Turkey & Stuffing Meatloaf

One of my "comfort-habits" is watching various sped-up cooking videos...there's one called Tasty which is Buzzfeed's cooking division, another called Twisted that I think is British and is mostly ridiculous super-caloric creations (stuff like Garlic Bread Mac & Cheese Chicken Alfredo Lasagna or perhaps a Giant Fried Chicken Donut Sandwich. Twisted indeed!). Most of the stuff I have no interest in making; I just find the short videos relaxing in some way. Well, Tasty had one for Turkey & Stuffing Meatloaf that actually looked decent to prepare, and suddenly I had a Thanksgiving craving...

Their recipe uses a glaze with cranberry sauce & ketchup. I wasn't sure if I was going to try that, and then we switched up our last grocery trip to Lidl and they didn't have cranberry sauce, so I figured I'd make a simple gravy. They also did not have unseasoned stuffing, so I bought a box of their off-brand Stove Top.

I looked up some other recipes before making this, because I don't make meatloaf very often. And wow...there was quite a variance in quantities of the ground meat, stuffing mix, eggs and cooking times/temps. I am also not going to do things like measure 1/2 cup of diced celery...one stick is good, thank you very much. I'm gonna say quantities are pretty flexible. And if you do use unseasoned stuffing, you might want to use chicken broth to moisten it and add more salt/seasonings.

- 1 stick celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small apple, peeled & chopped (optional, but I thought it was good)
- pinch dried thyme (if you have sage or poultry seasoning that would be good)
- 1 box (6 oz) seasoned stuffing mix
- 1 package ground turkey (about 1 lb)
- 1 egg, beaten

1. Saute vegetables in olive oil until tender. Add garlic & apple, a pinch of salt & pepper and the thyme. Stir a couple times, then turn off heat and let sit. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Pour the stuffing mix into a large bowl and moisten with 1 cup water. Add turkey, egg, about 1/2 tsp of salt and some pepper, and the sauteed vegetables. Mix well. You may want to cook a small chunk of the mixture in a pan to taste and make sure the seasonings are how you want them.

3. Grease a loaf pan. I put parchment paper in mine as well, per the Tasty recipe, but I'm not sure that was necessary. Pack the mixture into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Gravy:
- Melt 2 Tbl butter in a small saucepan on medium-low.
- Add 2 Tbl flour, whisk and cook about a minute, until bubbly.
- Add about 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or sub a bit of apple cider for some of it).
- Increase heat to medium and whisk until thickened.

Serve with mashed potatoes for sure (I have been making instant potatoes quite a lot during the pandemic, no shame!), and a veggie (roasted brussels sprouts?)

Kona Banana Bread

I guess I should document this here, as I often have to ask my mom for the recipe when I want to make it! This is our family banana bread recipe: rumored to be my maternal grandmother's, but my mom (whose memory is excellent) says her sister (my Aunt Barbara, who sadly passed away earlier this year) found the recipe in a women's magazine after returning from her honeymoon in Hawaii - must have been late 1950s. She had excellent banana bread there, and said this recipe came close.

My sister and I both entered this in our county fair in different years and won blue ribbons! We were in 4H clubs as kids, and entered food/crafts in the fair every summer. I have a vague memory of having something advance to the state fair one year - it might have been this, or maybe brownies? None of us can remember. Anyway, my mom had told me to add a note for the judges - and I'll include it here - that due to the higher sugar content in this recipe, it bakes up darker than many other banana breads. So don't worry if it seems to be overbrowning!

The original recipe uses shortening (Crisco) and that's what I used most recently. We have also made it with butter and it's good that way, but shortening is the classic recipe. I also highly recommend the addition of chocolate chips! If you're a nuts person you can add chopped nuts, or my aunt suggests dried cranberries - about 1 cup of "additions." But it's quite good on its own! 

- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 1/4 cup sifted flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening & sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Stir in mashed banana. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to banana mixture and blend just until mixed. 

Pour into greased loaf pan, or 12 lined muffin tins. Bake loaf 1 hour, or muffins 25 minutes. 

Pork Tenderloin with Cider-Mustard Sauce

I didn't manage to grab a photo of this one, but it was so good and easy I have to document!

I've had a pork tenderloin in the freezer since about May, when I went in on a meat delivery from a local farm with a neighbor. I don't cook these very often but finally decided to cook it once the weather cooled down. I searched for various recipes and couldn't find one with the flavors I wanted that wasn't for a larger "pork loin roast" - our tenderloin was maybe 1.5 lbs and I knew it wouldn't take that long to cook. My meat thermometer isn't working anymore so I had to guess, but it turned out perfectly! 

