Logging recipes where you don't eat all the high-calorie portions

mtaratoot

This has been brought up before. Why not bring it up again?

I was looking for a different way to cook some rockfish today. I stumbled upon a recipe for chermoula. It looked interesting. I still have scads of parsley in the garden, and I always have garlic and spices. I had to change up the recipe a bit; I didn't have cilantro, but that's OK. Also, the recipe I based my fish on called for frying the fish. If I'm going to pan fry a fish, I'm going to dredge it in seasoned flower, then beaten egg, then panko crumbs. I decided I'd try to bake this. It turned out quite delicious by the way, and I'll keep this recipe in my rotation although I'll probably alter it to make it a little lower calorie.

Here's the conundrum: When I read the recipe, I thought, "Well holy ocelot; that's a lot of olive oil." I thought that because... it WAS. Basically olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and a few kinds of chilies turned into a paste in the food processor, then rubbed all over the fillets, then let them sit a while and bake. Lots of flavor, but not so much it distracted from the fish.

While the fish rested before I cooked it, I made up a recipe in my food diary to log. Sure looked like a LOT of calories for a fish dish. Olive oil!

Well, of course when the fish came out, the chermoula was still on top of the fish, but there was also a lot on the bottom of the baking dish. I suppose I could have reserved it and used it for another purpose; maybe next time. Not sure what I'd use it for. I bet it would be good as a rub to roast vegetables. Instead I ate the fish and the sauce that came with it, but I didn't eat all that was left in the pan. I poured it through some toweling and put it in the compost. I hate to waste food, but this was just sauce.

I logged the whole thing as if I had eaten all the sauce even though I left so much in the pan.

How would YOU have logged this dish?

BarbaraHelen2013

I’d have not used the oil in the first place. 😂 I would probably have replaced it with vegetable stock or AquaFaba to lubricate the other ingredients. 🤷‍♀️

I avoid oil wherever possible (older, very short, petite and female = very low calorie goal, even now, in maintenance).

But if I were to log something like this I’d weigh the full marinade/sauce before putting on the fish then weigh the sauce left in the dish and subtract. Still not accurate, I realise, since moisture will have been lost during cooking but probably as accurate as I could manage.

Xellercin

I would put the sauce ingredients into a recipe calorie calculator, and then record roughly the percentage of the sauce that I actually used.

Not precise, but close enough for one time making the meal.

mtaratoot

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

I’d have not used the oil in the first place. 😂 I would probably have replaced it with vegetable stock or AquaFaba to lubricate the other ingredients. 🤷‍♀️

I avoid oil wherever possible (older, very short, petite and female = very low calorie goal, even now, in maintenance).

But if I were to log something like this I’d weigh the full marinade/sauce before putting on the fish then weigh the sauce left in the dish and subtract. Still ndot accurate, I realise, since moisture will have been lost during cooking but probably as accurate as I could manage.

This would have been a reasonable approach, but... I'm way too lazy for that. It would make another dish to clean. I use olive oil on the regular, but usually just a few grams. This was a lot more than a few grams. To be honest, I probably would have been fine just cutting the amount in half.

The flavor was outstanding. Kind of like a parsley pesto with cumin. I'll do it again with less oil.

mtaratoot

Xellercin wrote: »

I would put the sauce ingredients into a recipe calorie calculator, and then record roughly the percentage of the sauce that I actually used.

Not precise, but close enough for one time making the meal.

I actually could still do that!

I'm going to end up way under today, so I may just call it an extra deficit that doesn't get logged. I also would totally have to guess what came out/off the fish. Likely it was a higher percentage of oil than parsley, but... too late to know at this point.

I often just use parchment paper and bake en en papillote with just a little spice, a pat of butter, and some sherry. Even pan fried would have come out lower calorie... on paper. I'll be fine. Just was shocked at over 900 calories for a plate of lean fish.

mtaratoot

Thinking more about this overnight, I have two observations next time I make chermoula. I probably WILL make it again because it has a very nice bright flavor. I hadn't even heard of it before I started poking around for kitchen inspiration.

First, next time I make it I will cut WAY back on the olive oil. I don't think it needs that much. I don't think it adds that much to the flavor; that comes from the garlic, lemon, and parsley.

