Alek's Meatloaf

 Until a few years ago, I loathed meatloaf.  Swimming in a greasy pool of undesirable colored goop, mushy and unremarkable.  I thought meatloaf was dog food.
My mom can attest to this.  Although she made meatloaf often, I could never ever manage to choke it down.  I'm not saying that her meatloaf was dog food, but somehow the connection in my mind made me psychologically unable to eat anything with "loaf" in it's name.
Then my friend Alek invited us over for dinner.  She served this meatloaf, and as it didn't look gross, I decided to give it a try.  I actually liked it!  I made her give me the recipe.  She said it was her mom's recipe, a little of this, a handful of that, but she put it down for me the best she could.

To this day, I actually look forward to making this for dinner.  I love that I used to despise meatloaf but now it's one of my favorite  things.  Because it's cooked in a large rectangular pan, the gross fat drains away from the meat.  The meat is well seasoned and not to mushy or dry.  Basically, with some mashed potatoes, it just about makes the perfect comfort dinner.
Thanks Alek, for the awesome recipe!  This one is in my recipe bible for life!  Make sure to make a gorgeous batch of mashed potatoes, and if corn on the cob is in season, boil some of that up too!

Alek's Meatloaf
2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, minced
1 stalk of celery, minced
2 clove garlic, mined
1 tablespoon parsley (dry or fresh)
1 1/2 tablespoon Vegeta**
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
For sauce - 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and blend well.  If the consistency is still a little loose, you can add some more bread crumbs.  Shape into loaf in a 2-quart glass  baking dish (about 11x7 inches) or any pan similar in size.  If you're using leaner meat, you can lightly spray the pan with some cooking spray before you adding the meat.  Place in the oven at 375 degrees for about half an hour, then reduce to 350 degrees for another 15-30 minutes to avoid scorching the outside.  If you want to add the ketchup and brown sugar sauce, baste it on now.  Check the middle to see if it's done to your liking - cooking time might also depend on how think you decide to make the loaf.

** Vegeta is an all-purpose seasoning from Europe that is used extensively in Serbia and Croatia.  Typically, you can find it at a fresh produce grocer or an international grocery store.  If you are unable to find, you can substitute Mrs. Dash and seasoned salt for this. Wiki Link to Vegeta

Weeknight Pesto Pasta and Chicken

This is by far my favorite weeknight dinner.  It's one of those great, "OH MY GOD, It's 7 PM and I haven't even thought of dinner dishes."
It has a secret ingredient, which probably most people will scoff at, but that makes it easy and tasty.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE . . . . . . . . . .
The secret ingredient is Papa John's garlic sauce.  You know, that little tub of garlic goodness that comes with your pizza.
This recipe evolved from the days when my kids where about 1 and 2 and both in diapers.  We ate a lot of pizza, and since I was the only one who liked those garlic sauces, they tended to collect in the fridge.  One day, I saw a box of pasta and had a flash of insight.  I could add the garlic sauce to the pasta, thus creating an easy instant sauce.

Weeknight Pesto Pasta

1/2 box bow tie pasta
2 frozen chicken tenderloin pieces
1 bag frozen veg such as a stir fry mix.  I used frozen asparagus and a handful of frozen red pepper
2 Papa John's Garlic Sauce (If you don't have any of those little containers, you can simply use 4 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
4 Tablespoon Pesto Sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded or grated
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Boil water.  Add pasta.  Cook according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, brown and cook chicken in a skillet.  Break up chicken while it is cooking into small pieces.  In the last two minutes of your pasta cooking, add frozen vegetables.  Cook about two more minutes, or until vegetables are warm through.
Drain pasta and veggies.  Add garlic sauce, pesto, Parm Cheese, and walnuts.  Add cooked chicken to top.


You can be super lazy, or just vegetarian, and leave out the chicken. It's still delicious.  This is also really good the next day, cold as sort of a pasta salad.

English Muffin Morning

What is better than an English muffin, smoothered in butter and jam?  Or made up as a little brekky sandwhich with bacon and some nice cheddar cheese. 
I've never even attempted to make English muffins at home.  I usually just buy Bay's brand.  They are by far the best commercial English muffins you can buy.
But since I've been on a baking kick lately, I thought, "What the heck?  Let's try to see what madness we can create."
I actually tried several recipes.  I was looking for an English muffin that was light and had lots of nooks and crannies.  The first one I tried came out WAY to dense.  The flavor was good, and the family devoured them, but I knew something was missing.
Searching the internet, I stumbled across Michael Ruhlman's web site and his recipe.  He practically guaranteed light and nooky muffins.  If you are unfamiliar with Ruhlman, he appears on several of Anthony Bourdain's episodes.  If you don't know, I adore Anothony Bourdain.  His wise cracking sarcasm and witty ways entertain me.  Ruhlman is also a noted chef and author in his own right.  Here is a link to his web site if  you want to check it out:  http://ruhlman.com/2010/12/english-muffins-recipe/
The only odd thing about this recipe is the wierd mesurements.  If you look at the orginal it calls for 16 oz of flour or "four fluffy cups".  Like many home cooks, I don't have a scale.  I also don't really know what "four fluffy cups" would equal.  I split the difference and used three cups of flour, and that seemed about right.  Here is Ruhlman's recipe with some of my tweaks to make it easier to understand.


