Meat Loaf with Parmesan & Tomato

A super easy recipe from Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook, that will be a go-to once you give it a try.  I've added a few modifications below based on what I had on hand when I made this for the first time.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
4 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fat-free egg substitute (or 1 egg, lightly beaten)
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce (or marinara sauce)

Directions:
1.  Line bottom and part way up side of 5 or 6 quart slow cooker with sheet of nonstick foil

2. Mix together turkey, zucchini, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons of parsley, the egg, garlic, salt and pepper in medium bowl just until mixed well.  Shape mixture into loaf about 6 inches long x 3.5 inches high; place in slow cooker and spoon sauce on top.  (Alternatively, you can remove the foil from the cooker and form the loaf on the foil, then transfer both to the slow cooker).  Spoon tomato sauce on top.

3.  Cover and cook 1 hour on high.  Reduce heat to low and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 160F, about 4 hours longer.

4. Carefully lift meat loaf from slow cooker using foil as handles and transfer to a cutting board; let stand covered with foil 10 minutes.  Sprinkle meat loaf with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and cut into slices.

Hearty Vegetable Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich Croutons

Fall has arrived in New England, and one of the signs of fall is comfort food.  It was a Sunday afternoon, the wind was blowing and there was a chill in the air.  I was in the mood for soup.  I whipped up this Hearty Vegetable Soup based on ingredients I had in the pantry and freezer - no need for a trip to the grocery store.  The soup was delicious on it's own, but I was craving something decadent to go with it and decided on a grilled cheese sandwich.  To take it to the next level, I made the sandwich into croutons to top the soup and a new favorite was born! The croutons soak up the broth from the soup and provide the decadent bite of gooey cheese nestled between two crispy pieces of bread.  It's a winner!  Here's the recipe for the soup:

2 TBS EVOO
2 TBS butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans, lima beans)
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 26 oz box of crushed tomatoes
1.5 tsp Italian Herb mix
4 or more cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Parmesan cheese rinds (optional)

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, add EVOO and butter over medium heat.  When butter has melted add chopped onion; saute until softened 3-4 minutes.  Add chopped celery, saute until softened about 5 minutes.  Add frozen vegetables, black beans, kidney beans and crushed tomatoes.  Combine vegetable and bean mixture.  Add Italian herbs to mixture.  Add 4 cups broth, more if thinner consistency is desired. Add Parmesan cheese rinds if using.  Heat mixture until almost boiling, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer soup for about 30 minutes for flavors to combine.

Make your favorite grilled cheese sandwich using any type of bread and cheese you like.  I made this with white whole wheat bread and Monterrey jack cheese.  Once toasted on both sides and cheese melts, remove from pan and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Trim crusts off sandwich then cut sandwich into bite sized pieces for the croutons.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and then top soup with grilled cheese sandwich croutons.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cake with Warm Rhubarb Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme from The Art of Breakfast

The Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cake with Warm Rhubarb Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme from The Art of Breakfast cookbook is so delicious and so easy to make ahead (actually, you need to make it the night ahead for the oats to absorb the cinnamon mixture).  I made the cake the night before and the garnishes in the morning while the cake baked!  All the recipes from this cookbook are amazing, so I highly recommend ordering a copy for yourself or adding it to your wishlist. 

Being that I like a little something salty with my sweet breakfasts, I served this with sausage on the side!

Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cake (with permission from the chef!)

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup walnut oil (found in my local Whole Foods)
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups half & half
6 cups thick-cut rolled oats (not quick cook or instant)
Vanilla Bean Creme (see recipe that follows) for garnish
Rhubarb Sauce (see recipe that follows) for garnish
Sliced Strawberries for garnish

1. Combine the oils, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, salt, milk and half & half in a stand mixer and beat until well combined.  Add the oats and mix thoroughly.
2. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the dish from the refrigerator and allow to sit while the oven is heating.
4.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top.  Cut into squares.  Into shallow bowls, ladle rhubarb sauce, place cut oatmeal squares on top.  Top the cake with Vanilla Bean Creme and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.

Vanilla Bean Creme

1 pint sour cream (I used a low fat version)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (use vanilla bean paste, if you have it - can be purchased at Williams Sonoma)
1 seeds of 1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon heavy cream (I used half & half)
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree for 10 seconds.  Scrape down the sides and blend again for another few seconds.  Pour into a container (keeps in refrigerator for 1 week or freezer for about 4 weeks)

Tip: use the left over vanilla bean pod to flavor granulated sugar!

These squeeze bottles are the perfect container for the Vanilla Bean Creme. They make storing and plate decorations so easy and convenient.  Plus, you can carry them to the table in case anyone would like a little extra!

Rhubarb Sauce

Don't skip making this.  Even if you don't think you like rhubarb, you will like the sweet and tart zing it adds to the dish.