Second, and to answer my own question on how to log it, I will just make a best-guess of what percentage of the dish stays in the pan. The fish contributes about 40% of the calories if the database is accurate. In the dish I made yesterday, the olive oil accounts for almost 60% of them. This will get me close enough.

Thanks for helping me think it through. I bet chermoula would make a really tasty rub to put on cauliflower and then roast it.... and I have a cauliflower waiting for me to roast it.

TheKookyKiwi

I have two suggestions -

Option One: If you are going to do this recipe again but will permanently modify it (using less oil etc), then perhaps set it up in your own recipes? That way you can both quickly add it to your menu AND you can edit it at will if you decide to change it up again.

Option Two: I have the ability on my MFP to add quick adjustments (It may be part of the premium option?). Recently I logged a recipe then just did a negative adjustment to adjust for the parts I didn't consume. That's less accurate if you are tracking nutrients but quick and easy if you are only counting calories.

mtaratoot

TheKookyKiwi wrote: »

I have two suggestions -

Option One: If you are going to do this recipe again but will permanently modify it (using less oil etc), then perhaps set it up in your own recipes? That way you can both quickly add it to your menu AND you can edit it at will if you decide to change it up again.

Option Two: I have the ability on my MFP to add quick adjustments (It may be part of the premium option?). Recently I logged a recipe then just did a negative adjustment to adjust for the parts I didn't consume. That's less accurate if you are tracking nutrients but quick and easy if you are only counting calories.

I already entered it as a recipe in My Recipes. I did that instead of entering the individual ingredients. Now that I won't make it the same, I can go edit the recipe for next time. What I probably should do is just change the recipe to the actual cheromoula and not the dish. That way I can just enter as much of that as I add to the dish and not even have to worry what it's going on. That also will make it easier to estimate what's left in the cooking pan.

I think for negative adjustment, I'd just enter 0.82 servings instead of a full serving. Does the same thing.

goal06082021

I try to err on the side of over-counting rather than under-counting. I also don't worry too much if I'm over by less than 100 cal on a given day. Making the sauce its own separate recipe and just counting that plus a fish fillet or whatever you put it on is also a good move and probably what I would do, if I knew I wasn't going to eat all of the sauce.

mtaratoot

Ten years ago, or even five, I would have found some crusty bread and just soaked up all that sauce because..... Mmmmmm.

letsgain01

mtaratoot wrote: »

Xellercin wrote: »

I would put the sauce ingredients into a recipe calorie calculator, and then record roughly the percentage of the sauce that I actually used.

Not precise, but close enough for one time making the meal.

I actually could still do that!

I'm going to end up way under today, so I may just call it an extra deficit that doesn't get logged. I also would totally have to guess what came out/off the fish. Likely it was a higher percentage of oil than parsley, but... too late to know at this point.

I often just use parchment paper and bake en en papillote with just a little spice, a pat of butter, and some sherry. Even pan fried would have come out lower calorie... on paper. I'll be fine. Just was shocked at over 900 calories for a plate of lean fish.

Hi as someone who needs to gain weight and likes fish I would like the 900 calorie fish recipe if you don't mind because the fish recipes I find are less than 500 😭

callsitlikeiseeit

im inherently lazy and will either know when im preparing a recipe that it wont take that much oil (most recipes over estimate the amount needed) and will adjust the amount in MFP to what I use) or if im just being super lazy.... leave it as is, and take the overage and know I can have a bit extra of something else to compensate. I've been doing this a LONG time though, so I generally KNOW what I can have more of TO balance it out and still stay in the same calorie range... if you haven't been doing it that long, I might not advise doing that.

callsitlikeiseeit

letsgain01 wrote: »

mtaratoot wrote: »

Xellercin wrote: »

I would put the sauce ingredients into a recipe calorie calculator, and then record roughly the percentage of the sauce that I actually used.

Not precise, but close enough for one time making the meal.

I actually could still do that!

I'm going to end up way under today, so I may just call it an extra deficit that doesn't get logged. I also would totally have to guess what came out/off the fish. Likely it was a higher percentage of oil than parsley, but... too late to know at this point.

