Not your mothers Meatloaf

Tim mentioned a few days ago that he would like me to make meatloaf.  Yes we realize this is usually a cold weather meal, but it is also comfort food.  I gave it my own twist so it is filled with shitake mushrooms, celery, and v8 juice to give some extra spunk.   


Ingredients
1 medium onion finely chopped

4 ribs celery finely chopped

1/2 cup dried Shitake mushrooms (rehydrated and chopped)

salt/pepper/Red chili flakes to taste

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbs minced garlic

2 5.5 oz hot and spicy v8 juice

1 French hamburger bun or one thick slice of white bread

1.3 lb ground beef

1 egg

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

 

Topping

1/2 cup ketchup

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash Hot sauce

1 tsp honey

 

In a sauté pan sprayed with olive oil, start cooking the onions and celery until soft.  Add the shitake mushrooms and cook for an additional minute.  Now add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and red chili flakes.  Cook until Garlic begins to brown.  Add the V8 juice and cook until mixture becomes thick.  Turn heat off and let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

 

Once the mixture has cooled, place into a food processor and pulse about 5 times.  Break bread into pieces and add to food processor and pulse an additional 5 to 10 times making sure all the bread pieces are broken up.  Now add the ground beef and pulse about 20 times until the mixture is combined. 

 

Preheat oven at 325. 

 

In a large bowl combine the egg, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  With your hands incorporate the beef mixture until everything is well combined.  Place in loaf pan and flip onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes. 

 

In the meantime whisk the ingredients for the topping.  Brush over meat loaf after it has baked for 10 minutes.  Continue cooking for 40 minutes or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.  I like to broil it the last few minutes to get the topping to begin to bubble and brown. 

 

 

Smothered Pork

Tonight I made smothered pork.  I have some tweaking to do, but overall it was good.
The only thing I would change is the cut of meat that I used.  I used something equivalent to a pork tenderloin.  Next time I will use bone in pork chop.  I think the bone will give it a nice flavor.  I am posting the recipe with the pork chops verses what I used.  I am confident that it will work.

Ingredients:
4 bone in pork chops
4 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups beef broth
1 tbs white flour
3 medium onions cut in rings
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp garlic

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon and set aside.  Salt and pepper both sides of the pork and place in skillet.  Once both sides are browned remove from skillet.  In the same skillet caramelize onions.  When onions are caramelized add garlic, flour and thyme and bay leaves.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Whisk in beef broth.  Return the pork shops and crumble the bacon on top.  Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.   Cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

Carne Asada -grilled beef

Every Friday for the last year, Tim and I go to eat at a local Mexican restaurant near our home.  Tim always orders the Carne Asada Plate.  So I decided, and this annoys Tim to no end, that  I can make it at home.

Ingredients
1 lb skirt steak, flank steak or round steaks
3 tbs Chorizo Spice
Juice of 1 lemon

In a Ziploc container combine all ingredients and marinade in fridge overnight.

Heat grill.  Place meat on grill and cook until desired doneness.  We usually do between medium and well.

Serve with grilled Hungarian Wax peppers*, tomatoes, queso fresco, tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, and re fried beans.
  
 *Hungarian wax peppers can vary in heat level.  If you find that the pepper is too spicy de-vein and de-seed before eating.  

Coconut Chicken with Pineapple

This recipe came from me being lazy and not wanting to go to the store.  I looked in my freezer and saw that I had some boneless chicken thighs.  I looked in my pantry and saw some sweetened coconut and Panko.  The pineapple was the "icing". 

Ingredients
5 boneless skinless chicken thighs (can use breasts)
1 cup panko
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 tbs red chili flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 tbs all purpose flour
2 eggs


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray foil with olive oil. 

In a shallow plate place all purpose flour, in a bowl scramble the eggs.  In another bowl combine the coconut, panko, red chili flakes, salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in the flour, then the egg and then the panko/coconut mixture.  Place on the cookie sheet.  Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated.  Spray top of chicken with additional Olive oil. 

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

I placed the pineapple in a pie pan and sprinkled with brown sugar and placed in the oven for 20 minutes. 

Learning to use a smoker

Our friends in Washington State (you know who you are) told me about a smoker box that we can use with our gas grill.  We bought the Chefmate Smoke box.

Tim and I thought we would try it out this weekend.  We did mesquite pork tenderloin and roasted asparagus.  Tim really did most of the heavy lifting today. So here is what I know he did.
 Soak the mesquite chips in water for a few hours.  Place in smoker box on the hot side of the grill.
We salt and peppered the pork and placed on the cool side of the grill.

Close lid and let smoke for about an hour or internal temp of pork reaches 165.

