...meat loafing around

I found myself craving meatloaf the other day... not Mom's, which I have made for years, mainly, as a vehicle for consuming ketchup and to use in sandwiches. I think that it was the memory of a juicy,crumbly, bell pepper studded meal from my elementary school cafeteria days,[it was a country school and the cooks made everything from scratch...], that got me searching for a recipe that would go beyond the dense, pate-esque creation I'd always made.

just look at all those yummy bits of fresh veggies...

I wanted flavor and texture...so I began to search recipes online, looking for ones that would use a mix of different meats, as well as fresh veggies. I found my model recipe... and was stunned to see Martha Stewart's name on the recipe. But it had almost all of my desires, so I began to cook, using her recipe more as a template than as directions.

you have to imagine the carrots and celery grated, the onions, peppers and garlic minced... and the cilantro as not there at all...

I set the oven to preheat at 375˚ and proceeded to grate a young carrot and a leafy stalk of celery, after peeling them, [I also grated my finger, but that's NOT an essential ingredient in this recipe, so you can leave yours unmangled...] After rough-chopping half a yellow onion, half a green pepper and 2 large cloves of garlic, I minced them. MS suggested using a food processor for 30 seconds for all the veggies, I didn't want to go to all that trouble...

ground chuck

I used 8 oz[half pound] of ground chuck,[just the perfect beefy flavor, pour off the fat...], as well as 8 oz each of lean ground pork, lamb and turkey. I have left out the lamb when I couldn't get it, but the pork is essential for flavor, especially with the turkey.

ground turkey

ground pork

ground lamb

I lightly beat 2 eggs and mixed into the meat mixture than I had broken with my fingers and loosely stirred along with the veggies...

then I sprinkled about a cup of Progresso Garlic Herb bread crumbs over the loose mixture...along with a good shake of Pappy's 50% less salt seasoning...

a good cup, mixed with about a quarter cup of...

my all-time favorite mild mustard...

and lightly mixed-in with my fingers, being careful not to squeeze the mix...
then I gently put the mix into my loaf pan, making sure it had no voids but also watching the pressure that I was applying... I placed in the oven, at 375˚ for 1 1/2 hours. When I took it out, I poured off the fat from the chuck,[it was about a quarter cup...] and then flipped it out onto a plate to set-up.

even good cold...

I made a wonderful meal of a couple of pieces, accompanied by mashed potatoes, green beans, cooked red cabbage and cooked carrots. It was everything that I had hoped for! Tender and juicy, with great flavor! Best meatloaf ever!
You could even say, "It was a VERY good thing!"

...making lentil soup, once again

I've been asked to make soup again...
for the first mid-week Lenten supper at the church...
and there is no guess-work, it'll be lentil soup with sausage...
[for the complete recipe see this...]

I never used to think twice about going to the store & buying the "fixens"...
spending $60-70 was not the issue it has become at this point...
so last week, after Square Peg, "signed me up"...
to make soup for the first Wednesday evening...
[Lenten service/supper/movie...]
she told me to let her know what it cost...
and the church would pay for the ingredients...
[we are talking a triple batch here...]

so last week, I figured out the cost of what I didn't have on hand...
and mentioned it in passing, then got involved in "stuff"...
and didn't "follow through"...

so today, I realized that my car insurance premium was due...
and in checking my bank balance...
realized that I could pay for nothing else...
until after my SS check arrives on 3/23...

which would not be an issue except...

that I have to make soup on 3/16...
[and I had to buy the ingredients...]
and the car insurance premium will be taken out on 3/17...

doing both was not possible...

so I wrote myself a note to ask SPeg about getting a check...
figuring that if I asked today...
I might get it in time to shop on Wednesday...
putting myself in a time crunch...
since the soup had to start cooking by 2 PM to be ready...

when I walked into the church office this morning...
SPeg greeted me with a check !
which she had prepared last week after we talked...
but hadn't seen me to give it to me until now...

it was for exactly the amount I needed to get the soup makin's...

I was so stunned, I showed her my "to do" list...
with, "ask about soup $" at the top...
so we had a good chuckle about how God provides...
even when we forget to ask...

I went on in to do my online business...

I had just put $20 that I had collected from the choir for drinks...
into the bank to give my balance a bit of cushion...
since we next meet on 3/27 after church to rehearse...
I have plenty of time to restock the juice and water before then...
and I do get my SS check on 3/23...

but there was the issue of my cell phone bill...

after a couple of attempts to get them to change my "due date"...
I finally had reached the correct person...
and got them to change it to the 1st of each month...
it had been around the 24-28th, which always left me scrambling to pay it...

so it was a nice surprise to see...
that the only slightly larger payment...
[this month only, due to the change in length of billing cycle]...
would be taken out on April 1...
making my meager funds stretch even farther...

now, if I can get enough of a tax refund...
to pay for having the taxes done...
AND pay my property taxes [due 4/10, actually 4/11 this year]...
life will become much less stressful...

oh...

and when that lawyer finally calls me to sign the Chapter 13 papers...
that will be a big relief too...

