New Recipe: Buffalo Mini Meatloafs

 I don’t like to keep blue cheese in the fridge long because I never know when it molds more so I made another trip to the store.  Unfortunately I didn’t know I was also out of carrots and celery so I improvised with the ingredients and the amounts when I cut the recipe in half .  This was the best new meatloaf recipe I’ve tried in awhile.  It was moist, a touch of sweet from the improvised caramelized onions and the honey that should have been in the topping with medium heat from my homemade hot sauce in the topping.  I’m not a big fan of blue cheese except as a dipper for wings but inside this meatloaf it was the best.  I’ll try it again but it will be hard to try the original recipe since my version was oh so good.  Be sure to sprinkle loaf with some blue cheese crumbles.  I forgot before taking pix.

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
3/4 C. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 C. caramelized onions, chopped
1 T. Franks hot sauce
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. honey

Topping:
1 T. ketchup
1 T. hot sauce
1 t. Sriracha

Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Beat egg, add turkey, panko, blue cheese, hot sauce, ketchup, peppers and honey.  Mix.  Shape into 6 small loafs, place on sheet pan.  Mix topping ingredients.  Brush tops of loafs with sauce.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake 25 minutes, till 165F internally.  Turn on broiler, move meatloafs to top shelf and broil another 3 minutes to brown.  Serve with a sprinkle of blue cheese.

Variation:  Saute 1 1/2 stalks celery, 1 1/2 shallots, 1 scallion, 1/2 lg. carrot, cool and add to meatloaf.

Mahammara Dip, a new to me recipe and I loved it

Tried a new recipe yesterday and it was a winner.  A good for you dip😄  This was very tasty even though I didn’t follow the recipe correctly, always in a hurry and easily distracted.  I was suppose to only add the lemon and honey if I couldn’t find pomegranate molasses or balsamic but that was the entire reason I was trying this recipe.  It was a touch sweet but not too much.  I’ll try it without the lemon and honey to see if I like it better.  Mine was looser than the picture looked but after sitting in the fridge it tightened up and was perfect.  It was served it with a drizzle of EVOO and parsley on top.  I served it alone on crackers and for a side dish as a pasta sauce with a drizzle of EVOO for dinner with grilled cod in a coffee dry rub.  Both were tasty and the crackers dipped where addicting.  This dip is pronounced “m’hmara” which means “red” in Arabic and is served throughout the Middle East so I read.  The fiber rich peppers and walnuts are good for your gut so eat up.  Original recipe came from the newspaper, Aug. 14, 2022.  

MUHAMMARA DIP

12 oz. jar roasted red bell pepper, drained
1 C. walnuts, toasted or not
1/2 C. sourdough breadcrumbs
3 T. EVOO
1 T. pomegranate molasses or
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. honey
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1 clove garlic

Toast walnuts.  Add everything to a food processor.  Process on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.  Store in a 16 oz. wide mouth jar in the refrigerator.

Notes:  I freeze the ends of sourdough bread loafs.  When ready I grind them up to make breadcrumbs.  Storage: You can refrigerate in a tight-lid container for 4 days and up to one week. A thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to cover the top of the dip will help preserve it.

Serving Suggestions:  Use as a dip with crackers, pita chips or pita bread, as a condiment on sandwiches, tossed with pasta and top with a drizzle of EVOO and parmesan or on pizza in place of tomato sauce.

Variations: 

• Top with EVOO and parsley to serve. 
• Roast 2 bell peppers in the oven, 425F/30 minutes.
• Add:  2 ½ T. tomato paste, 1 t Aleppo pepper vs cayenne, 1 t sumac (I have not tried this change)

TACO SHRIMP RICE BOWL 4 TWO

I put off this recipe all last week and it was even easier than I imagined, stupid easy, tricked again by a recipe or afraid of a new adventure, not sure which.  Although mine didn’t look like the picture it was OH SO YUMMY and full of flavor.  I used my taco seasoning vs. Caribbean jerk seasoning cause it’s what I had.  I’ll make it again but my next variation will be to try it more like a black bean salsa.  To add drained pineapple tidbits, a fresher mango so it doesn’t disintegrate and don't warm the beans and fresh green onions incase I’d rather top the dish with them.  The added salsa was from Trader Joes.  Since I couldn’t find a small crushed pineapple I’ll save the other half for banana bread tomorrow.  Original recipe was from “Healthy Table” newspaper insert which sited TasteofHome.com, go figures my favorite inspirational yearly cookbooks.  I rate tonight's recipe a 4 Star ****

