a different kind of meatloaf

in all our nine years of marriage i have never once made meatloaf because i remember him telling me when we were engaged that he didn't care for it.  this version, however, gained his and my children's approval.  

you can make it with pork or turkey.  i used turkey and substituted the fresh parsley, salt and italian seasoning with harry and david's turkey rub.  it's from everyday food magazine.

ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground pork or turkey
2 C thawed frozen hash browns
1 large carrot, shredded
1 small onion, shredded
1/4 C parsley, roughly chopped
2 large egg whites
2 t coarse salt
3/4 t pepper
2 t italian seasoning

directions

mix everything together.  transfer to a parchment-lined loaf pan and form into a loaf.  bake @ 350 until golden brown, about 1 hour.  serve with your favorite gravy.

apple butter

tell me why i don't have a year's supply of this in my food storage!?!  this should be nestled comfortably next to my raspberry freezer jam.  yum and yum.  found it at about.com.  i put only a 1/4C sugar in and it was plenty sweet.

ingredients

• 12 – 14 sweet-tart apples (like a Winesap)
• 2 cups apple cider or juice
• sugar
• ground cinnamon
• ground allspice
• ground cloves
• freshly ground nutmeg

directions

 Lightly oil crockpot. Don’t peel, but wash, core and quarter apples. Put in crockpot. Stir in cider. Cover and cook on low for 10 – 18 hours (or high for 2 – 4 hours).

Put soft fruit in food mill to remove skins. Measure fruit back into crockpot. For each pint (2 cups) of fruit add: 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. Stir every 2 hours. Remove cover after 3 hours to allow fruit and juice to cook down. Spoon into hot canning jars and proceed according to canning jar directions. Or spoon into freezer containers. Allow apple butter to cool and then store in freezer.
Makes about 5 cups.

spinach gorgonzola cornbread

i thought this was so tasty.  however, i couldn't think of an occasion or a main dish where i would say, "what would be really great with this is that spinach gorgonzola cornbread!"  it almost tastes like quiche, just a touch sweeter.  so when i make it again, i might add some ham and vegetables to just make it a main dish.

this same recipe is on a few websites so i don't know who to attribute it to.  all the recipes say to cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.  mine wasn't quite done in the middle after that and needed about 45 more minutes on low.

ingredients

17 oz cornbread mix (i used marie calendars) 
3 eggs 
1/2 cup cream 
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola 
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
paprika (optional--for color on crust) 

directions

spray crock pot with cooking spray.  combine all ingredients and scoop into crock pot.  cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.

hello, hummus--just added cilantro lime

recently i went on a trip and the airline served pita chips with some sort of cream cheese nasty. since then i've been craving pita chips the real way--with hummus!
i've made hummus several times in the past but haven't ever found the perfect recipe. i think i've finally found the right mix of flavors, specifically with regards to the garlic.
i'll give you the base recipe and then show you the two variations i made that i was really pleased with.
plain ol' hummus
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
2 T tahini (sesame seed paste)--not optional, folks!
1/8 C lemon juice
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 C olive oil

blend the first three ingredients until smooth in a food processor. then add the last three. yum!  
cilantro and lime hummus
prepare as directed, substituting the lemon juice with 3 T lime juice and then adding 1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro and 1/2 t (or more to taste) cumin.

sun-dried tomato hummus
after everything else is blended and smooth, add about a 1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes (the kind that are packed in oil) and some generous shakes of basil. double yum!
roasted garlic and artichoke hummus
substitute the 1 garlic clove for one full bulb of roasted garlic (see instructions below*) and follow directions above. after everything else is blended and smooth, add about a 1/3 C canned artichokes, drained and some generous shakes of oregano. the yummiest!
*preheat oven to 400. leave the skin on the garlic bulb and cut a little bit off the top so the garlic is exposed. super lightly drizzle with olive oil and a twinge of salt. wrap in foil with enough room for steam. roast for 30-40 or until it becomes brownish and mushy.
as a sidenote about the roasted garlic--i roasted a few bulbs and used one bulb for two large baking potatoes to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes. my kids devoured it. seriously. even the one that usually hates potatoes of any kind.

cardamom and lemon rice pudding

i adore rice pudding.  this variation was unique and delicious!  i adapted it to lower fat and calories from a recipe i found at epicurious.com.  super yummy to add toasted slivered almonds...


ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
• 5 whole green cardamom pods
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups cooked medium-grain white rice
• 1 cup golden raisins

directions

 In slow cooker, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, zest, cardamom pods, and nutmeg. Stir in rice, cover and cook on high 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, add raisins, and cook 1 hour more, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

thai chicken wraps

yum, yum and yum!  i cheated and bought some thai peanut salad dressing at the store and i love it because it's not too spicy for me (i'm a spice whimp) but still flavorful enough for my husband.  also, i wanted it to be more filling so i added some jasmine rice.

p.s.  the seasoning on the chicken is super flavorful and versatile.  i'll use it for stir-fry or for any number of salad combinations.  also, i didn't have grill seasoning, so i threw some together using this recipe.

from rachel ray

Ingredients

• 3 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning

Salad:

• 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
• 3 scallions, sliced on an angle
• 12 leaves basil, chopped or torn
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (4 sprigs)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
• Salt

Spicy peanut sauce:

• 1/4 cup room temperature chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 (12-inch) flour tortilla wraps

Directions

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss chicken with soy and oil and grill 6 minutes on each side.

Combine cucumber, sprouts, carrots, scallions, basil, mint and sesame with a generous sprinkle of sugar and vinegar. Season salad with salt, to taste.

Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne together. Stream in vegetable oil.

Slice cooked chicken on an angle. Toss with veggies and herbs.

In a very hot nonstick skillet or over a gas burner heat tortillas 15 seconds on each side.

Pile chicken and veggies in wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling.

grill seasoning

it's a good one!  from food.com

• 3 tablespoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes