Turkey Meatloaf

Meatloaf is not the most glamorous of meals, but it’s so good who cares? I like to make turkey meatloaf, as I think it is a bit healthier than red meat, and because I honestly think it tastes better. This is Ina Garten’s turkey meatloaf. I love her and her recipes, but her biggest downfall is that she forgets normal people don’t spend $30.00+ per meal. Her recipe calls for 5 pounds of ground turkey. If you do the math, that’s about $25.00 in just the turkey. I experimented and tweaked her measurements and came up with an equally delicious meatloaf that uses 3 pounds. I know you may be thinking, 3 pounds is still a lot, but trust me, you may end up cursing me wishing for the full 5 pounds. I always wait until ground turkey is on sale at the grocery store (which it often is) and stock up, which makes this meatloaf much more affordable.

Ingredients:

·      ½ red bell pepper, chopped

·      1 large onion, chopped

·      2 Tbsp olive oil

·      ½ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp pepper

·      ½ tsp dried thyme, or 1 tsp fresh thyme

·      2 ½-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

·      ½ cup chicken stock

·      1 tsp ketchup

·      2 large eggs, beaten

·      1 cup Italian dried bread crumbs

·      1 tsp salt

·      ½ tsp pepper

·      3 pounds ground turkey (if using frozen, make sure it is completely defrosted)

·      ½ cup ketchup

If you’re going to bake the meatloaf immediately, preheat oven to 325°. On the bottom shelf, add a 9x13” pan of water to ensure even cooking time for the meatloaf.

Preheat a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add olive oil, onions, pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute over medium low heat until onions and peppers are tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and ketchup. Stir in the onion mixture and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

In a large bowl, add the ground turkey. Add the cooled onion mixture, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently stir the mixture until just combined. Do not over mix! 

On a large greased cookie sheet, dump the meatloaf mix out and gently shape into an oval, about 4 inches high. Spread ketchup evenly over the meatloaf.

At this point, you can either bake it or refrigerate it and bake it off later. If you’re going to bake the meatloaf later in the day, do not add the ketchup yet. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and add the ketchup just before you bake it.

If you’re baking it immediately, place the meatloaf on the shelf above the water bath. Bake, covered loosely with foil, for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes uncovered. Let rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with mashed potatoes. 

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Risotto has always been a recipe that I wanted to tackle. I love getting it at restaurants and it always tastes so yummy, but I get intimidated by chefs on tv saying how delicate the process is or how easy it is to under/over cook the risotto. I searched around for different recipes and found Emeril's. It turns out risotto is very easy! The worst part (if you can call it worst) is having to stay by the pot the entire time to stir. But, it makes for interactive cooking and can be fun, especially if you're cooking with someone else! the first time I made this, I added seared scallops on top. This time, I wanted to make it vegetarian (minus the chicken stock I suppose) and even though it was sans meat, it was very filling and satisfying. This is a great dish to entertain with; it makes a lot and looks and tastes impressive.

 

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 || Time: 45 minutes 

 

Ingredients:

5-6 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large or 2 medium shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

12 ounces of assorted mushrooms (I used cremini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms) wiped clean and stems removed, and sliced

2 cups arborio rice

1 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme, chopped

1 cup dry white wine (I usually am lax on this and will use what I have, but for this it really should be dry)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half (more or less depending on how creamy you like it)

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried parsley

3-4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced for garnish (I skipped this due to 'meatless monday' and it was still delicious)

 

In a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock and mushrooms stems (if you saved them) over medium. Reduce heat to low to keep hot.

 

Meanwhile, in a dutchoven heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add shalllots and cook under soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mushrooms (do NOT add salt yet) and saute until the liquid evaporates and mushrooms are wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Add rice and cook until the rice is just opaque, stirring constantly, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves and wine and cook until wine is almost all evaporated. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the pan. 