I often just use parchment paper and bake en en papillote with just a little spice, a pat of butter, and some sherry. Even pan fried would have come out lower calorie... on paper. I'll be fine. Just was shocked at over 900 calories for a plate of lean fish.

Hi as someone who needs to gain weight and likes fish I would like the 900 calorie fish recipe if you don't mind because the fish recipes I find are less than 500 😭

my husband is in the same boat as you. he doesnt like fish, so I dont make it unless he is out of town for work or for lunch on occasion, but my first though to up the calorie count on fish (or even chicken) is to take nuts (any kind you like) run them through a food processor, add oil, add whatever seasonings you like, and coat the fish in it, and bake or even pan fry it. i bet that would be really really good.

really good.

and out of my calorie range.

LMAO

mtaratoot

letsgain01 wrote: »

Hi as someone who needs to gain weight and likes fish I would like the 900 calorie fish recipe if you don't mind because the fish recipes I find are less than 500 😭

The 900 calories was for two servings. I had two rockfish fillets that totaled a little more than three quarters of a pound, so I called the recipe two servings. I ate both fillets. So this recipe fits what you mostly see unless you just love to eat the stuff. I based mine off something I read to make four servings from a little over a pound of fish. The fish was about 40% of the calories

For my recipe, the cermoula was approximately:

• 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of a large lemon (about a quarter cup)
• Big bunch of parsley just cut up from the garden
• A bunch of garlic cloves
• A little more cumin than you think you should add
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• An assortment of dried chile powder including smoked paprika, ancho, and Hatch green chile.

Put all that in the food processor and pulse until a paste forms. The recipe I based this on also had cilantro. I didn't have any in the house so I didn't add it. Would be good, but I just added extra parsley. It was fantastic.

Coat both sides of the fish with some sauce. Let it rest ten minutes.

Recipe says pan fry in oil; that would add more calories. I put it on a shallow ceramic pan and baked about 375 for about 18 minutes. Original recipe says spoon remaining sauce on top. I had used it all pre-cooking, so there was none left. I had saved a thin slice of lemon and placed that on top as a garnish. A fresh sprig of parsley would be nice.

If you want to up the calories, serve on a bed of rice or radiatore, then sop up all the extra sauce with crusty bread.

letsgain01

mtaratoot wrote: »

letsgain01 wrote: »

Hi as someone who needs to gain weight and likes fish I would like the 900 calorie fish recipe if you don't mind because the fish recipes I find are less than 500 😭

The 900 calories was for two servings. I had two rockfish fillets that totaled a little more than three quarters of a pound, so I called the recipe two servings. I ate both fillets. So this recipe fits what you mostly see unless you just love to eat the stuff. I based mine off something I read to make four servings from a little over a pound of fish. The fish was about 40% of the calories

For my recipe, the cermoula was approximately:

• 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of a large lemon (about a quarter cup)
• Big bunch of parsley just cut up from the garden
• A bunch of garlic cloves
• A little more cumin than you think you should add
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• An assortment of dried chile powder including smoked paprika, ancho, and Hatch green chile.

Put all that in the food processor and pulse until a paste forms. The recipe I based this on also had cilantro. I didn't have any in the house so I didn't add it. Would be good, but I just added extra parsley. It was fantastic.

Coat both sides of the fish with some sauce. Let it rest ten minutes.

Recipe says pan fry in oil; that would add more calories. I put it on a shallow ceramic pan and baked about 375 for about 18 minutes. Original recipe says spoon remaining sauce on top. I had used it all pre-cooking, so there was none left. I had saved a thin slice of lemon and placed that on top as a garnish. A fresh sprig of parsley would be nice.

If you want to up the calories, serve on a bed of rice or radiatore, then sop up all the extra sauce with crusty bread.

Thank you so so much! 🙂

goal06082021

I made some mock chick-fil-a fried chicken sandwiches for dinner tonight and thought about this thread while I was making my recipe notes. The recipe I was following called for marinating the chicken in milk and pickle juice, coating with milk and beaten egg, then dredging in flour with a tiny bit of sugar, and frying in multiple cups of oil. I obviously did not consume the vast majority of the picklemilk, eggmilk, sugarflour, or oil. So you bet your *kitten* I weighed those containers before and after and worked out how much of those substances actually made it into the edible portion of the recipe.