 (picture to follow)

TACO SHRIMP RICE BOWL 4 TWO

14 shrimp, clean, tails removed

1-2 t. homemade taco seasoning

2 green onions, sliced

Beans:

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed, drained

8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained

1 mango, peeled, diced

1/2 C. salsa

Fixings:

8-9 oz. pkg. brown rice & quinoa, microwaved

Sour Cream

Wholly Guacamole or

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/3 C. sour cream
• 1/4 t. salt

Thaw, clean and remove tails from shrimp.  Pat dry.  Dice green onion.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning, add green onions and toss.  Set aside.

In a small sauté pan add drained and rinsed beans, undrained pineapple, diced mango and salsa.  Heat to warm.

Heat a cast iron skillet with a drizzle of oil.  Add shrimp and onions.  Sauté 2-3 minutes.  Turning half way through.  

Serve in two bowls each with a half the package of rice, a scoop of two of the saucy beans.  Topped with 7 shrimp, a dollop of sour cream and guacamole.

Variations:  

• Use What You Have:  no crushed pineapple, Use fresh pineapple, tidbits or chunks.  
• Instead of heating the beans with the fruit and salsa, use pineapple chunks, salsa and a fresh mango and serve it more like a salsa.
• Try Tilapia or grouper instead of shrimp.

New Recipe, Broiled Caesar Salad Wedges

It has been awhile since I posted but I'm going to get back to it.  Last nights dinner was EXCELLENT!!!  And it was all veggies but the star of the plate was the Broiled Caesar Salad Wedge.  It  was really all I needed.  It is a company or special occasion worthy dish yet easy enough to eat every week.  One of my 2022 goals includes getting away from bagged salads if I can make it from scratch and enjoy it just as much and it starts with making my own dressing.  This one was a winner.  The item in red is something I will be trying next time.  Here in CA this week it is BBQ weather!

EGGLESS CEASAR DRESSING

2 filets flat anchovies, packed in oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
3/4 C. (12 T.) olive oil
1 T. Worcestershire
1 C. Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 t. coarse black pepper 

Add all to a small blender, food processor.  Blend on medium until smooth.  

Note:  If you don’t blend the dressing smash anchovies on a glass plate with salt to a fine paste, add grated garlic, smash some more.  This was thick which was perfect for broiling.  If tossing in a salad start with only 1/2 C. Parmesan.

Serving Suggestions:  

• Toss with romaine lettuce, croutons and a protein like chicken or shrimp for a full meal.
• Broiled, Company’s Coming:  Broil or set oven to 500F.  Lay romaine halves, cut side up on a sheet pan.  Brush some dressing, making sure that it gets between the leaves with a using a silicone pastry brush.  Cover each romaine half with up to 1/4 C. Parmesan and bake or broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with croutons.  
• Grill romaine heart halves on a greased grill on medium heat for 1-6 minutes, till char marks.  I haven't tried this yet but I will and then I'll know how many minutes, recipes I found vary and this it too much of a difference.

This was a nice change to classic potato salad and was a better combination than I expected.  It was refreshing, light and didn’t heat up my house to make it since I cooked it on the BBQ.  Original recipe came from #142 Aug 2020 of Cuisine At Home.  It used fresh corn, red onion and parsley vs basil.  I used what I had on hand.  

I served this with Grilled Salmon sprinkled with Everything Bagel Spice.

GRILLED POTATO CORN SALAD

1 lb. bag baby red and fingerling mixed colored potatoes
1 white or red onion, Cut into 6 wedges, leaving root in tact
15 oz. can fire roasted corn, drained
1 C. grape tomatoes, cut in half
Dressing
3 T. sherry vinegar
2 T. EVOO
1/4 C. fresh basil
1 T. fresh oregano, minced
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. coarse black pepper
1/8 t. Kosher salt

Preheat BBQ to 250F.  Toss potatoes and onion chunks in oil.  Skewer potatoes, leaving about an inch or two of space between each potato.   Add to grill along with onion chunks.  Cook 20 minutes, flip half way.  

In mason jar add dressing ingredients.  Shake to mix.  When potatoes are done, cut into bite size pieces along with onions.  Slice tomatoes in half.  Drain corn.  Add everything to a large bowl, toss with dressing.

Note:  I only used 12 potatoes since it was just the two of us but the dressing can handle the entire bag.