Meat Loaf

A few years ago I came across this meatloaf recipe and since then I can't tell you how many times I have made it. It's full of rich flavors and is completely satisfying. When paired with mashed potatoes, it's the perfect comfort meal.

Spicy Meat Loaf
Serves 8
Adapted from "Nourishing Traditions" written by Sally Fallon
The recipe calls for bell pepper but feel free to substitute other vegetables such as zucchini or squash. Also, if you have any leftovers you can make meatloaf sandwiches with some good bread (I prefer ciabatta).

2 pounds ground beef
1 onion finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups whole grain bread crumbs
1 cup cream
1 egg
4-6 Tablespoons ketchup

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl soak the bread crumbs in cream.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion, bell pepper and carrots over medium heat until soft and onion is translucent. Make a well in the center and add thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir the spices around in the center of the pan until you can smell the aroma from the spices (about 30 seconds) then stir the spices into the vegetable mixture. Take pan off heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Add the beef, egg, and vegetables to soaking breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly. Place meatloaf in a 13x9 dish and form into a free-form loaf. Spread ketchup on top and then pour a 3/4 cup water in the pan so the meatloaf is surrounded by water. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Spinach Madeline

Time has flown since I was able to sit and blog and I apologize for the long delay. I have had many of you ask when I am going to update and I've been so thrilled that many of you are finding my recipes useful. Thank you so much for reading.

Last month my husband took me to Paris to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We had an amazing time seeing the sights and eating all of the wonderful food. I got many new ideas for recipes that I hope to share in the coming months. I have to admit, I had more white flour in that one week than I have in the last two years! A girl's gotta cut loose sometime right? I figured Paris was the perfect place to do so.

So, I was thinking about what recipe to share today and one of my favorites, spinach madeline, came to mind. I don't know about you, but I love spinach. Any time I see spinach on a menu I have to order it and this is my all-time favorite spinach recipe. It is the perfect compliment to any meat and is always served on our Christmas table. If you think you shouldn't make to much because the kids won't eat it then think again, because they will love it.

On Thanksgiving day I made this and decided I would try my hand at making my own evaporated milk. I did a little reading on how to make it and thought, "How hard could this be? You just let the milk slowly evaporate away". Well, it took over an hour and a half! Fortunately I was cooking other things at the time or I would have given up and driven to the store. So, unless you have an infinite amount of time, go ahead, splurge, and buy the organic evaporated milk at the store. Oh, I almost forgot, the dish freezes beautifully. So, make it ahead of time, put it in the freezer, thaw out on the counter, and then heat over the stove.

Spinach Madeline
Serves 4-6 as a side dish

4 Tablespoons butter
2 packages frozen organic spinach, chopped
2 T. soft or hard wheat flour
2 T. onions, chopped
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup vegetable liquor (the liquid squeezed out of the spinach)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated

Drain spinach and reserve liquid. In a medium saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk until blended but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft. Pour spinach liquor slowly to onion mixture while stirring constantly to avoid lumping. Continue to whisk until smooth and thick. Take the pan off of the heat add Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic powder, salt and cheese. Cover the pot and let sit for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. Stir until combined and then add the spinach. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.