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| I served the meatloaf with carrot smashed potatoes and fresh green beans. It looks pink but it was fully cooked and quite delish. I blame the camera. |
Recently I received a lovely gift in the mail. Rebecca lives in Southern California. She is married to one of my husband's company mates from the Naval Academy. She has two wonderful kids and every time we "chat" online she makes me laugh while wishing I lived closer. We would get into a lot of trouble the two of us.
She reads my blog and out of the blue sent me a little surprise. Sam the Cooking Guy has a show in the Discovery Channel. He lives in Cali and he cooks some fabulously healthy and simple foods. Rebecca, knowing my love of cookbooks and aware of my need for occasional simplicity, sent me his two books.
Thank you Miss Rebecca! I do love surprises! That sort of thing is a rarity in my life. These gems have been quite the revelation. So much variety and most things only take 15-20 minutes to make. It has been quite enjoyable exploring the pages. Today's recipe is one of my favorites so far. It can be doubled or tripled with ease to feed a crowd or to freeze for future meals.
I also love the flexibility it gives me. I can add whatever veg I have available to increase the flavor as well as the nutritional value. In this loaf I used mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, yellow pepper and zucchini. It was phenomenal and I had no guilt eating a second helping because of all the extras.
So get in the kitchen and get creative. Think outside the box and try some new combination. It will be delicious. I have no doubt.
Celebrate the Feast!
Mary
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The Basics for a Two-Pounder
Meat: 2 pounds of ground something like beef, pork, veal, chicken, turkey or even a combo mix, but no fish - a "fishloaf" sounds disgusting.
(I have used ground beef)
Crumbs: 3/4 cup regular bread crumbs, whole wheat, panko, or even busted-up crackers.
(I used panko)
Liquid: about 1/3 cup milk, broth, beer, whatever
(I used milk)
Seasoning: salt, pepper,and anything else that works for you.
(I used a teaspoon of salt, pepper, thyme)
Eggs: 2 large, beaten
Glaze for the top: about a cup or so of something - ketchup, BBQ sauce, steak sauce or chili sauce.
(I used ketchup)
Diced and cooked veggies: A mixture of carrot, celery, and bell peppers, spinach, chopped garlic or whatever you have on hand.
(I used mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, celery, yellow bell pepper, chopped garlic and onion)
Cut up bacon: duh!
( I actually did not use any in my loaf much to hubby's disappointment)
Cheese: A big handful of grated Parmesan or even feta cheese is great on top or thrown into the middle layer.
(I did not use any in this loaf)
Herbs: fresh or dried
Spaghetti sauce
Mix ingredients together and place in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with favorite side dishes.
Labels: American Cuisine, In the Kitchen, meatloaf, turkey