Homemade English Muffin Recipe
This should look like a very thick pancake batter.

• 4 Tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
• cornmeal for dusting

1. Combine the butter and sugar in a small sauce pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Add the milk, stir it and remove it from the heat.  Stir in the yeast and the egg.
2. Combine the flour and salt in mixing bowl.  Add the milk mixture and stir till it’s all well combined.  Cover and set aside for 1-1/2 hours, or refrigerate overnight (removing it from the fridge an hour before cooking).
3. Heat a griddle or a skillet over medium heat.  If you’re using rings, butter them.  Stir the dissolved baking powder into the batter.  Dust the griddle or skillet with corn meal.  Scoop-pour about 1/4-cup portions onto the griddle, free form or in rings.  Cook for about seven minutes.  Flip them and continue cooking till done, 7 to 10 more minutes.
4. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before eating.

Yield: 8 to 12 muffins

Just Like P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken

I usually avoid "clone" recipes.  I find they are a typically a pain in the butt.  Plus, why would you want to spend hours trying to "clone" a candy bar when you can grab the real thing for under $1.
However, due to my recent carrer change, we have not been eating out as much lately.  The guy that owns the Papa John's around the corner from my house has been missing me.
When I was working full time, I would call my husband a few times a week and have him pick up some lovely take out on the way home.  He works by a lot of great restaurants.   However, without my wages earned from driving myself crazy on a daily basis, we have limited our eating out to special occasions. 
My husands really wanted some P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken, his favoriate dish.  He scoured the internet and kept emailing me recipes as a subtual hint.  I finally relented and told him that if he helped me in the kitchen, I would buy the stuff to make it.
Some of these clone recipes call for wierd ingreatients.  One called for Potato Starch.  I'm assuming it's like corn starch?  But who knows.  Anyway, I picked the one out that looked the easiest for the home cook.  I did tweak it a little by adding vegetables.  The orginal we found on Epicurious, which this is based on, did not include veggies. (see http://m.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/P-F-CHANGS-CHANGS-SPICY-CHICKEN-50004573)
Also I searved this over brown rice, just because I prefer it.  You will need a traditional wok for this recipe.  If you don't have one, I suppose you could try this in a skillet, but I wouldn't guarantee the results.

Just Like P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (about 3 onions)
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil
About 1 1/2 lb of chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch 3 carrots, sliced
2 small handfuls pea pods
2 cup cooked white or brown rice

Preparation

 

 

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for just a few seconds, not allowing the ingredients to burn, then quickly add the pineapple juice, followed by chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.

2. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and add it to the other ingredients in the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to simmer on medium/high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy.



3. Heat up 2 tablespoons veg oil in wok,  stir fry carrots and pea pods until done.  Take veggies out of wok.  Set aside for later.

4. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a wok or a medium saucepan over medium heat.

5. While oil heats up, chop chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. In a large Ziploc bag, toss chicken pieces with cornstarch until well-dusted.

6. Sauté coated chicken in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Remove chicken to a rack or paper towels to drain for a moment. Pour chicken into a medium bowl, add sauce and veggies and toss well to coat. Serve immediately with rice on the side. 

This is so good.  I couldn't believe how easy it was.  I really tasted just like the restaurant without tons of fuss.  It had a mild to medium heat that was not overpowering.  This would also be great with some oolong tea on the side.  Grab some chopsticks and it will seem like you just dropped bucks on a nice night out. 

Hors d'oeuvres and a Party on a Budget

Hors d'oeuvers - the word seems so fancy.  Really, it just means appitizers. 
So while shopping for a party recently, I browsed through the deli looking for appetizer platters.  It was shocking!  Shocking I tell you!  They wanted between $10-$20 per tray.  I did the quick math and figured I could accomplish the same for much much less.
I spent $15 for the ingredients for three dishes, a savings of at least half.
When you do your own party platters, you can pick out your own ingredients.  Plus, the vegetables and fruit will be fresher.  I've seen party platters before with strawberries that were past their prime and carrots and celery that were wilted.
You can also be a little more artistic with your display.  Use a pretty platter or bowl to display the food in.  It looks a lot nicer than a clear plastic tray.
Quick Tips for hors d'oeuvres -
Buy baby carrots, then you don't have to do a lot of peeling.  A quick rinse and they are ready for the platter
Buy your cheese pre-sliced.  Then, stack all the cheese, removing any wax paper between.  Cut cheese into four squares.  When it's pre-sliced, you don't have to mess about with a slicer, and the slices present better visually because they are all the same thickness.
Buy whatever fruits are in season. I found a great deal on grapes and pineapple, spending only a dollar each.  I splurged on the strawberries, which were out of season.
Make your own dips.  A carton of sour cream and a packet of onion soup make a great cheap dip.  Plus, it tastes better than store bought.  A packet of ranch dressing in sour cream makes a great dip for vegetables.
Along with my fancy smancy hors d'oeuvres, I also searved a "Pink Princess Punch".   This will give you a reason to pull out that lovely punch bowl you got as a wedding present and never used.  The recipe for this punch came directly from the 7-up web site:  http://www.7up.com/entertainment/mixers/#7up-party-punch

Pink Princess Party Punch

2 2-liter bottles of 7UP
1 quart raspberry sherbet
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl.
Do not add ice.
*Variation- any flavor sherbet desired may be used.