God is Good, indeed...

...making lasagna

every so often, I get the urge to make something complicated...
mostly from scratch and as flavorful & good as possible...
and since I had quite a lot of the ingredients on hand...
Saturday, it was lasagna...

one of the things I had to purchase...
besides the fresh veggies & cheese...
was the sausage...



I like to use fresh Italian sausage...
and the spicing of "New York Style" is my favorite...
I've used the "hot" for those who like spicy...
but prefer the "sweet, mild" for general taste...

I couldn't find any "chubs" of "sweet"...
so I got 2 pounds of links & removed the casings...
crumbling and browning them...
then removing to a reserve pot, pouring off the grease...
and cooking the finely minced onion, carrot, celery & garlic in the same pan...

after they were softened and had absorbed all the sausage remnants...
they were put into a stock pot...
where I had put a large can of Cento San Marzano tomatoes...
Cento crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes...
& half a large yellow onion, roughly chopped & lightly sautéd in olive oil...

I added the drained, cooked sausage, 1 C Merlot, 1/2 C brandy...
dried oregano, parsley, thyme, sage, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper...
and a large bay leaf...



creating this, which I simmered, covered for about 30 minutes...
then removed the lid & let it reduce for another 30 minutes or so...
for the lasagna to "stand up" when served, it must be, "dry"...
so it is important that the sauce not be too soupy...



creating this...

while all this was cooking...

I put into another stock pot[it's the right size...]
2 qts of ricotta cheese, 3 handfuls of shredded Mozzarella cheese...
1 container of shredded Parmigiano, Reggiano & Asiago cheeses...
a mixture of half & half, 1 beaten egg, sherry...
& freshly grated nutmeg...

a bag & a box of drained & dried[wrung out in a dish towel] frozen spinach...
a large bunch of fresh flat leaf[Italian]parsley, chopped...
& a bunch of fresh basil, chopped...



after mixing well,[that's why I needed the large vessel]...
I had this cheesy, gooey, filling...



then I was ready to begin the assembly process...



the layer of meat sauce on the bottom would be more meat than sauce...
and would include...



slices of "fresh mozzarella" to help stabilize it...
hopefully creating a firm [dry] foundation...
for the next layer of the ricotta filling...
then a layer of meat with dabs of ricotta filling...
and finally, the top, a light covering of sauce with cheeses...
[shredded Mozz., Parm, Romano & Asiago...]



then into a 350˚ F oven for 1 hour for the large pan...
30 minutes for the loaf pans...



this kind of "constructed" lasagna...
has to be made in a deep pan to be all it should be...
I have a couple of 4 inch deep "lasagna" pans[enameled cast iron]...
and use loaf pans for the rest of the batch...
I have not been pleased with the results when using pans with shorter sides...
because then I have to leave out layers...
and that spoils the point of a multi-layered dish...



here you can see the layers plainly...



here they are all baked, cooling before storage or transport...
after overnight cooling, the big pan can be divided up for freezing...
or into family-sized portions...
and the loaf size pans are perfect for me...
as well as sharing with others who live alone...



this was my reward for an afternoon of cooking...
yumm!...

...a "tea" change [pun intended...]

I've always been a coffee drinker, the stronger the better...
double espresso... and NO milk or sugar either...

so to have to admit that I seem to be developing a fondness for tea...
[and with cream & sugar to boot... ?]


what's up with that ? ! ?

but not just any tea... I discovered chai...



Masala Chai is an Indian tea preparation spiced with cinnamon, cardamom & other spices.
There are as many recipes as families living in India.

Active Time: 5 min Total Time: 15 min Serves: 6
Step 1: Making the Chai
1 cup homogenized milk [or half & half]
2 1/2 cups water
2 pods (vaina) cardamom
1 large stick cinnamon
1 whole star anise
5 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. pepper corns
1/4 tsp. ground ginger (or lemon/ orange zest if you dont have ginger)
2 pieces dried orange peel (or 1 piece fresh zest)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 bags tea bags, orange pekoe
To start the Chai, combine milk and water in a pot over medium heat. Add cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, clove, whole peppercorns, ground ginger, orange peel, and sugar. Whisk everything together and let it come to a slight boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Bring it back up to a boil and stir in teabags. Turn off the heat and let the tea bags steep for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then strain the Chai and serve.

this is one spice blend...

I have a very simple recipe with just cardamom, cloves, peppercorns...
& ground ginger...[no cinnamon or anise/fennel...]

this blend uses fresh ginger...



Clockwise from top left (some of the many ingredients that be used to make chai): fresh ginger, loose black tea, Vietnamese cinnamon, fennel seed, tea masala,
green cardamom.

Some or all of the following (measurements are per cup or per medium-sized mug):

2 green cardamom pods
2-3 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1-2 pieces cinnamon (“real cinnamon” not Cassia. May be labeled “Vietnamese cinnamon”)
Fresh ginger (2-3 thin slices for extra zing)

I have to admit that so far I've only used "Good Earth" Chai tea bags...
they taste like they have some cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom & black pepper...
I use 2 bags for a tall mug, add h&h & a bit of sugar...[yum]

so I purchased some cardamom [I had the rest...]
to try "grinding my own"...
I think that I even have an extra grinder...
just for spices, somewhere...
[if not, I can clean the coffee grinder with bread...]

if it doesn't taste good, at least it'll smell wonderful...

oh, I still like coffee... but chai is too good to ignore...

