Italian-Style Meatloaf

It's meat. It's a loaf. It's a loaf of meat. Is there really anything else to say?

This is a meal I make probably about once a year. It's a random craving I get on occasion--or, rather, I crave sandwiches made from the leftovers! Having grown up with meatloaf that was nothing more than ground beef and ketchup, I had no basis for what became my version. In fact, I just assumed I hated all meatloaf until my mid-twenties when I decided to tackle the loaf-o'-meat on request.

I jam as many veggies as I can into this hunk of cow, and have even substituted a couple of cans of beans for half the beef. Because there is so much veg chopping involved in the meatloaf, I usually serve it with a simple salad tossed with vinegar and some thin toasted slices of beer bread.

Don't forget to save some for sandwiches the next day....a little garlic aoili and sliced tomato, and you'll wonder why you let your family eat so much for dinner the night before!

Italian-Style Meatloaf

Ingredients:

3/4 c Romano cheese, shredded

1 15oz can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, blended

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb ground Italian sausage

1 egg

1/2 c yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 c bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 zucchini, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs anchovie paste

1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tbs fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 c Italian style bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese and half of the blended tomatoes for later.

Combine the rest of the cheese and tomatoes with the remaining ingredients until well-combined. Place in a greased 9" loaf pan and back, uncovered, for one hour. After one hour, top with reserved tomato puree and cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 8.

Improv-erish Red Beans & Rice

It was one of those nights tonight. After a mere four hours of sleep and some middle school-style drama from the oldest offspring, I wasn't in the mood to hit the grocery store. I've been craving red beans and rice lately, and the thought of minimal clean-up after a one-pot wonder was appealing.

For some reason I thought I had several cans of kidney beans. I was wrong....one lonely 15 ounce can rested in my cupboard (surrounded by six cans of mandarin oranges....what the--?). So, I killed off some veggies to round out this one-pot meal (using a pot to make the rice would bump the pot count up to two, of course).

Ingredients

3 tbs butter

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs dried parsley

1 tbs dried marjoram

salt and pepper

Chipotle Tabasco

14 oz smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8 servings rice, prepared according to package directions

several green onion stalks, sliced

Directions

Heat wok or large skillet over med-high heat. Melt butter in wok and saute carrots, celery, and onion for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add garlic and dried herbs and saute another two minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt/pepper and Tabasco.

Push veggies to edges of the wok, clearing the center. Lay sausage in middle and allow to brown about 5-7 minutes (avoid moving the sausage much during this time so it browns properly).

Mix the contents of the wok together and add beans. Stir to combine, and turn heat to low. Cover and allow flavors to meld about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning as desired.

Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onion.

Serves 8.

Italian Sausage and Spinach with Pasta

Tonight's meal was what I call a clean up meal in that I had some random items that needed to be used fairly quickly. Coupled with a lack of motivation to go to the grocery store, I had all the ingredients necessary to make a simple meal.

I had two different types of sausage leftover from two separate meals past, a bag of spinach I had forgotten about purchasing last weekend, and barely a fourth of a carton of vegetable broth sitting in the fridge. The rest of the ingredients are items I typically have hiding out in my kitchen.

Italian Sausage and Spinach with Pasta

13.5oz box whole wheat penne pasta

2 tbs light olive oil

1 pound sausage

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c vegetable broth

1 10oz bag spinach leaves

8oz fresh (aka real) mozzarella, cut into small cubes

salt/pepper to taste

fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.

Meanwhile, crumble and brown sausage over med-high heat in olive oil. Add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute.

Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in spinach leaves until just wilted. Add reserved pasta water and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Toss with pasta.

Right before serving, toss with cheese and fresh basil. Serves 8.