4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Cook all ingredients in a covered medium saucepan for about 20-25 minutes until soft.  Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  Be careful since the mixture is very hot!


Being that I often cook just for two, we had leftovers, which were excellent the next day, heated in the microwave.  I froze the other half and looking forward to enjoying it in a couple of weeks!

Bon Appetit!
 

Gnocchi Mac n' Cheese

This recipe is from Cuisine at Home, October 2010.

For the Gnocchi - I used Terra Cotta Pasta Company, prepared according to package directions.

For the Cheese Sauce:

2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBSP all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 1.5 quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray
Prepare Gnocchi; set aside
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heart.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute
Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, when whisk in milk and add Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to the milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful.  Once all cheese is melted season with salt and pepper.
Arrange gnocchi in prepared baking dish in one layer. Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.
Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.  Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Terra's notes - use another good melting cheese if you don't like fontina.  I served this with roasted lemon pepper pork tenderloin with sauteed onions and asparagus.

Natalie's in Camden, Maine is worth the trip!

We were lucky enough to stay at the Camden Harbor Inn and had the 5 course dinner at Natalie's in Camden, Maine - one of the nicest harbor towns in the state.  The meal started out with the chef's tasting - which included perhaps the perfect bite of a crab cake puff, light as air, yet full of flavor, topped with a tiny dollop of creme fraiche, one single caper and a pop of a lemon segment! Oh, I could have stopped there - and had about 10 more, and called it a meal.  However, the meal continued with a first course of oysters and a horseradish foam; followed by our second course of an amazing velvety butternut squash soup accompanied by a baked apple slice stuffed with blue cheese and an endive leaf with duck prosciutto.  Heaven!


Our third course was monk fish in a rustic stew of cranberry beans and cauliflower; followed by the fourth course of beef two ways - a delicious Guinness braised short rib that melted in your mouth with a crunchy and salty fried onion ring on top and a hearty rib eye perfectly prepared with a side a sauteed kale.  Oh my!  Our fifth and final course was dessert - a smooth and creamy cinnamon creme brulee with apple sorbet.  I loved the way the two flavors played on the opposite temperature expectations you would typically have with this dessert of warm apple crisp and a cool cinnamon ice-cream.  Simply divine!  Total cost for 5 course dinner for two, including two cocktails (Champagne Cosmo and 007 Martini - which were excellent!) and three glasses of wine was $250.  So, if you are in Camden, don't hesitate to go to Natalie's - you won't be disappointed - it's a treat that is well worth every penny!

Portsmouth Brewery - Go for the Beer, Not the Food

We stopped at the Portsmouth Brewery on a Wednesday night on our way home from the shopping outlets in Kittery, Maine.  I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been here – and how many times we’ve taken friends here, but it had been over a year since our last visit.  It was always a great place to stop for a great beer and great food.   Fortunately, the beer is still great, but unfortunately, the food is not so great.  Sometime over the past year, the quality has suffered and it seemed like the menu was significantly smaller.

For dinner, I had the veggie burger with swiss cheese for $9.  The burger was mushy and lacked flavor, and the sad little piece of swiss cheese had somehow slipped off the burger and burned on the grill, making it completely worthless.  I can say that the side of fries were very good – crispy outside and soft inside – just the way I like them.  My husband had the tofu stir fry for $13, that had too many noodles and not enough vegetables.  The flavor was drab and lacked anything interesting.  Okay, admittedly, maybe these dishes were not the best choices from a brew pub – but nothing else on the menu was even tempting.  The beer was great – we had a saison that started out sweet and had a nice white pepper finish.  I would go again for a few beers and snack food, such as nachos, chicken tenders, or calamari.  Total cost of dinner at the Portsmouth Brewery for one veggie burger, one stir fry and one beer - $29.

Cru Cafe - Go for Lunch and Order the Shrimp BLT!

Cru Cafe - Charleston, SC:  "Go for lunch and order the Shrimp BLT" - that's what a local told me when I asked her where I should go on our last day in Charleston.  I made reservations on OpenTable and was glad I did since people were being turned away when we were seated at 12:30pm on a weekday.  We were offered two seats at the kitchen window and loved seeing how this fabulous little kitchen cranks out amazing dishes one after the other.  If you are a cook or a foodie, ask for these seats!

We followed the advice we were given and ordered the shrimp BLT for $10 which came with our choice of mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, French fries, Asian slaw or salad.   The country bread was lightly toasted, smeared with sauce, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, warm grilled shrimp and pepper jack cheese - yes, you read that right! It may sound like an odd combination, but it's that combination that makes it all come together to give you one of the best sandwiches on the planet! There were a few other tempting items on the menu and the dinner choices online looked great too, but follow the advice I was given - get the shrimp BLT!  Total bill before tip for two shrimp BLTs, one beer and one iced tea was $29.  Cru Café is a winner in my book!