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