Meatloaf

I know what you're thinking. Who makes meatloaf anymore? Well, I only do because my friend Kelly introduced me to this sauce to top it...it is so yummy, I make the meatloaf so I can have the sauce.

Your other question - where have I been? Well, who cooks when they're pregnant?! I actually did plan on posting one other recipe, but by the time I was done cooking I was too tired to take a picture...oh well.

Meatloaf:

the secret is to cook this on a broiler pan, then the meat isn't sitting in it's own drippings.

1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1/2 c dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c chopped onion
1 T barbeque sauce
1 T prepared mustard
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 egg

mix and form into a loaf on a broiler pan. If desired, top with bbq sauce before cooking (or kelly's special sauce...)

Kelly's sauce:
this is one of those things you just mix until it tastes right...I'll try to put it down...

abt 1 C ketchup
abt 1/2 T spicy mustard (kelly says plochmans is the best)
a swish or two of worsteshire sauce
1 to 2 T brown sugar

Whisk together and adjust to your liking. Should be sweet, salty, and very tangy. Yum!

Manicotti with spinach

I know, it's been like forever since I posted here. I made this Manicotti the other day, I forgot how good it is.

It's really un-recipe-ish. Just take Ricotta cheese (the big bucket at the grocery store), stir in about 1/2 bag chopped spinach, some italian seasoning, and some motzerella cheese (maybe 1/2 cup?). Cook manicotti shells for about 7 minutes, then using a pastry bag, pipe the filling into the manicotti. Put in casserole dish, top with sauce and motz cheese, cook at 375 for about 30 min, first 20 or so covered in foil so manicotti will finish absorbing liquid. Super yummy, and if you use a pastry bag, not too hard!

Grandma Madsen's Meatballs

Sherry's mom used to make these, they are one of Jared's favorite foods - and with good reason!

I usually double the batch and freeze in small portions - instead of opening a jar of spagetti sauce, I throw some canned tomatoes and frozen meatballs in a pot to simmer for a bit - yummy and fast.

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb hot (or mild) itallian sausage
1/2 c chopped onion
1 c breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 c shredded cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp allspice

Mix together in large bowl. Roll into balls (I use pampered chef med scoop, flattened to scoop out). Brown in skillet. Simmer in crushed tomatoes or any combination of diced tomatoes/sauce. I do a lot of sauce, 1 #10 can for this recipie, or even, one #10 can for 1/3 of doubled batch. Freezes well.

Maple Brined Pork Chops

One of our favorites, I make it all the time:)

Brine:
1 C boiling water
2T Kosher salt
1 C ice
1 C unsweetend apple juice
1/4 C maple syrup
1 tsp maple extract
1/4 tsp all spice

(I combine all ingredients for brine in this order in an 8 cup pampered chef bowl, measuring along sides of bowl as I go)

4-6 pork chops. I buy boneless pork chops from Costco and cut them lengthwise (to make them thinner)


Make brine, then soak pork chops in fridge in brine for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Cook on med-high heat (I like cast iron pan) for a few minutes on each side, or until browned. cover and cook at lower temp until meat registers 160 with meat thermometer.

I also like to saute apples in the pan drippings to serve with pork chops, and then make a gravy with the pan drippings.

I also serve with potato pancakes (grated potato and onion, cooked in small nests in pan on stove)

Chili

We love this in the winter!

1 lb dry pinto beans
1lb ground beef
2 T chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1 large onion
1 or 2 bell peppers (green, red, orange, whatever)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 bag good frozen corn (I like trader joes brand)

Toppings: shredded cheese, fritos (our favorite), mustard, sour cream, green onion, or whatever else you can think of!

Soak beans overnight or boil for 5 minutes then allow to sit covered for one hour. Cook beans in chicken broth in pressure cooker for 25 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In large dutch oven or saucepan, saute diced onion and pepper. Add beef when veggies are starting to soften. Brown and break up. Add chili powder and cumin. Once beef is browned, add tomatoes and beans (adjust amounts until you like the way it looks). Add corn, simmer for 1/2 hour, serve with toppings:)

Barbeque Roasted Salmon

This recipe is a favorite at our house. We just tell Pearl it's "pink party fish" and she gobbles it right up. Sam is a little more difficult to convince...

6 pieces salmon (I cut the frozen ones, from Costco, best quality, by the way, in half for each serving)

Marinate salmon for an hour or so in 1/2 cup pineapple juice and 2T lemon juice (approximate measurements)

Topping:

2 T brown sugar
4 t chili powder
2 t lemon rind
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon

I usually double or triple it and keep it in a jar in my spice cupboard.

Discard marinade. Place Salmon in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with topping. Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. This is seriously yummy.

Pizza

Crust:

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1T yeast
2t sugar

Allow to sit at room temp until foamy (5-10 min)

Put 4 C of flour into your stand mixer with the dough hook. Add yeast mixture and another 1 1/2 cups of water (I use the same container yeast was sitting in to rinse all the parts that stuck on the glass in really good). knead, I find a few minutes at a higher speed (like 4) helps it ball faster. Dough should be pretty soft, just barely forming a ball. The softer the dough, the puffier the crust. Trust me:) Add a little flour or water to get it to a nice soft dough, dough should be slightly sticky.

Once it forms a ball, add 1T Kosher salt and knead for 2-3 minutes longer. (can reduce speed to 2)

Allow to rise (in the fridge overnight is best, or you can leave it on the counter for a few hours. I usually make the dough after lunch an leave it until dinner). Cut dough in half, oil your hands, and handling the dough as little as possible (we're talking gently pull into a circle, place on pan, and pat out to the edge... if it's too stiff/elastic, let sit for a minute while you start the other one then gently pull dough to the edges again), spread into two perforated pizza pans, making sure you spray them first. Let rise again (for like half an hour... then longer, the puffier, the yummier). Top with your favorite toppings! (we love fresh motzerella and tomato with pesto sauce, the pepperoni from trader joe's is the BEST!!!!)

Bake pizza at 475 for 10 minutes or so, the middle should be firm and pretty dry.

Sauce:

One can of Trader Joes tomatoes (whole, salted, with basil), drained and pureed
olive oil
crushed garlic (maybe 3 cloves? How much of a garlic fan are you?)
basil (maybe 1/4 cup loosely packed leaves)

Saute garlic in oil, add tomatoes and basil. Simmer.

If I'm really lazy, I puree tomatoes and simmer with a scoop of homemade pesto. Done.