soup recipes by Mark Bittman.  Although Vichyssoise is far and away my favorite, I wanted to come up with a lower calorie alternative.  My favorite South Beach Diet recipe, mashed potatoes,  substitutes cauliflower for potatoes.  So I figured if it is good enough for South Beach, it is good enough for me.  I started with two chopped leeks.  Now leeks tend to be sandy so they have to be thoroughly washed.  I sauteed the leeks in one tablespoon of olive oil - no butter.  While the leeks were cooking, I cut a head of fresh cauliflower into florets and added them to the leeks.  I let that cook for about 5 minutes and added 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth, but you can use low sodium vegetable broth.  I brought it to a boil, let it cook for about 45 minutes then turned off the heat.  After it cooled a little I used my immersion blender to puree the soup.  You can add fat free half and half or low fat milk and eat this soup hot or cold.

If you get very lazy, you can substitute an onion for the leeks and use a bag of frozen cauliflower florets. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/magazine/soup-hold-the-heat.html?src=me&ref=magazine

Not satisfied with mock Vichyssoise, I next tried the Carrot soup.  I again massaged the  recipe slightly.  I used 5 large carrots that I cut into large chunks.  Chopping is too difficult.  I simmered the soup a long time, (about 45 minutes) so that the carrots would get nice and soft before I pureed.  However, I felt that peeling carrots was too much work, so the next time I made the soup, I used a bag of baby carrots.  Frankly, the larger, whole carrots made a better soup.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/03/magazine/cold-soups.html?ref=magazine

Now, I am getting more creative.  I keep hearing that Kale is good for you, so I bought some.  However, I had no clue as to what I was going to do with the Kale.  I decided to make soup.  I followed the steps for the Garden-Greens Vichyssoise.  First I browned a chopped onion in some olive oil.  I added some chopped celery.  I washed the kale and chopped it into large chunks discarding the stems.  I decided to clean out the refrigerator, so I also added a chopped cooked Yukon gold potato and a chopped cooked sweet potato to the pot.  I added 4 cups of Rachael Ray low sodium chicken broth and simmered for 45 minutes, let it cool and then pureed.  I will let you know how it tastes the next time I update this blog.

Yummy Lasagna

There has been alot written about weight loss in the last few weeks.  First there was an article in the January 1 issue of the NY Times by Tara Parker-Pope called "The Fat Trap".

  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=all


Then in mid January, Paula Deen, a TV cooking chef, announced that she has had Type 2 Diabetes for two years.  Reading Pope's article can leave one with the impression that our bodies are not cooperating and that those of us who carry a few extra pounds are predisposed to never lose them.  However, I took away another view, one that really hit home after Paula Deen's announcement.  Although nobody wants to be fat, those of us who have been vigilant over the years, those of us who have substituted lower fat options for full fat ones are now being rewarded by the postponement of diseases like Type 2 Diabetes and high cholesterol, which if we continue following our paths we may never get.

One thing we must remember is that the road to avoiding these diseases is not substituting lower fat options for higher fat ones in only one recipe, as Paula Deen has done below, but to be innovative enough to continue to follow these types of substitutions in every dish you prepare.

Frankly, I have read Paula's low fat lasagna recipe several times and can't figure out how a normal portion can only be 260 calories because my recipe below has close to 500 calories (face it folks - Lasagna is not a low calorie meal.).

 http://www.diabetesinanewlight.com./recipes.aspx


I recently made a lasagna for our Super Bowl Sunday.  It took me half the time that Paula's recipe did because I used Mario Batali's prepared pasta sauce.  The sauce is delicious and has only 70 calories per serving, 0 mg of cholesterol and 180 ml of sodium (one of the lowest I have been able to find).

I start with 12 lasagna noodles (I have been unable to find whole wheat lasagna noodle options), 1 small container of part skim ricotta, an 8 ounce package of shredded part skim Mozzarella cheese and 1 egg and some grated Parmesan cheese.  I substitute 1 package of Boca Ground Crumbles for beef.

Bring a 6 quart pot of water to a boil and cook 12 lasagna noodles for about 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water.
While the noodles are cooking, brown the crumbles in a very small amount of olive oil.
Meanwhile spray your 9X13 lasagna pan with Pam spray and lightly coat with some of  the pasta sauce.

Mix the remaining pasta sauce into the crumbles.
Scramble the egg and mix the the scrambled egg into the ricotta cheese.
After the noodles are done layer 4 noodles in the bottom of the pan, top with half the crumble mixture
and half of the mozzarella cheese
Layer 4 noodles over this and top with the ricotta cheese mixture
Layer 4 noodles over the ricotta cheese mixture
Spread the remaining crumble mixture over the noodles, top with the remainder of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle lightly with some Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, uncover and bake another 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

Calorie Count
Lasagna noodles - 200 per serving
Part Skim Ricotta cheese - 100 per serving
Part Skim Mozzarella cheese - 80 per serving
Marion Batali Pasta Sauce - 70 per serving
Boca Ground Crumbles - 60 per serving
Cholesterol - approximately 40 mg
Sodium -   approximately 680 mg

I'm Sorry

Dear Blog Friends,


I have to apologize.  I have not added any blogs since last May. I have made excuse after excuse to myself.  First I told myself that no one cooks in the summer, it is too hot and we all grill.  Then I decided to retire so work became a little hectic and I just put blogging on the back burner.  But the truth is blogging is hard work.  However, I have decided to bite the bullet and try again with this new recipe.


