Spinach Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

This is a great twist on traditional meatloaf. I think it would be even better topped with tomato sauce.

1 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 (10 oz.) package spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. 97% lean ground turkey
3/4 c. Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 c. skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Heat oven to 375F. Lightly spray skillet with cooking spray. Cook mushrooms and onions over medium low heat until onion is tender; remove from heat. Add spinach, 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, oats, milk, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix lightly but thoroughly. Spoon 2/3 turkey mixture down center of loaf pan. Form indentation in middle and fill with reserved spinach mixture. Top with remaining turkey, forming a loaf and sealing edges completely. Bake 30-35 minutes, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to oven for 2 minutes, and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

-Recipe from Quaker Oats

Pecan Bulgur Salad

This was the side dish I served Saturday night. The cinnamon and cayenne pepper really complement one another, but the salad has quite a kick! I also took a picture of this dish, but I didn’t really capture the texture. I’ll have to make it again to get the perfect shot.

1/3 c. medium or coarse bulgur
1 1/2 t salt
2 c. boiling-hot water
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 English cucumber
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t honey
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t cayenne, or to taste
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 T olive oil

In a bowl combine bulgur, 1 teaspoon salt, and water. Let bulgur soak, uncovered, until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. While bulgur is soaking, in a dry small heavy skillet toast pecans over moderately low heat, shaking skillet frequently, until a shade darker, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool pecans and chop. Chop cucumber.

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, spices, pepper, remaining teaspoon salt, and oil until emulsified. Drain bulgur in a sieve and press out any excess water. Add bulgur, cucumber and pecans to dressing and toss well.

-Adapted from Gourmet

Chicken with Grape Shallot Sauce

I had friends over for dinner last night, and served this as the main dish. I doubled the sauce ingredients and used 4 chicken breasts (about 2.5 lbs.) and there was plenty of sauce leftover. I really liked the recipe overall, and the wine definitely adds a lot of flavor. One of my friends had a camera, and we took this shot just before we sat down to eat. My first food photo!

5 t all-purpose flour
4 chicken breast cutlets, trimmed
5 t canola oil, divided
1 c. thinly sliced shallots
2 c. halved seedless green or red grapes
1 c. white wine
1 c. reduced-sodium chicken

Heat 3 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden on the first side. Reduce heat to medium, turn the chicken and cook until the other side is golden, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add grapes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 5 teaspoons of flour; stir to coat. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Spinach and Mushroom Barley

I made this recipe this week, and really enjoyed the creamy texture. I used it as a main dish and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top.

1 c. uncooked pearl barley
3 c. vegetable broth
1 t olive oil
1 c. chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dried rosemary
1 1/2 c. small fresh mushrooms
2 T white wine
1 (15.5 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 c. fresh spinach

Bring the barley and vegetable broth to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Season with rosemary. Mix the mushrooms and wine into the pot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

-Adapted from allrecipes.com

Brie Appetizer

Brie is wonderful all by itself, but this recipe dresses it up even further. You do need to serve it quickly as it is best right out of the oven.

1/4 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 t olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 t balsamic vinegar
4-5 leaves fresh basil
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 large wheel brie

Cover tomatoes with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. Heat oil, and cook tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and basil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and pepper to taste. Let cool. Cut surface of the rind from the top of the brie and place it in a pie dish. Top with tomato mixture, and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

Cranberry Chicken

Fresh cranberries are now in the grocery store, and this is one of my favorite seasonal recipes.

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) bag, whole cranberries
1/3 c. sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 c. fat free Catalina dressing

Cover cranberries with water in a medium saucepan; add sugar. Cook berries over medium heat until they pop. Add dressing, stir well and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Place breasts in dish; salt and pepper to taste. Pour hot cranberry sauce over breasts. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until breasts are cooked through.

Beef and Barley Soup

I had a request for a beef and barley soup recipe, so here is my favorite.

1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 c. finely chopped onion
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz). can diced tomatoes
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. sliced carrots
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 c. pearl barley
1 pkg fresh spinach
1 pkg green beans
1 can beef broth
1 can vegetable broth
1 c. water
1 c. red wine

Add beef and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juices and all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Lamb and Mint Burgers

I have never cooked lamb before and was looking for an easy recipe to get started. These burgers were good, but I could have used even more garlic. It was definitely fun to try something new.

1 lb. lamb, minced
1 1/2 c. mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the mint and garlic in the food processor until finely ground. In a large bowl, mix the meat, mint and garlic, and add the pepper and mix well with clean hands. Shape with damp hands into 4 burgers or several mini-burgers if you wish. Put the burgers on a plate, covered with cling film in the fridge for as long as you can, preferably overnight to firm up. Take the burgers out of the fridge half an hour before you are going to cook them and let the meat come to room temperature. Cook on the barbecue for about 5-7 minutes per side depending on how well-done you want the inside to be if they are large, and about 3 minutes each side for mini-burgers.

–greatfood.ie

Eggplant and Tomato Stew

I made this stew for lunches this week, using the last local eggplant of the season. You could definitely add different vegetables based on what is available.

1 medium eggplant, peeled — cut in 1/2″ cubes
2 c. chopped tomato
1 1/2 c. sliced carrot
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. sliced celery
3 cloves garlic — minced
3 c. vegetable broth
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

In a crockpot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, garbanzo beans, onion, celery and garlic. Combine vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper, and pour over vegetables. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

-Adapted from cookingcache.com

Candy Bar Cookies

Just in case you have a lot of leftover Halloween candy, here is a versatile cookie recipe which you can use.

2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 package instant pudding (chocolate or vanilla)
1 c. butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
5 large candy bars, or 12 small, chopped into pieces such as Milky Way or Snickers

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Mix together butter and sugars until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pudding and vanilla and combine well. Slowly add flour mixture until blended. Stir in chopped candy pieces. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.