My Kind of Meatloaf

I do not like ground beef. I'm pretty sure it's the smell of the beef while it's cooking. It's not that I don't like beef or even hamburgers, it's just the main ingredient that I don't like. After years of making Rob's favorite meal (meatloaf), I decided to improvise a little and see if we all liked it a little better (everyone but Rob liked it much better). I added half ground turkey, lots of veggies, and cheeses. The result is my kind of meatloaf: full of veggies and flavor to mask the ground beef. I still make Rob's meatloaf, I just usually make both kinds to satisfy everyone.

Italian-Style Meatloaf
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small zucchini
10 small button mushrooms
1/2 red pepper
1 small onion, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 bag of spinach, frozen, completely thawed and drained
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
3/4 jar of marinara sauce (I use Barilla)

1. In a large saute pan, brown veggies in olive oil (zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, pepper). The vegetables should be cut into similarly sized pieces to ensure even cooking time. Remove from heat and set aside when browned.
2. Mix meats, spinach, parmesan, bread crumbs, and eggs until well blended. Add veggies.
3. Put half of meat and veggie mixture on bottom of large loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and half of the marinara sauce and repeat the procedure.
4. Cover the loaf with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until cooked through and browned on top (at least 25 more minutes).

Cherry Turnovers and Ina's Cole Slaw

I'm in kind of a rut. I've successfully either made totally disappointing dinners, or just simply made the same old stuff. Last week I prepared some food for my friend Whitney's store. She celebrated the anniversary of her store, Collage. My intention had been to take pictures of the results and all was going as planned until I realized that the camera we'd found was full of pictures (from this summer, believe it or not). So, two pictures later, I was done.

I was quite happy with the recipes I'd used for the party: artichoke and spinach dip with crudites, goat cheese stuffed mushrooms, cheese straws, bacon-wrapped dates, and lemon buttermilk baby cakes, cowboy cookies, and snickerdoodles. Everything turned out well, but I was a little disappointed in the flavor of the mushrooms [room temperature]. Alternately, I much preferred the bacon-wrapped dates in the room temperature version as opposed to still hot.

I feel like I always learn something with my cooking jobs. I think the most important thing that I learned last week was that I love puff pastry. I thought I hated it. I can't tell you how many times I've picked up the package in the freezer section and then put it back when I read the ingredients. I actually discovered that Giant has their own generic brand of puff pastry that, while it includes palm and coconut oil, does not include any partially hydrogenated oils. I'm not saying it's healthy, but it's kind of addicting in the simplicity. Since then, I've been thinking of ways to use it again. I found a recipe for apple turnovers and since I had cherries in the freezer I decided to do a little experimenting.

Last Wednesday my mom and I took the kids to Philadelphia to visit my sister and to do some educational touring. My mom really wanted to try the Tavern Inn for lunch, a historical inn that still serves colonial recipes. For lunch I had the white bean and cabbage soup. Supposedly, this is Thomas Jefferson's recipe (more likely it probably was a servant's recipe, I can't picture him making soup) and it was delicious. The recipe was totally vegetarian and I was desperate to recreate it. I've never made a vegetable stock before, but last night I set out to see what I could accomplish. Let's just say the result was less than delicious. My eleven-year-old actually loved the soup, but I found it very tasteless. I think if I ever make it again I would use a ham bone (screw the vegetarian thing...).

Tonight we had porchetta sandwiches (so delicious and salty). I had some leftover cabbage from the soup debacle, so I thought I'd make cole slaw. I remembered Ina Garten had a recipe for cole slaw with roquefort. I am in love with Ina. Her recipes are downright flawless, simple, delicious, and straightforward. What kind of kills me about her is that she always qulalifies her recipes in terms of, "good roquefort", "good chocolate", "good vanilla". I hope it's fine that I usually only have sub-par ingredients on hand. I just can't justify scharfen-berger chocolate or madagascar vanilla. What can I say, I'm just too frugal. Anyway, all that to say - I made the cole slaw, used crumbled gorgonzola (total cost, $2.49) and the result was totally mouthwatering. Oh, and I totally only had spicy brown mustard on hand, and it was fine. I think that's the mark of a good recipe, it's delicious no matter how it is adapted.


Cherry Turnovers
1 sheet puff pastry
sour cherries, thawed and fully drained
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 T cornstarch
3 T cold water
1 egg beaten
sugar for dusting

1. Roll out puff pastry with floured rolling pin until relatively thin.
2. Thicken cherries. In a large saucepan, mix cherries and sugar. Mix cornstarch and cold water in small cup until well blended. Pour into cherries and cook over medium heat until "juice" is clear and mixture is nicely thickened. Set aside mixture until cooled.
3. Cut pastry into squares. Brush outside "square" with egg wash. Place 2T cherry mixture in middle and fold diagonally.
4. Place onto cookie sheet, brush each turnover with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake at 395 degree for 8-10 minutes or until brown.

