Meatloaf

I haven't made this in a long time.  my mother use to make meatloaf without a recipe and I could remember distinctly how she made it.  I've made Lee Drummond's recipe which I've adapted.

Ingredients

Meatloaf:
1 cup half and half (the original recipe was milk)
1 cup of Panko whole wheat breadcrumbs (the original recipe was 6 slices of white bread)

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan

Fresh Thyme (not in the original recipe)

1 yellow onion, diced (not in the original recipe)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper 

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
4 eggs, beaten 

 

Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash or 2 hot sauce (more if you like)
Dash or 2 Worcestershire sauce

Directions

For the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the half and half over the panko and allow it to soak in for several minutes. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, salt, some pepper, onions, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the eggs. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.

Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a foil-lined broiler pan, which will allow the fat from the meat to drain.

Next, make the tomato sauce: Pour the ketchup into a bowl. Add the brown sugar and dry mustard, and splash in the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the mixture until well combined. Pour one-third of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 45 minutes, and then pour over another one-third of the remaining tomato sauce over the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes; the meatloaf should be no longer pink in the middle. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.


Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/meatloaf-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Apple Turnovers

Tonight's snack is apple turnovers!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/3 cup of raisins
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the raisins, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cornstarch.  Place the ingredients in a saucepan.  Heat until boiling.  Remove from heat.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Roses

Ingredients

1sheet of puff pastry
1 red apple
2 TBSP apricot jam
3 TBSP water
Dashes of sugar and cinnamon for the finishing touch

Instructions

Slice the apple very thinlyPlace the apple slices in the pot with the sugar, honey and water.Cook on medium for about 5 minutes, or until the apples are soft. You will want to stir them gently as they cook.Then pull the slices out and let them cool on a plate while you make the dough. *NOTE: keep the liquid in the pan as you will need this for the dough! Don't drain or rinse it yet!In a medium bowl, place the butter in the bowl and break it up a little.Then add the 1 cup flour.Then, using the "apple water" from the pan that you cooked the apples in, gather 3 TBSP of this water and add to the flour/butter mixture.Mix the dough until smooth (by hand is best).Then cut the dough in half .With each half, roll the dough out into a square/rectangle approximately 6x10 inches.Once you rolled it out to get it as square as possible, clean up the square by cutting the edges to make it "more square."Then, using a pizza cutter (knife works too), cut 1" wide strips from about 10" in length. With this dough, each half should make about 5-6 flowers for 10-12 total flowers per batch.Place 5-6 cooked apple slices on the strip of dough, overlapping slightly.Then "roll up" the dough to form the rose!Place in a cupcake liner in a muffin pan.Repeat with the second half of the dough.Then bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. They will really not get brown. You just want the dough cooked, but it won't turn brown.Pull them out of the oven, while still hot/warm, brush them with honey and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon!Let them cool and serve later, but you can also serve them warm. We have eaten them both ways and they are fabulous warm and cooled!

Roasted Cauliflower With Tahini-Garlic Sauce

I made this tonight along with the spaghetti zucchini.

Ingredients

    1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
    Salt to taste
    Freshly ground pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    2 to 3 garlic cloves, to taste, cut in half, green shoots removed
    1 cup sesame tahini
    ¼ to ¾ cup fresh lemon juice, to taste

Preparation

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the cauliflower. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Drain and blot dry. Transfer to a baking dish.

    Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper, and toss with the olive oil. Place in the oven, and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until tender and lightly browned.

    Puree the garlic cloves with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in the sesame tahini. Whisk in the lemon juice, beginning with the smaller amount. The mixture will stiffen up. Gradually whisk in up to 1/2 cup water, until the sauce has the consistency of thick cream (or runny yogurt), and adjust salt and lemon juice. Serve with the cauliflower.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012834-roasted-cauliflower-with-tahini-parsley-sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Shallots, Garlic, and Apples

This recipe this "mom inspired." I just added a few more ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 - 3 lb. pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5 small shallots, peeled and halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 apples cored, cleaned, and halved

Preheat an oven at 325°F for 20 min.
Clean the pork in water.  Place the pork in the baking rack.
Mix olive oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Coat the pork with the mixture.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the shallots and garlic about 5 min.  Remove.
In the bottom of the baking pan, mix the shallots, garlic, dijon mustard, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
Place the apples on the side of the pork as shown.
Bake 50 min or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F - 150°F.

Tomato Seafood Risotto

preparing for this dish was intense but fun.  Here it goes!

 

1 pound medium shrimp
1 pound bay scallop
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup shallots, minced
1½ cups arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
5 cups home made fish broth
2 garlic cloves
freshly ground black pepper
salt
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

 

Directions:

 

Peel the shells and tails from the shrimp. With a small knife, make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to remove the dark vein. Cut the shrimp crosswise into thirds. Quarter the bay scallops.

In a heavy, wide 3 to 4-quart casserole or pot, heat the 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and shallots and cook them until golden, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Toast the rice until the edges become translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and stir well until evaporated.  The tomato should be simmering at this point. Add 1 cup of the hot fish broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add the hot hot fish broth in small batches- just enough to completely moisten the rice- and cook until each successive batch has been absorbed. Stir constantly and adjust the level of heat so the rice is simmering very gently while adding the stock.

 

About 10 minutes after adding the 3 - 4 tablespoons of tomato puree heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic, then add the shrimp and scallops to the skillet, and cook until they are bright pink on both sides and firm, about 2 minutes.

Add the contents of the skillet to the rice. Mix well and cook, adding water as described above until the rice is creamy and al dente, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (The total cooking time for the rice after adding the tomato is about 18 minutes.)

 

Stir in the Pecorino Romano

 

Remove the casserole from the heat and beat in the chopped parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and pepper. Serve immediately, ladled into warm serving bowls.

Homemade Fish Stock

We went to a Portuguese restaurant for lunch and I had the most delicious seafood risotto.  We spoke with the owner and gave me the recipe for the fish stock. 

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs. Red snapper, de-scaled, gutting, and sliced
1 large leek, white and light-green parts only
2 dried bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
8 whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

Remove the gills and any traces of blood from fish heads; thoroughly wash bones, and cut them to fit into a 12-quart stockpot. Place heads and bones in a large bowl, and set aside.

Quarter leek lengthwise; cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a bowl of cold water; let stand 5 minutes to rid leek of sand. Lift out of water; drain in a colander; set aside.

bay leaves, parsley, thyme, cloves, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in a 12-inch-square piece of cheesecloth. Form a bundle, and tie with kitchen twine; set aside.

Melt butter in a 12-quart stockpot over medium heat; add cut leek, onion, and celery ; cook until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, and add fish heads and bones. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add wine, bouquet garni, and 2 1/2 quarts water, covering the bones. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. Turn off the heat, and let sit 10 minutes.

Prepare an ice bath. Strain the stock through a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath. Use stock within 1 day, or freeze for up to 3 months.