  Stay tuned for more now that we know how it works.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

I saw this at the grocery store yesterday.  I thought it would be a nice change from the Strawberry salad we have become addicted to this year.

Ingredients
2 pears cored and diced
1 bag of spring mix
1 cup walnuts toasted
4 oz Gorgonzola crumbles

Vinaigrette:
1/4 balsamic vinegar
3/4 olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp pepper


In a large salad bowl mix all ingredients.  Dress with vinaigrette ( I used all of it but feel free to use less).

3 Cheese Macaroni

This is not the healthiest recipe.  It is meant to be eaten as a side not as a main dish.  With that being said, we ate it as a main dish with some broiled asparagus.


Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
4 tbs butter
3 tbs all purpose flour
3 cups Milk
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paparika
2 bay leaves
1 egg
1 small onion chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese

Topping
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 tbs butter
1 cup panko

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta according to package.
Once the pasta is done cooking, drain.   In the same pot melt butter and whisk in the flour.  Cook for about 2 min whisking continuously.   Stir in the milk and the mustard powder and whisk to make sure all the lumps are removed.  Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and smoked paprika.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Temper in the egg.  Simmer for an additional minute.
Remove from heat and stir in all the cheese.  Fold in the macaroni. Place in a 9x13 pan and top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

In a saute pan melt the butter and toss the bread crumbs to coat.  Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Calzones

Instead of pizza Tim wanted to try making Calzones.  I think for our first attempt, they were really good.  We learned that we need to use less Ricotta cheese and possibly put some of the pizza sauce inside. I would like to use thinner chunks of pepperoni or try sausage.

I will post the recipe next time we make these.

Shepherds Pie

It has been raining since Friday evening and we have been cooped up in the house.  This meal is good for those cold, cloudy days.  Tim put a log in the fire and I spent a few hours in the kitchen.  This recipe just makes the whole house smell warm and inviting.  It is good the first day but Tim, really enjoys the second day for breakfast in the morning.  He tops with HP Sauce and Sharp Cheddar.  I just like it plain.


Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 lb ground lamb
2 tbs  plus 2 tsp water
1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 to 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 to 4 tbs melted butter
1/2 cup milk (at least 2%)
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions, green parts only diced
2 tsp olive oil
2 small onions (about 4.3 oz) chopped
8 oz sliced white mushrooms
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs red wine
2 tbs all purpose flour
1 1/4 beef broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leafs
1 tsp of dried thyme
8 oz of carrots peeled and chopped
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas

In a large container combine meat, 2 tbs water, baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes.  In a large pot place potatoes 2 tsp kosher salt and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and cook 12 minutes.  Drain and return potatoes to the pot and on low heat stir potatoes to evaporate remaining moisture.  The potatoes will start breaking down the more you stir.  Make sure all big chunks are broken down (either use a hand mixer or a potato masher if needed).  Whisk egg yolk with the milk and melted butter and stir into potatoes.  Add Scallions and Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

On high heat, in a large (about 17 inch) oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil until it shimmers.  Add mushrooms and onions and cook until both are soft.  Lower heat to medium and add tomato paste and garlic.  Cook until the paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and starts to caramelize.  Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in flour and stir until well combined.  Add broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, thyme, carrots, and peas.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low.  Pinch the lamb into 2-inch pieces and lay on top of the mixture.  Cover and cook for about 12 minutes so that the meat cooks through.  Break up big chunks of meat. Combine Cornstarch and 2 tsp of water and stir until dissolved.  Add to the pot and continue to cook until mixture begins to thicken.

Heat oven broiler element.  Pipe mashed potatoes over filling covering entire surface.  Smooth surface with the back of the spoon and make a design using a fork.  Place in broiler until potatoes are golden brown.  Keep a close eye on it because it can burn fairly quickly.

Remove from oven and let set for 10 to 15 minutes.

Carol's Margarita Pie

I call this Carol's Margarita Pie because the first time I had it was years ago, when my friend Carol made it at a work retreat.  I do not think I have had it since that weekend, so I thought I would make it for Cinco De Mayo.  I also learned today that orange liqueur is the same thing as triple sec, which is the same thing as Grand Marnier.  OK so there is a difference in amount of alcohol, and price.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter melted
2-3 cups mini pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbl triple sec
1 tbl tequila
1/3 cup lime juice (about the juice of 3 limes)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 drops green food coloring
1 cup whipped cream

Place mini pretzels in a Ziploc bag and with a rolling pin crush the pretzels.  Add sugar to the crumbs and mix in the melted butter.  With your hands, press down and on the sides of the pie pan.



In a mixing bowl combine triple sec, tequila, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and food coloring.  Fold-in the whipped cream.  Once combined pour into prepared pie pan.  Freeze 4 hours to overnight.