Ina's Cole Slaw with Roquefort
1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, scrubbed, peeled and grated
1 cup good mayonnaise (see what I mean?) :)
1/8 cup dijon
1 T whole-grain mustard
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup Roquefort cheese
1 apple, finely chopped

1. Mix ingredients and allow flavors to meld for at least 2 hours.
***I decided to add the apple for a little crunch. I'm sure you could add different types of cabbage, shredded sweet potatoes, shredded golden beets, etc.***

An Anniversary Party...

My friend and neighbor, Whitney, just bought the coolest little boutique here in York. She has asked me to prepare some food for her in the past and I am excited to be able to make some food for her tomorrow. The store is celebrating their twentieth anniversary. I absolutely love making appetizers and hors d'oeuvres. I like making meals for clients, too, but I just love being able to make creative and fancy(ish) foods.

Rob finally bought another camera, (I'm expecting to find our old one sometime later today!) so I will try to take pictures and post them. I sent her a few menu selections and here is what she chose: spinach and artichoke dip with crudites and crackers, cheese straws, goat-cheese stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped dates, and a cookie tray (cowboy cookies, lemon-buttermilk baby cakes, and snickerdoodles). I am also going to make a cider punch and some sangria.

Unfortunately, I am not great with planning; My mom and I are taking the kids into Philadelphia to do touristy things and to visit my sister. I have done much of the food preparation ahead of time, but I still wish I could have scheduled this a little bit better. Oh, well, the kids do not have school today and I'm excited to do something fun and different with them.

If you live in the York area, come check out Collage tomorrow from 4pm-8pm. There will be great snacks and she has the store on sale. She has some really great lines that she's carrying, plus lots of handbags, cool handmade jewelry, and a great kids selection (seriously, her baby stuff is so cute it almost makes me want to have another one!).

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

We are a family of voracious meat-eaters. It is quite rare that we enjoy a meal without some type of meat. I feel like our diet is balanced, and my goal in meal preparation is to please the palate of our family while also incorporating a variety of nutritious components. That said, I know many people who have limited their red meat intake and experienced a beneficial result. We're just not there yet (I'm not sure we ever will be...sometimes I choose enjoyment over health).

One of our favorite meals is shredded beef enchiladas. For some reason, when we travel to our cabin I always make these. Because the kitchen is even smaller than the one in my home, it's easier to make meals ahead of time (plus, it's more enjoyable to be outside than to be slaving away in the kitchen). These enchiladas freeze well, travel well, and taste great even days after you've made them. The filling is very versatile and I've included yellow rice, black beans, lime zest, and various other ingredients and always liked the result. Aside from the cook time for the roast, this dish comes together very quickly.

I will share with you the basic recipe and you can improvise however you think your family would prefer. I usually buy an arm roast from my butcher shop. I really like how it shreds, but I'm sure you could easily substitute your favorite beef roast. I rarely use my crockpot, but I have, on occasion, used it to prepare the beef for this recipe. I definitely would cook the roast on high for most of the day in order to achieve full "shredding" potential. I require a tender and shredded result, I'm just not found of cubed near-tender meat [in this dish].

Shredded Beef Enchiladas
2 lb arm roast
1/2 jar salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
flour tortillas
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can refried beans (I use the vegetarian version)
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 carton sour cream (or plain yogurt)

1. Place roast in a oven-proof dish and top with spices (cumin, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and black pepper). Pour salsa over roast. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 3 hrs, or until meat shreds easily.
2. Shred meat and place into large saute pan. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar and sour cream and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and consistency is smooth.
3. Assemble tortillas: On the middle of the tortilla layer refried beans, a small amount of cheese and meat mixture. Roll up and place, seam side down, on a large baking dish.
4. Continue assembling until pan is filled. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas, top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
**An alternate way of assembling these is to spray the bottom of the pan with non-stick spray and overlap three tortilla shells. You can then layer: refried beans, tortillas, meat mixture, tortillas, cheese, tortillas, enchilada sauce and more cheese. Bake for the same amount of time. I have done this before and the bottom gets kind of crispy and it is just a different way to enjoy this basic recipe.**

Chicken with Creamed Spinach

I try to make birthdays special for our kids. While we try not to spend too much on presents, we do have some other special traditions. I always buy them a new outfit to wear to their party, including shoes (and nail polish for the girls). I also allow them to pick whatever meal they would like to share with our extended family, including themed birthday cake. I am very, very far from a baking professional, but the kids are always so excited anyway. We have had many different meals over the years, including: ribs and sticky rice, turkey dinner, reuben sandwiches, flank steak with grilled corn, and chicken with creamed spinach. Kate, our middle daughter, (and unfortunately for her, my twin, born 25 years apart) loves this chicken with creamed spinach. Of course, she loves noodles, so for her I always serve it on top of egg noodles. I don't remember what else we served that night, but I always ask my Nanny to bring pickled beets and eggs (she makes the best), my mother-in-law usually brings a relish tray, my mom usually brings another main dish (she's a much better cook than me!), and we fill in with lots of good food. It's usually a lot of work, and gets kinda pricey, but it's a tradition that includes family and makes the kids feel special.