I roasted some potatoes & carrots separately in the oven to serve with this. You could probably even throw them all in the Dutch oven together, but I wasn't sure how they'd all cooperate with cooking times, and I wanted the veggies a little crispy. This took under an hour start to finish, so I'll have to keep this one in mind if I get tenderloin and have apple cider again! This would also be good with chicken thighs, I imagine. The apple butter is optional, but if you have it, it adds a nice sweetness/richness to the sauce. You could also add some apple slices in with the onions if you want to full-on-apple-it. Two of us ate half of this and I saved the rest for leftovers, but honestly could demolish the rest of it easily myself. Not a bad idea to double it if the meat's on sale...

- 1 pork tenderloin (1-2 lbs)
- spice rub: I used salt & pepper plus thyme & garlic powder (maybe a 1/4 tsp of each), plus some Penzey's 33rd St which says it's a pork seasoning
- 1 onion, halved & sliced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 Tbl mustard (I used dijon; a grainy mustard would be good too)
- 1 heaping Tbl apple butter

Mix the spices, sprinkle over the pork and rub on all sides. Let sit for a few minutes while you prepare other things. I cut the tenderloin in half so it would fit in the pot a bit better.

Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high, add some olive oil and sear the pork for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to a plate.

Add the onion and saute a few minutes (the bottom of the pot should have a good amount of browning; you want this!). Add the cider and scrape up the browned bits as it bubbles. Add the mustard, apple butter and a pinch of salt. Put the pork back in, cover the pot and simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes.

If you have a meat thermometer, 145 is the temp to aim for, but mine seemed done. Take the pork out to rest for a few minutes. Turn up the heat and let the sauce bubble to reduce a bit. Taste for salt.

Slice the pork and spoon the onions & sauce over.

Refried Bean & Veggie Burritos

This almost isn't a blog-worthy entry, but I've been making these on the regular and they are good and cheap and easy! 6+ months into the pandemic (good lord), I at least don't get anxiety any more about grocery shopping, but we still try to keep it to a minimum - a big shop every 2-3 weeks and we're still getting a weekly fresh produce delivery from Hungry Harvest. These burritos are good eating for when you're just down to pantry staples...the sauteed veggies are optional and you could just bean/cheese/rice/salsa it up.

I've never been a big refried bean person...I will eat them when they come as a side at a Mexican place, but I've never bought them regularly. Black beans are usually my legume of choice. Then we discovered these Safeway brand spicy jalapeno refritos - and man, they've got a kick! And for burritos I think refried beans hold things together a bit better.

The store was out of them on a previous trip and we tried El Paso brand spicy refried beans...sadly there was distinct lack of kick, so I doctored those up with chili powder and hot sauce. These store brand ones are also vegetarian, without the lard that's in "traditional" refritos. I'm not opposed to lard in the right applications...but anyhoo these beans are good 'n spicy! One can will make 4 burritos.

I am still not very good at rolling burritos, but they get into our bellies nonetheless. My husband eats his with a fork & knife anyway (I think it's a beard thing?) and I wrap mine in foil. There are different schools of burrito rolling (yes, I researched this). I've been putting the ingredients on the lower half, folding that over almost in half and then squishing/compacting, then folding in the sides and rolling. I also toast the burritos in a hot pan and that seems to seal the bottoms a bit. 

Obviously put whatever you like in or on these: sour cream, avocado/guac, other veggies/meats, etc.

The players:

- Refried beans: I use 1/2 can at a time for 2 burritos, and nuke them for ~30 sec. You can mix a splash of milk in to make them a little creamier. If your beans are bland, you can add chili powder / hot sauce.

- Cooked rice: optional, but I like it. You don't need much, just a couple spoonfuls per burrito.

- Grated cheese

- Sliced onion & bell pepper: saute these until tender, then add some frozen corn. Season with chili powder.

- Salsa

Nuke your tortillas for a few seconds and then layer ingredients - don't overfill! I spread the beans on first, then cheese, rice, salsa, and the sauteed veggies. Roll up and toast in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side: 

Wrap in foil if you like. Not photogenic, nor fancy, but it's good!

Tofu "Egg" Salad

This is one of those things I've made before that I'll forget about for a year or two and then suddenly remember. Perfect for no-cook food in the hot summer! The tofu is a really good fake-out for hard-boiled eggs - this really does taste like egg salad. I'm not vegan, and used regular mayo, but have made it before with vegan mayo. Vegan mayo isn't particularly "healthy" either, but if you're watching your cholesterol, this is certainly a good alternative if you like egg salad.

Basically, just take your favorite egg salad "recipe" (I do not measure anything for stuff like this) and substitute drained/pressed tofu, adding some turmeric for a yellow color. You'll want to make sure the dressing is well-seasoned as tofu is bland on its own - and refrigerate it for at least a little while to let the flavors soak in. I added celery, green onions and grated carrots to mine.

Most recipes you'll see online will suggest medium-firm tofu for the best "egg" texture. My store only had one package of extra-firm left (which is what I usually use for stir fries), and that's what I used - it was fine. Some recipes say to mash to the tofu, others have you dice it into small pieces. The small dice is more "eggy" I think - though I did end up mashing a little bit of it to get it to hold together better.

