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June 24, 2015

Roasted Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf

Retro tv dinners come to mind when I think of meatloaf, probably because I didn’t grow up eating it and my preconceptions primarily come from passing through the frozen food aisle at the store. It took me some time to come around on meatloaf, but after I saw this recipe, it suddenly became appealing and worth giving a try. In the updated version here, classic meatloaf gets a lightened up summer spin with turkey and an abundance of colorful roasted summer vegetables and fresh basil. This does require turning on the oven, but it’s great when you need a make-ahead meal since everything can be assembled earlier and then simply baked in the oven before serving. Grilling is great in the summer, but it also requires someone actively being at the grill right before the meal is served. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to work ahead of time, put on the oven timer, and forget about it until the timer goes off. If I’m having guests over, meals like these make mingling so much easier. This recipe makes more roasted vegetables than needed for the meatloaf. I like having the extra veggies to serve alongside the meatloaf, but cut the vegetables in half if you only want enough for the meatloaf. Mustard mashed potatoes make a wonderful accompaniment as well.

Roasted Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf

Yield: 6

Ingredients

3 small zucchini, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
2 medium red onions, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 pounds ground turkey thigh
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup ketchup, divided
2 large eggs
1/4 cup white wine

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, toss together the zucchini, peppers, and onions with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of rosemary. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 375. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together turkey, mozzarella, panko, basil, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, and 1 cup roasted vegetables.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup ketchup, eggs, and wine. Add to turkey mixture and mix again to incorporate. (It may be easier to use hands to mix together.)
Transfer mixture to a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Use the back of a rubber spatula to smooth and form a rounded top. Spread remaining 1/4 cup ketchup evenly over the top of loaf.
Bake until cooked through and top is lightly browned, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow meatloaf to rest 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with warmed roasted vegetables and mustard mashed potatoes.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit

Mustard Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6 side portions

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (or more) whole milk
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, cover potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft when a knife pierces through. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
Roughly mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pastry blender. (I leave the skins on for a more rustic feel, but peel potatoes if desired.) Add ¾ cup milk, butter, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue to mash until you reach desired consistency. Add more milk a couple tablespoons at a time if necessary.

Notes

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

June 17, 2015

Grilled Spring Vegetables with Parsnip Potato Puree

With CSA season well underway, it’s sort of a game for me to see how well I can use up the week’s share before it’s time to pick up the next one. There was a time when trying to figure out a way to use up my share was stressful, but these days I’m much more relaxed about cooking and now I find it rather a fun challenge. When it approaches time for the next share pick-up, I’ve been doing a clean sweep of the fridge and whatever is left from that week becomes our dinner. Considering this meal was the result of some serious cleaning out the fridge, I had not planned on posting this, but we enjoyed it so much that I quickly snapped a shot of some leftovers just so I could share it. One of the big cooking lessons I’ve learned is that a recipe does not need to be elaborate or complicated in order for it to be delicious. This meal is the perfect example- only a few ingredients, yet because of its simplicity, the goodness of the fresh spring produce is really able to shine. Here we have asparagus, garlic scapes, and scallions, grilled to perfection and accompanied with a creamy parsnip potato puree. Parsnips turn velvety smooth when pureed and the contrast of flavors and textures with the grilled vegetables is wonderful. I think this makes such a light and refreshing early summer meal and I hope you think so too.

Grilled Spring Vegetables with Parsnip Potato Puree

Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk, optional
any combination of Asparagus, Garlic Scapes, Spring Onions, and/or Scallions
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Chop the parsnips into 1-inch pieces and place into a saucepan. Chop the potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces and add to the parsnips. Cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until tender, about 20-35 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Puree the parsnips and potatoes using an immersion blender or by hand using a potato masher. Add enough milk, buttermilk, or reserved cooking liquid to make the mixture velvety smooth. If using an immersion blender, be careful not to over blend/process in order to avoid the mixture turning gummy. You could also pass the parsnips and potatoes through a food mill if you have one.
Lightly coat vegetables with olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt. Grill over medium heat for 2-4 minutes, turning and rotating halfway through the cooking time. Vegetables should be tender and charred, but not overly soft.
To serve, mound a generous portion of the parsnip potato puree onto a plate. Top with grilled vegetables, drizzle with olive oil, and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

parsnip potato puree from Deborah Madison’s The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

June 10, 2015

Roasted Tomatoes and Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette

June in Michigan is such a wonderful time of the year for cooking. There’s an abundance of fresh produce everywhere and the weather is still fairly moderate so I don’t mind being at the stove or turning on the oven. The cooler mornings and evenings keep me in the mood for baking and the warm sunny afternoons inspire a myriad of colorful salads. These days are perfect for roasting all of those early summer fruits and vegetables. Lately we’ve been enjoying our fair share of roasted cherry tomatoes in our pastas and salads. Like any roasted fruit, cherry tomatoes become intensely sweet and even more beautiful after being roasted. It may take a little bit of time to roast the tomatoes, but the extra effort is worth it in the end. This salad is a glorious combination of textures and flavors- soft and juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy pepitas, creamy crumbly feta, and chewy spelt grains. Adding whole grains to salads is a wonderful solution for making salads more substantial and filling. I’ve used spelt here, but any whole grain such as farro, quinoa, or barley will do. I brought this to a teacher’s appreciation luncheon at my daughter’s school a few weeks ago and it quickly disappeared!

Roasted Tomatoes and Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette

Yield: 6 side portions

Ingredients

Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup spelt, soaked 4-6 hours, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves shredded
1 English cucumber, diced
1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup crumbled feta, plus extra for sprinkling on top

Dressing

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic white vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 shallots, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread tomatoes evenly on prepared baking sheet and roast for 25-28 minutes, until tomatoes are softened and slightly shriveled.
In a small saucepan, combine the spelt and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then simmer spelt until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
In the bowl of a food processor, blend dressing ingredients until well combined and smooth.
Toss kale, cucumbers, pepitas, and spelt with half the dressing. Gently toss in feta, tomatoes, and additional dressing to taste. If needed, season with additional salt and pepper. Garnish with additional feta and pepitas.