As you know from my previous blogs, I am constantly trying to find ways to make meals that are lower in calories, but edible.  Lately I have been making Eggplant Parmigiana.  Normally this is considered a high calorie dish because the eggplant is fried.  However, I have been making the lower calorie version below.


Directions:

Start with one nice firm eggplant. Cut the top and bottom off the eggplant and slice the eggplant into eighth inch rounds (I like to peel the skin off using a potato peeler - but you can leave the skin on).  Dip the eggplant slices one at a time into a beaten egg and then into a mixture of plain bread crumbs seasoned with pepper, dried basil and dried parsley (the bread crumbs and all the other recipe ingredients already contain salt).  Add the coated eggplant to a non stick frying pan that has been sprayed liberally with vegetable spray.  Brown the eggplant slices on both sides.

Now here is where I cheat.

Layer the bottom of 10 by 13 glass baking dish with some of Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (I bought it at Stew Leonard's because I am a sucker for new products and I must tell you it is delicious). 

http://store.davesgourmet.com/productdetails.asp?productcode=dabps+conv

Place a layer of eggplant over the sauce.  Top the eggplant with a heaping layer of the butternut squash pasta sauce and sprinkle with low fat shredded mozzarella cheese.  Continue layering the eggplant, sauce and mozzarella cheese until all the eggplant has been used.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover the baking dish and bake another 15 minutes. 



Nutritional information:
Per CalorieKing.com, Eggplant Parmigiana has 504 calories and 1471 mg of sodium per serving.

How did this version stack up? 



Butternut Squash Pasta sauce  100 calories and 360 mg sodium per serving
Eggplant 20 calories and 0 mg sodium per serving
Bread Crumbs 110 calories and  200 mg sodium per serving (unless you get the no sodium version)

Part skim shredded mozzarella cheese  80 calories and 170 mg sodium per serving
Grated Parmesan cheese  20 calories and 70 mg sodium per serving.


Total 330 calories and 600 to 800 mg sodium per serving


Try it and let me know if you like as much as we do.

Never Buy Store Made Again

Summer is coming and what better side dish than cole slaw.  Unfortunately, store bought cole slaw is 230 calories for a 1/2 cup serving with 10 mg of cholesterol per serving.  Until recently it made sense to buy store made cole slaw because home made was really a chore.  Now with the advent of bagged salads, making your own home made cole slaw is a breeze.   To make the cole slaw, empty 1 bag of cole slaw (about 6 cups) into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of Helmann's light mayonnaise (140 calories), 2 packets Splenda, 3 TB lemon juice.  At this point you can get creative -- add a tsp of Dijon Mustard or a tsp of White Horse Radish for a little zing -- and whisk all the ingredients together. 

Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the cole slaw, mix well and enjoy.

This recipe makes about 10 servings with 50 calories per serving vs the 230 calories in the store bought version!

A True 30 Minute Meal

First of all I need to apologize to all my fans for not updating this blog sooner.  Passover came and went and there were really no new and exciting recipes to write about.  Now that things have calmed down I am ready to share one of my favorite true 30 minute easy, low-calorie meals.  One problem that I have with the TV cooking shows is that I can never complete even one of dishes in 30 minutes, much less an entire meal.  Sometimes I don't even have all the ingredients. However, this dish  can be made with what I consider staples.  I usually keep several varieties of Chicken Sausage (I get the lowest calorie per serving I can find) in my freezer along with different frozen vegetables that I have bought on sale.  You will also need one onion, a clove of garlic and left over wine (I used white) or beer.  The original recipe for Sausage, Potato and Green Bean Stew called for 2 Italian style sausages and 2 small red potatoes per person, one onion, 1 package of whole green beans, 1tsp dried thyme and 1/2 cup water.  For my dish I used 2 Chicken Sausages (any style) per person.  I browned the sausages on my non-stick pan, minced the garlic, cut the onion into eighths and added those to the pan.  I let everything brown for a few minutes.  I placed frozen spinach (you can use any frozen green vegetable) on top.  If you have potatoes wash and cut them into quarters and place them on top of the spinach.  In a measuring cup mix together 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp cumin.  Pour  this mixture into the pot, cover, bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.  Calorie wise the Chicken Sausage has about 90 calories for a 2.4 ounce link, and three ounces of red potato has about 60 calories, so if you have two sausages and one potato it is less than 250 calories per serving. The cumin and white wine gives the dish a wonderfully smoky flavorful taste that the original recipe was missing.