The last meatloaf of winter...

Meatloaf, red skinned mashed potatoes and roasted artichokes.

It has been an abysmal spring in the Chicagoland Area. The weather has been cold and rainy for most of April. Instead of having something light and spring-like I wanted something heavy and nourishing. It also needed to be healthy so I had to sneak some veggies into the dish.

Often people ask me how to sneak vegetables in to things. They say that they know vegetables are good for them but they just don't like them. I often suggest:

• Chose high quality vegetables. Often this means buying fresh vegetables, but quite often frozen vegetables are very nutritious and delicious. 
• Do not over cook them. It's the best way to ruin a vegetable. 
• Hide them among other ingredients.

I hide vegetables in everything. I also use vegetables to make portions seem larger than they are. For example my meatloaf is filling and huge. It's also half vegetables. It doesn't look like it's half vegetables. It doesn't taste like it's half vegetables either. Yet they are hiding in with the meat in all of their nutritious glory.

I think I might make a slightly different version of this meatloaf each time I make it. It isn't a fragile recipe, feel free to try different minced vegetables, different kinds of meat, and different spices. Just try not to make the loaf too wet or it will be icky.

Ingredients:

Vegetables in a bowl.

1.5 pounds lean ground sirloin
8oz can no sodium added petite diced tomatoes (juice reserved and seperated)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg white
1 medium onion minced
1 green pepper minced
1 cup mushrooms minced
1 cup carrots minced
salt, pepper and rubbed sage to taste


(I mince all of my vegetables in the food processor. I also use it to turn whole wheat bread into whole wheat breadcrumbs).

If there's too much moisture on the green pepper drain it reserving the juice with the tomato juice.

In a non stick pan sprayed with a cooking spray saute your carrots, onion, green pepper and mushroom. They'll smell and look delicious, then add them into a big bowl with the meat, diced tomato, bread crumbs, egg white and spices. Smoosh it all together.

Vegetables in a  frying pan.

At this time shape it into two meatloafs. At this point take 1 meatloaf and wrap it up to freeze. All of the work you are doing this time saves you a lot work the next time!

Put the meat loaf you are not freezing into a baking dish, on a rack. Pour the juice from the diced tomato and green pepper into the bottom of the pan. Also add a little water so there will be enough juice leftover after cooking for gravy.



Now, it's time to make a sauce for on top of the meat loaf.

Meatloaf on it's way to the oven.

Ingredients for topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Put ingredients for topping into a bowl. Stir them all together. Pour them on top of the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy.


The artichokes I served along side the meatloaf were stellar. The recipe can be found here: http://unrivaledkitch.livejournal.com/429007.html