A Meatloaf Extraordinaire

I have made so many really great meals lately, and haven't gotten them posted here. One of these was a meatloaf of all things. I am not over fond of meatloaf. Actually, I used to prefer it far more as cold leftovers on a meatloaf sandwich than hot the day it was made. 

One of my "beefs" (excuse the pun) about most meatloaves I have eaten elsewhere (not my own) is that raw onion goes in it, and even after the meatloaf is baked through, the onion is still raw enough to crunch, and so my stomach hurts for hours after. To remedy this, I always sauté my onion and garlic until they are truly caramelized and more flavorful. Problem solved. And complexity of flavor added!
 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire

There is a lot more to making a meatloaf tasty though, than just onion. Of late, I have been adding in a goodly amount of either shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, as I do for meatballs as well. Most often I make meatballs with ground beef, and sometimes I add sausage. Not too long ago, I made some pork sausage meatballs, mixed half & half with cooked brown lentils, both to add fiber and to stretch the recipe. They were amazing! You can't really tell there are lentils (if you don't look closely) in the meatballs, and the other ingredients make the recipe taste delicious. I was relating this to my son, who is looking to improve his diet, and talking of adding lentils to meat dishes such as meatballs (or burgers or meatloaf), and my husband overheard the conversation. Later, he requested that I make something like that, with lentils added. I told him he had already been served this kind of mixture in past, quite a few times already! But I opted to do this again, and this time with a meatloaf. 

I have been gravitating more and more, when making meatloaves and meatballs, to some of the same ingredients, since they seem to really up the flavor factor by orders of magnitude. Some of these ingredients are as mentioned, such as a good amount of Parmesan or Romano cheese, and the sauteed, caramelized onions. I have at times added things like applesauce into the mix, and/or barbecue sauce. Sometimes I have switched out the Parmesan or Romano cheese for Gorgonzola (recipe here), which is exceptional! Sometimes I use quick cooking oatmeal as a binder, but I have used psyllium husks, flax and other things on occasion. 

So with no real plan in mind, I set about making a meatloaf with lentils. I cooked 1 cup of brown lentils for about 30 minutes, then drained and lightly mashed them, leaving a lot of them whole. I started adding things in and baked the meatloaves, which smelled heavenly. And my, these were just amazingly flavorful. Do not let the photos fool you into thinking this is another bland meatloaf. My husband loved them. And I will be making them again. And again! 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire

Makes two (4 x 8-inch) meat loaves

1 cup brown lentils
3 cups water for cooking lentils
1 pound lean ground beef (or combination of beef and sausage meat) 
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, or oil of choice
1 onion, chopped
2 - 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 large eggs 
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup 1-minute oats
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½  - 2 teaspoons salt as desired
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, lightly minced

Set the lentils and water into a medium-large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain, then allow to cool slightly. Mash with a potato masher, just to break up some of the lentils. Some should remain whole. Do not puree. You want texture.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet and add in the oil and the onions. Saute the onions, stirring often, until they are turning a caramel color. Add in the minced garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 more minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground beef in an large bowl, then add in the sauteed onion and garlic and all the remaining ingredients, including the cooked lentils. Thoroughly combine the mixture. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray and divide the mixture between the pans evenly. Pat into a smooth rectangle and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until internal temperature is at least 150 degrees. Wonderful served with mashed potatoes and green vegetable of choice.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Couple of Treats to take to the Festivities

I mentioned a day or two ago that we are going to one of my sisters-in law's house for Christmas Day. They do a big "dinner" at noon, open gifts all afternoon, and then have snack foods for the evening. I was asked to bring something to contribute to the snack portion of the evening. The request was completely open-ended: no guidance as to what to make or how much, it was all up to me. 

Diana's Sugared Pecans

After talking it over a bit, I came up with two things; one sweet and one savory. For the sweet portion, I made some of Diana's Sugared Pecans, which are so delicious it is very hard to move away from the bowl when they are out! These are very sweet pecans, with a thick, coating and they are dreamy good! In case you are in need of something to make, these are certainly an option. They don't take long to make, either, though you will need a candy thermometer. 

I will say, I got this recipe many years ago from my sister, who found it on the internet. I looked and looked yesterday and cannot find that recipe out there, though it must be. Regardless, in the original recipe I believe it said to spread the finished nuts onto waxed paper to separate, and then cool. I have done this in past, but the nuts are exceedingly hot when they go onto the waxed paper. Inevitably, some of the hot nuts will stick to the paper. Not a really big deal, but this time I used Silpats to spread them to cool. Worked most wonderfully! Just FYI.

Diana's Sugared Pecans

Diana's Sugared Pecans

Makes about 4+ cups

3¾ cups pecan halves
2¼ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
¾ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place the pecans onto a rimmed baking sheet in one layer. Bake the pecans for about 20 minutes, then set them aside to cool. Have ready either waxed paper or Silpat/silicone sheets.

Place the sugar, butter and sour cream into a saucepan and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan for 2 minutes, so the steam washes down any sugar crystals lurking on the sides of the pan. Insert the candy thermometer and cook the mixture on medium heat to soft-ball stage, or 235 to 240 degrees. Remove from heat, add in the cinnamon, vanilla and the pecans and stir well. Pour the mixture onto the prepared waxed paper or silicone sheets and with two forks, separate the nuts into single pieces. Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container until needed.
The second part of the snack treats are Cheese Twists. These were sort of a riff on a recipe on the 'net from Emeril. I started with that recipe and altered it to fit my taste. I used fresh rosemary and then added in some Grains of Paradise. If you are so fortunate as to have these little gems in your spice cabinet, I highly recommend them. If not, use about half the amount of freshly ground black pepper. 

Cheese Twists

Cheese Twists

Makes about 32

2 sheets Puff Pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup olive oil
2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced finely
2 teaspoons Grains of Paradise, ground
1 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne, optional

Thaw the puff pastry sheets until they unfold easily, about 30 to 40 minutes. In the meantime, in a bowl, combine the Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, Grains of Paradise, salt and cayenne, if using. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Once pastry sheets are thawed, sprinkle a surface with flour and roll out one of the sheets in only one direction, keeping the corners squared. The sheet length should be about doubled the width. With a pastry brush, brush the lightly beaten egg onto the entire sheet. Using one half of the filling mixture, spread this over one half of the pastry sheet. Fold the unused side over the filled side. With the rolling pin, press the top down to seal the mixture in. Use a long, sharp knife, or pastry or pizza cutter to slice narrow pieces, about 3/8-inch wide. Twist these long strips a few times, and set them, well apart, onto a baking sheet.

Roll pastry              |       brush with egg         |      spread half mixture      |     on half the sheet

 

Fold opposite side over filling      |    slice into long strips     |    twist the strips     |    bake

Repeat this with the second puff pastry sheet. Bake each sheet of Cheese Twists for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden.

I hope everyone celebrating Christmas has a most wonderful holiday, filled with love and happiness. If you are not celebrating Christmas, I hope you find some entertaining recipes herein. I will be absent for a few days  with my own celebrations. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.