Sasha's Strawberry Birthday Cake

I've been busy all day cooking, cleaning, and getting ready for my daughter's fifth birthday party tomorrow.  Frankly, I'm beat.  These parties are always lots of hard work, but I'm hoping that she has many happy birthday memories.
This is the first big birthday party we have thrown for my child I call "My unfortunately close to Christmas baby."  It's really her fault, if she hadn't came six weeks early, she would have had a nice February birthday.  Instead, the week after Christmas, BAM!  More presents.  People at this point are pretty much tapped out and tired from the holiday season.
For her third birthday, we took her downtown to the American Girl store.  She was in heaven.  She ran around, looked at all the beautiful dolls in their fancy dresses, and then picked the baby doll that was just perfect.  We had lunch with Grandma and Aunt Barb in the restaurant.  If you have never been to the cafe, it is just to adorable.  They bring out a little chair for your doll and serve it doll food when yours arrives.
We also live really close to Medieval Times.  We pass it all the time on our way to the grocery store.  I always call it, "Sasha's Castle."  Last year, we took her to a Medieval Times show for her birthday.  She loved seeing the horses.
This year, she started out saying she wanted to go back to American Girl.  That place is so ridiculously expensive it is pretty much off limits unless it's a special occasion.  We had our trip all planned out, but last Monday she mentioned that she would like to have a birthday party.  I told her she had to pick one or the other, and surprisingly she choose the party.  With only a week to plan, I was worried that none of her friends would be able to make it.  Unbelievably, I have 12 girls who said they would come tomorrow.
Panic has set in.  I wasn't expecting this many girls!  We have decided on a Princess themed party.  We are going to play some games,  read some fairy tales, and eat some cake.  Hopefully, they have a good time.
The cake always presents a problem for me.  I'm really not a fan of store bought cakes, but my kids are.  I think homemade cakes taste much better.  This year, I decided to try my hand at some cake decorating.
I've made this cake for my daughter before.  It is a strawberry cake, so it turns out a nice pink color.  Plus, it tastes delicious.  An added plus is that it uses a box mix for the base, so it is a time saver.  Because you are adding some ingredients, your guests will never know that it started out in a box.

Sasha's Strawberry Birthday Cake

1 package French vanilla cake mix
1 package frozen strawberries pureed
1/3 cup vegetable oil (to put in cake mix per directions)
3 eggs
1 package 8 oz strawberry cream cheese

Prepare cake according to back of box, if it calls for 2 eggs, add another for a total of three.  (Don't use more than three.)  Replace water with 1 1/2 cup pureed strawberries.  Add 8 oz cream cheese.  Mix until the cream cheese is incorporated into the batter and it is smooth.  Poor batter into greased and floured pans.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

Pesto Chicken & Pepper Wraps

So after I made that big batch of pesto the other night, I had this lovely bowl in my fridge calling my name.  I had a few other dishes in the queue, so I had to wait until tonight to enjoy my favoriate weeknight pesto dish.
 I'll admit I'm kind of cheating, as even though it was a Monday, no one in our house had school or work today.  But I HAD to have that pesto.
This recipe, adapted from "Great Barbecues with Kingsford" is easy and can be modified for a quick weeknight dinner.  If you are not motivated to make your own pesto, by all means buy the jarred stuff. 
This recipe also calls for using the grill.  You could however easily use an indoor grill, such as a "George Forman".
The reason I love this so much is that you can throw the chicken in a plastic bag with the pesto in the morning, go off to work, and when you come back the meat and the pesto have made magic together.  The garlic and basil infuse into the meat and easy cooking means you won't be slaving over a stove all night.

Pesto Chicken & Pepper Wraps
1 cup pesto sauce
3 Tablespooon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 lbs skinless chicken breasts
2 red bell peppers, cleaned and sliced into strips
1 onion, cleaned and sliced into strips
About 1-2 cups lettuce, torn
1 cup mozzarella shredded
Flour Tortillas, warmed

Combine 1/2 cup pesto, vinegar, salt and black pepper in large plastic zip lock bag or bowl.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Remove chicken from marinade.  Grill chicken on grill of your choosing until done.  Could also cook in skillet if you don't have a grill.  In a small pan, saute onion and red pepper. 
Spread about 1 tablespoon pesto down center of each tortilla, top with chken, peppers, onions, cheese and lettuce.  Roll tortillas to enclose filling.