Country Meatloaf with Tomato Relish TFF

 I eat meatloaf and I enjoy it but I don’t love it.  I do love Tyler’s country meatloaf.  I usually take a tiny piece and I am satisfied.  I took two portions of this meatloaf.  I am not sure what made it as good as it was but there is no doubt, it was delish.  The relish on top was integral with the loaf and not an add-on.

You can find Tyler’s recipe here.  Below will  be my modified loaf.  I made it kosher.  There was no gluten, in this recipe.  Maybe, that is why the meatloaf was great.  It was not stuffed with a crumb filler.

Country Meatloaf with Tomato Relish       6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Tomato relish:  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 12 ounces bottled ketchup
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

For the tomato relish, coat a skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Saute the bay leaves and onion together until they caramelize. Add the red peppers and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, and parsley and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables cook down. Stir in the ketchup and continue to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken together with your hands. Fold in 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Add the eggs and thyme and mix with both hands just until blended. Do not over mix or the meat loaf will become dense and tough. Season with salt and pepper. Coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Fill the loaf pan with the meat mixture, mounding it a bit on top. Generously spoon some tomato relish on the surface. When cooked, this will form a top crust. Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat loaf has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly before cutting into slices. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

This is my contribution to Tyler Florence Fridays.  Join us.  Cooking Tyler’s recipes is a real pleasure.

CEIMB Carrot Muffins without the Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a great recipe from Ellie Krieger.  For some reason, in different groups that I cook with, we have made carrot cake, in some form.  I had to make this one differently for my husband who may hide all the carrots.

I liked this recipe because it used apple sauce for most of the fat.  To make this gluten free, I changed the recipe.  Here is Ellie’s with my deviations.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Ellie Kreiger

·         Yield  10 cupcakes    = 

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour  
• 1 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspooon guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (3 medium carrots)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
• 4 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese (recommended: Neufchatel)
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest  (I did not make the frosting.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The little cakes, I made, took 30 minutes to bake thoroughly.  I took them out earlier and they were still wet.  I think the round ones were done about two minutes before the square one.

I did not make the following frosting.  You can see the results of my efforts which are different but hubby will eat them.  These are still going to be fancy for him.

 With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator. 

What can happen to carrot muffins? Ellie Krieger

I am going to submit this to Joy of Joy of Desserts  for her Save Room for Dessert.

The original recipe is from Ellie Krieger and can be found  here.

I will share my necessary alterations, one, of course being to make it gluten free.  The second reason I made changes was to get around my husband’s aversion to frosted cakes, yet doing something to make them stand alone.

This is what I ended with, three mini cakes, two round and one square.   Those are from my tiny pans.

The frst one is almond crusted rasberry orange cake.

The second is pistachio carrot-lime cake with orange filling.

The third is the carrot cake with a dusting of confectionarty sugar and one dried apricot.

 The carrot cake recipe is found in my Carrot Cupcake post.

These are took a few simple steps to make them into something hubby will eat.

1. almond crusted raspberry orange cake – a carrot cake with a glaze of raspberry jelly, topped with slivered almonds.  All I did was spread the jelly on top of the cake and put almonds on top.  Simple and good.

2. Pistachio carrot-lime cake.  I mixed some lime juice (teaspoon) with 1/4 cup orange spread.  I cut the square cake in the middle, making two layers.  I spread the orange-lime on the bottom piece.  Topped with the second half of the carrot cake.  Topped it with coconut and pistachios over more of the orange-lime spread.  The lime gives it the oomph.

The third is the simplest.  I sifted confectionary sugar on the top and placed one dried apricot to stand alone.  Those were my dozen carrot cupcakes.

Summer Spaghetti

This is so good that I am going too use this Tyler Florence Friday’s and Presto Pasta, this week.  This week, Ruth, the originator or Presto Pasta is hosting.   Send your pasta recipes to her at – ruth@4everykitchen.com.  Her blog is “Once Upon a Feast.”  Lots of interesting stuff there besides the recipes.

This is Tyler’s recipe and like all the recipes I have tried, it is the best.  It has spaghetti – it is a comfort food.

If you want to participate, go here, for the necessary information.

Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes 

This should be titled, “Thank  you, Tyler.”  The pasta is given flavor from the vegetables and we love it.

• 1 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the spaghetti.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic  and oregano in a large bowl.

Add the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and give it all a good toss.

Dump that out onto a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the squash is tender and caramelized.

Scrape the vegetables into a large pasta bowl and cover with a plate to keep everything warm.

The pasta water should be boiling by now.

Add the spaghetti and stir to separate the strands.

Cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.

To finish, scoop out about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and toss gently with the roasted vegetables. Add the pasta water if needed.

 

That is corn bread sharing hubby’s plate.  This was filling.

How little they are….

Look above and see those tiny cakes and cake pans.  I baked a surprise for my husband so I can’t tell you yet.  You just might tell him.

Wait until tomorrow or Thursday and then you should know.  I am deciding how to decorate it since he does not like frosting.  Maybe, powdered sugar.

I will get back to you with my teeny packages.

What do you think they are?