Chicken with Creamed Spinach
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thinly
bread crumbs
parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

1. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (I would start with 1/2 cup of each). Dredge chicken breasts in crumb/parm mixture.
2. In a large saute pan, brown chicken breasts in olive oil. Remove breasts from pan once both sides are nicely browned and place into a baking dish.
3. In the same saute pan, add more oil if necessary and lightly brown garlic. Add spinach, yogurt, and remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and the rest of the ingredients are combined well.
4. Pour "cream" mixture over chicken breasts, sprinkle with additional crumbs and parmesan and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked through and bread crumbs are golden.

Three Soups and Chocolate Pudding

Today was a cook day for a client. He ordered three meals and three soups: chili, clam chowder, and crab bisque. I have already shared the chili recipe in reference to the loaded baked potato, but today I'll share the other two recipes. Soups are a great way to quickly put dinner on the table and to also include as many healthful ingredients as possible.

Chocolate pudding was always a treat growing up and my mom always put the pudding in special crystal goblets. My sister and I would fight over the largest goblet and we very annoyingly expected my mom to remember whose turn it was. I'm not sure I've ever had instant pudding, but this is so easy it's worth the extra five minutes to prepare. I make pudding for us occasionally, and it's a great incentive for the kids to finish their dinner. I try to prepare a dessert every other day as a way to incentivize my kids and also to prevent us from eating too much candy. Don't get me wrong, we love candy - but there are several reasons why we try to avoid it, including our total lack of dental insurance.


Clam Chowder
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 bag frozen corn,thawed and divided
1 bottle clam juice
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 small cans chopped clams

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add carrot, celery, and onion. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
2. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir. Slowly add clam juice and stir until thickened. Add half and half.
3. Puree half of the thawed corn [in a blender]. Add pureed corn and the rest of the thawed corn to the soup.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay, if desired.


Crab Bisque
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt, pepper
8 oz "special" crabmeat*

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent.
2. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir until smooth. Slowly add chicken broth and stir until thickened.
3. Add half and half and parsley. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
4. Add crabmeat and serve.
*I buy my crabmeat in the seafood section, I use "special" instead of claw or lump [for the soup]

Chocolate Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 T cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.
3. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat.
4. Add vanilla, stir, and serve (top with fresh whipped cream, if desired).

A Kid in the Candy Store...

One of my favorite days of the week (okay, my favorite) is the day I go grocery shopping. Now, of course I'm not organized like my mom, so I just go grocery shopping when we're officially lacking: toothpaste, toilet paper, coffee filters, and dishwasher tabs (all necessary to my very existence). So, today was the day I headed to the store (dressed inappropriately in flip-flops - brrrr...). Even though it's wintertime we are very blessed to have a great selection of fruits and veggies at our local Price-Rite store. I can't say enough about "PR". By shopping there, I easily save 50% from our local grocery store. Even better, their produce selection is unrivaled. I mean, can you beat cheaper and better? In the wintertime, we usually eat 6lbs per week of clementines. The kids can peel the oranges themselves and the vitamin C is necessary this time of year. We also enjoy: grapefruit, pomegranates, local apples and pears, and [the usual] bananas and grapes. The veggies I typically buy in the winter include: cabbage, parsnips, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, squash, and cauliflower.

Today I was very excited to find celery root. I also found a gorgeous leg of lamb. My plan is to make the lamb roast for one dinner (to include lot of mint jelly) and to use the leftover cubed lamb to make a stew. Last year I made a stew with different root vegetables, lamb, and stout. It was so delicious and I am desperate to recreate it. I felt like a kid in a candy store when I brought home all of my groceries. It almost makes up for the tax check I have to drop off this afternoon and the fact that I feel miserable from my fourth cold since August. Grrr...

I'll keep you updated on the leg of lamb and guinness stew, but for tonight we're having fish. I bought rockfish and tilapia last week and I plan to grill them. I think we'll also have fettucine alfredo, steamed green beans and grilled pineapple with honeyed greek yogurt (can you tell I'm obsessed with Chobani?).

Grilled Rockfish
rockfish (1/2 lb per person)
olive oil
butter
salt, pepper
juice and rind of two lemons
fresh herbs

1. Spray a grilling tray or heavy aluminum foil with non-stick vegetable spray. Place fish (skin side down) on tray.
2. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, rind and herbs over fish filet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Place butter pats on fish filet and grill until fish flakes easily. If using aluminum foil, poke holes in foil for the last two minutes of grilling to enjoy the barbeque flavor.


Grilled Pineapple

Grill large pineapple spears directly on grill until light char-marks appear. Serve warm with honeyed yogurt (mix 1T honey per cup of yogurt). Sprinkle with slivered mint if desired.