1. Drain a block of tofu and press between paper towels under a plate and heavy object while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. For the dressing, mix together to your taste preference: mayo or vegan mayo (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you like), dijon mustard, vinegar or pickle brine (I used apple cider vinegar and a little brine from some pickled okra), salt, pepper, turmeric (1/4-1/2 tsp), and any other spices you like (I added a shake of smoked paprika & some cayenne).

3. Dice tofu into very small pieces, and/or mash with a fork depending on the texture you want.

4. Add to the dressing along with any other additions you like: celery, green onions, grated carrots, pickles, fresh dill, etc...

5. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

6. Eat as-is, over lettuce, or make yourself a sandwich!

Summer Squash Fritters

We ate two dinners out last week, and somehow that caused Massive Vegetable Backup. When my Hungry Harvest delivery arrived today I realized I now had 4 large summer squash, 3 heads of broccoli, a cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, still working on a giant head of kale, plus a bunch of fruit. Had to throw out several clementines that arrived last week already starting to rot, and there's a couple bananas that aren't gonna make it. I've been pretty good not wasting food the last few months, but got into a backlog. Time to eat this stuff!

I managed to use up 3 of the summer squash in these fritters. I prefer zucchini over yellow squash - you can use either here. When you grate it, season it and fry it up, it's hard to tell one way or the other! As per usual I looked at several squash fritter recipes online and then did my own thing. Quantities varied a lot - some used 2 eggs, some used one (I ended up using 1 plus some packaged egg whites); some used over a cup of flour and some 1/2 cup (or bread crumbs, or cornmeal, or crushed crackers)...this is all pretty flexible.

After you salt and drain the squash you end up with considerably less than you start with. 3 medium-large squash made 10 fritters. Also, these would probably be great with some kind of yogurt or mayo-based sauce/drizzle, but I just squeezed some fresh lemon over and called it done. Oh, and I totally meant to add parmesan and/or cheddar cheese but forgot. Cheese would be good, if you remember.

- 3 medium-large summer squash, grated
- salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 onion, minced
- a few shakes of garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne
- 1/2 cup or more flour
- optional: 1/4 tsp baking powder (I don't know if this really does anything; I saw it in a couple recipes and added it)
- optional: grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
- veg oil for frying

1. Put the grated squash in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and let stand about 15 minutes. Press out moisture with a large spoon - or put the squash in a clean tea towel and squeeze.

2. Beat the eggs and mix in onion, seasonings and flour (I added a little more salt too; well-seasoned is good!). Mix in squash, and cheese if you're using. If you want the batter a bit thicker, add more flour.

3. Heat a large skillet (cast iron if you have it) on medium high and coat with a thin layer of oil. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter and flatten into pancakes. Don't crowd the pan; I did 4 at a time. Fry until nicely browned and then flip.

4. Move to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. You can serve right away, or I removed the paper towels and stuck the baking sheet in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes while I made other stuff for the meal. It cooks the insides a bit more.

I served this with sauteed asparagus with garlic and [instant!] mashed potatoes. Good veggie meal. If timed right, I get nice rays of setting sunshine on the table:

Lemony White Beans with Kale

Back in mid-March when I did a grocery trip a couple hours before the governor announced our state was locking down, I "had a feeling" and loaded up on a bunch of non-perishables, including a few bags of dried beans (even though I usually just use canned). I did use some of the lentils at one point, but now 4 months later I'm finally breaking into the dried beans :) .

I think I would cook dried beans more often - they're not that hard - except that I'm not a planner when it comes to soaking them overnight. And canned beans are pretty cheap, and usually the right quantity for a 2-person household. I've thought about getting an Instant Pot mostly for cooking beans, but I don't think I can justify the counter space in our tiny kitchen.

We also got an enormous bunch of kale in our last Hungry Harvest delivery...and white beans and kale are a thing. It's too hot for soup, but I did sort of a saute/braise. You can definitely use canned beans with this (I'd rinse them), and throw in any other vegetables you want. I saved my bean cooking liquid and used it to create a bit of a sauce. If you use canned tomatoes instead of fresh, that would probably be sufficient - or you can add some water or broth if you want a more saucy consistency.

- ~2 cups cooked white beans, or 2 cans rinsed & drained. If cooking dried beans, save the cooking liquid. I added bay leaves to mine which gave it a nice flavor/aroma.
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 yellow squash, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed & chopped
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped (or use canned diced tomatoes)
- juice of 1 lemon

Saute onion & celery in a generous amount of olive oil until just tender. Add squash, season with salt, and cook a couple of minutes. Add garlic & red pepper flakes & stir briefly. Add kale and cook until wilted. Add beans and tomatoes. Add some of the bean cooking liquid (or other liquid) if you want it a bit saucier. Cover and simmer for just a few minutes. Add lemon juice, a bunch of fresh ground pepper, and taste for salt.

I served this over couscous with parmesan cheese, and topped with a bit of feta I had hanging around in the fridge.