...a fun, but exhausting couple of days

as I write this, "lunch"[the 3rd meal in 24 hours] approaches...
I only need to put out the sandwich makin's & toss the salad...
but when I'm done, I'm going to go collapse...
so I'd better write this now...

yesterday, there was a fierce storm...
as I was putting out the garbage & loading my car at home...
the winds were gusting to 50 mph and the raindrops stung my face...
a 1st class squall... 80 miles inland...

Mr.GT had agreed to help out and the short drive to pick him up...
got lengthened by a major power outage that shut down a local college...
as well as a mile of PacAve in front of it...
creating a massive parking lot that we barely escaped...
by turning left on Robinhood & going over to ElD...
then it was an easy drive to the church...



of course, it was still squalling...
while we carried in the bags from my car...
and then unloaded the provisions from the 'fridge...
that I'd carried in the day before...
setting things out, so that we could get a good idea...
of our "triage"situation...


[the meat, assuming "room temperature" prior to roasting...]

it was then 12:20 PM and dinner was to be served at 6:30...
but the roast would take 4 hours to cook and 1 hour to "rest"...
so it had to be in by 1:30 & there was a good bit of prep to do...
but we did take a few minutes to have some left-over lentil soup...
the perfect nasty weather lunch with some multi-grain, artisan bread...



then it was, forward, head first, into the prep chaos...



which seemed to only increase as the day wore on...



of course, there are perks to being "the cooks"...
and Stilton cheese on multi-grain bread is one of the better ones...
as well as "taste-testing" various goodies...
& tweaking as we went along...

I had some assistance from Square Peg & Fr TB...
but there's NO way that I could have done this...
without the very skilled assistance of Mr.GT...



his herb chopping skills are already legendary...



he did a superb job "pan toasting" the walnuts he brought...
also hand-shelled by he & MM...



he dealt with hot, heavy trays & pans that were hard for me to manage...
[he also sharpened my knives & carved the roast...]



and he washed dishes... Thanks for everything, Mr. GT !
you were a God-send...



thanks to Mr. GT's chopping skills, we whipped up the roast "rub"...
[minced parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic, Kosher salt & E.V.olive oil]
seasoned the meat with fresh ground pepper & salt...
slathered on the rub...
and using the rib bones as a rack, placed the roast in the oven at 1:35...

I had the oven cranked-up to 450˚ F for the 1st 20 minutes...
then took it down to 350˚F for 3 hours, 40 minutes...



as you can see, it turned out very well...
perfect medium rare, all the way through...
we skimmed the fat[mostly olive oil]...
added half a bottle of good red wine to deglaze the pan...
and created a nice "jus" to pour on the meat...



getting the vegetables in the oven was more complicated...

the fingerling potatoes were tossed with EVOO, Kosher salt and rosemary...
they were sprinkled with chopped parsley before serving...
the Brussels sprouts were trimmed & tossed with EVOO & Kosher salt...
the rainbow carrots were cut in one inch sections, tossed with EVOO & KS...
but also had chopped thyme & fennel fronds sprinkled on before cooking...

the fennel bulbs and sweet onions were quartered, mixed with garlic cloves...
tossed in EVOO & Kosher salt...

since the potatoes needed about an hour, they went in first...
20 minutes later, the Brussels sprouts & carrots...
and 10 minutes later, the fennel, onion & garlic...
which actually ended up needing more time...
but almost everything was done at about the same time...
[this was Mr. GT's idea & it worked like a charm...]



finally, we got everything out on the buffet table...



the roast with it's pan "jus"...



the roasted fingerling potatoes...



the combo of roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots, onion, fennel & garlic...



the Parm/Romano herb biscuits with the garlic butter glaze...



and the green salad with cranberries, toasted walnuts & crumbled blue cheese...
[there was also a dessert of vanilla ice cream with berries...]

I finally got home at 9:30 PM...

my alarm went off at 6 AM [early for me], so I could go to Noah's Bagels...



I was greeted by this when I got to the church around 7:30 AM...
food for breakfast & lunch...



the bagels & cream cheese were a hit...
[the oatmeal too...]



for lunch, we'll have deli sandwiches...
[Black Forrest ham, turkey breast & pastrami...]



also cheese, assorted breads & real Kosher pickles...






there will also be more green salad...



tonight, they're ordering-in "pizza"



so FrTB brought his last 2 bottles of Belgium Ale for that meal...

I will be comatose, at home...

this was really fun... but I'm glad it's over...

post script...

the deli sandwiches were a big hit...
and the entire big bowl of salad "disappeared"...
[they loved the "tweaked" salad dressing...]

everything is packed away...
& I'm now officially,"done"...
& going home to collapse...
before it starts pouring again...