What I Cooked: 4/28/15

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IMG_2262 There seem to be two camps with regard to meatloaf: love it or hate it.  For those who hate it, I think the dislike stems for childhood memories of tasteless, dry loaves.  This recipe, from the 24 Diner in Austin, courtesy of Food & Wine magazine will change your mind.

Unlike most recipes, this meatloaf is so good that I didn't need to tweak it.  The Monterey Jack cheese is the mix is genius.  The only thing I added was a brush of ketchup over the meatloaf prior to cooking.  Since I don't make the onion gravy, I thought the ketchup would provide a touch of sauce for the final product.

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Add egg noodles with butter and parmesan and roasted broccoli and you've got an easy weeknight meal with leftovers for sandwiches.

Note:  instead of chopping the carrots, I grate them. You still get flavor and texture without chunks of carrot in the meatloaf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Cooked: 4/27/15

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This was a super-quick, high flavor, minimal ingredient meal courtesy of Clinton Kelly of The Chew television show.  While not absolutely faithful to the Chinese restaurant version (sweet Italian sausage, I'm calling you out here), I think it was better.  The individual herbs and spices stood out, turning what can be a bland dish into a family-pleasing weeknight meal.  Add a little steamed jasmine rice and you're at the table in under 30 minutes.

What I Cooked: 4/18/15

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Today's menu was a family affair.  My husband grilled beautiful baby back ribs from Cliff's in Carrboro, NC.  I rounded out the meal with baked beans seasoned with my own secret spice blend that includes ginger for some sweet heat, and long-simmered collard greens.  I also made a mashed potato salad which is quickly becoming one of our favorites. Our guest brought a delicious meringue-topped key lime pie from Stick Boy Bakery in Boone, NC. IMG_0225 IMG_2242 IMG_2243 IMG_2244

What I Cooked: 4/16/15

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Sausage Broccoli Alfredo lasagna: This was a mash-up of several recipes.  You see many recipes for sausage and spinach white lasagnas and sausage and broccoli pastas.  However, I wanted the toothier bite of the broccoli, so  I created my own version.  Topped with a six-cheese Italian blend run under the broiler, this was a hit with the family and like most lasagnas, got better with age.  We enjoyed the leftovers for several days.  

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