 

Add 3/4 cup stock, salt and pepper and turn heat down to medium. (**Watch your heat while adding stock, if the stock looks like it is absorbing too slow/fast turn heat up/down accordingly**) Cook, stirring constantly until almost all the stock is absorbed. Continue adding 1/2-3/4 cup stock at a time and stirring constantly until the stock is almost absorbed. Continue this until the rice is creamy and just tender (about 15-20 minutes). Turn the heat off and add the cream, 1/2 cup of cheese, and parsley. Stir well. Serve hot garnished with remaining parmesan cheese and prosciutto if desired. 

 

Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with White Bean Spread and Pesto

One of my new years resolutions was to have more meatless dinners. I originally was nervous, because I am not a giant fan of tofu, soy, or other vegetarian staples. I found this recipe and immediately fell in love with just the name. This sandwich is SO different from anything I’ve ever had, but it is so delicious! The white bean puree is filled with protein and fiber, the eggplant and onions are delicious and filled with vitamins and fiber to keep you full. The pesto of course can be homemade, but a good store bought pesto is just as well, and makes dinner even easier. The best news is the white bean puree and eggplant can be made days in advance and can be kept for weeks in the fridge.

Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with White Bean Spread and Pesto

Cooking time: 35 minutes || Makes 4 sandwiches

 

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium red onion, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon, juiced (plus ½ lemon from white bean puree)
2 tablespoons chives (optional)

8 slices fresh sourdough or country white bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices (or more, depending on how hungry you are!)
1/2 cup basil pesto (store bought is fine, I like Trader joes)
1/2 cup white bean spread (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until fully coated, and then turn out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Shake the pan to make sure the vegetables lie flat.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. With a spatula, redistribute the vegetables so they brown on the opposite side, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are dark brown and caramelized. Watch the eggplant slices, as they can get mushy quickly. They should be just roasted through.

Remove to a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and chives, if using. (Eggplant can be make up to 2 days in advance). Let cool, slightly. (You can also cool to room temperature, I just liked the warm vegetables.)

Lay 2 slices of bread on a work surface. Slather each with pesto, and divide the eggplant and onions among the slices. Slather the remaining bread with the white bean spread, and top the sandwiches

White Bean Spread
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can cannelloni or white beans
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dry thyme)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more depending on how thick puree is)
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a small food processor or blender, puree the beans, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, olive oil and salt. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is still coarse, and puree until smooth.

Rouladen

  I have been procrastinating posting this recipe for some reason, but I owe my friend, John, this post! Hope you enjoy! I am not a very “German” cook, but my boyfriend wanted this for his birthday, and I wanted a challenge. It turns out, this is not challenging at all! The worst part is the waiting! I do recommend getting your steak at a butcher shop, where they can cut and pound the meat to size and thickness. It saved me so much time and frustration. I also recommend making potato dumplings with the rouladen. My boyfriend’s mom (to whom the credit for this recipe goes) suggested Panni potato dumplings. Delicious dinner with great leftovers.

Rouladen

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes || Active cooking time: 30 minutes || Serves 4

·      8 slices of top round, pounded thin to 1/8” thick (about 5”x10”)

·      8 slices bacon

·      2 carrots, quartered and cut to width of meat

·      2 dill pickles, quartered and cut to width of meat

·      1 onion, chopped

·      1 cup flour for dredging

·      16 Toothpicks

·      Spicy brown mustard (I like Trader Joes)

·      Beef stock

·      Salt, pepper

Start by cutting carrots, pickles, and onions. In a saute pan, saute onions on medium low heat until just translucent; set aside to cool. On a large cutting board, lay out first piece of meat. Add about 1 tsp spicy mustard and onions to cover the meat. 

Add bacon over the meat, lengthwise. At one side, apply the pickle and carrot and gently roll the meat; secure with two toothpicks. Dredge each roll of meat in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. 

In a large dutch oven heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. (It’s important to make sure the dutch oven is very well preheated before searing!) Sear each side of the meat for 2 minutes. Add 2-3 cups of stock (enough to just cover the meat), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour. Serve with potato dumplings.