Cheesey Meatloaf

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
8 ounces Swiss cheese or extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1/4 cup milk or beef broth
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tablespoons ketchup

Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 9x13 baking dish with a couple of thicknesses of foil.
Mush all of the ingredients except the ketchup together in a large bowl until well mixed. Mold the meat loaf mixture into a large flattish mound in the center of the prepared pan. Squirt a bunch of ketchup on top. This is a very gourmet food.
Bake the meat loaf for 1 1/2 hours or until it is browned and cooked through.

Cornmeal-crusted pizza

This is what I'm making for supper tonight!

(from the original Moosewood Cookbook)
Butter a 9 inch pie pan
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup grated parmesan

Place the cornmeal in a small bowl and add cold water. Stir until well mixed. Add cornmeal mixture to a pot with one cup full of boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thick. This should take about five minutes.
Remove from heat, and add the salt and parmesan. Form a crust in the buttered pan (make sure your hands are wet) and bake uncovered at 375 for 30 minutes.

Filling:
Saute a large clove of crushed garlic, a cup of minced onion and 1/2 diced green or red pepper in olive oil. You can also throw in a few sliced mushrooms if they don't make your kids throw up.
Add 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on top of the cooked crust and arrange slices of tomato and mozzarella on top. Sprinkle on some parmesan and bake for 20 more minutes at 350.

Chicken Marbella

I got the revised edition of the Silver Palate Cookbook for my birthday and while some of the recipes have me chortling - so very fancy!, SOME of them have me drooling. Like this one, which I made last night and which made the kitchen smell just CRAZY delicious. A friend dropped by while the chicken was baking and asked, wide-eyed, what smelled SO wonderful?

This is a big recipe, by the way - it makes 10 portions. I only made half that.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each), quartered. (okay - I just used a family-sized package of chicken pieces.)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (or, the recipes says, cilantro. But I do NOT think so.)

Combine the oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigereate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a shallow baking pan and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar and pour the white whine around them.
Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow juice when pricked. This should take 50 minutes to an hour.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley (NOT CILANTRO!). Pass the remaining pan juices "in a sauceboat", the recipe says, should you have one.

Tuna-Noodle Casserole

This is a dandy budget stretcher and a great recipe for a kid to make, so long as you chop up the brocolli, cook the pasta, open all those cans and handle all of the oven parts first. Oh, what a relaxing evening you will have, with your handy child cooking supper for you like that.
½ lb. Small pasta shells
1 small bunch broccoli, chopped
2 cans water-packed tuna, drained
1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 cup 2% milk
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
pepper
¾ cup chrushed corn flakes (I use smashed up potato chips, which are AWESOME.)
2 T. grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta, adding broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and place in the baking dish. IN same saucepan, blend together the tuna, soup, milk, cheese, and pepper; pour over pasta and gently combine. Sprinkle with cornflakes (I’d prefer chips..) and parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbling.Makes 6 servings.

Really, really good spaghetti and meatballs

This is REALLY yummy. I sent the recipe to a friend once and she balked a bit because of the fennel and it's black licorice-y taste. You don't really TASTE the fennel, and you could leave it out if you hate it, but I REALLY recommend trying this recipe at least once with it - it's really good.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive-oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
½ cup ricotta
2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 ¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
¼ tsp each cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
8 oz lean ground beef
8 oz lean ground pork
½ cup dry red wine or white wine or chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups crushed canned tomatoes
½ cups coarsely chopped fresh basil
¼ tsp sugar
1 ½ lbs spaghetti

In large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat; fry onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden – 10-12 minutes. Scrape into bowl. In bowl, whisk together egg, ricotta, fennel, ¾ tsp of the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, romano cheese and half of the onion mixture. Add beef and pork; combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Wetting hands if necessary, form met mixture by rounded tablespoonful into balls. Add remaining oil to pan. Brown meatballs over medium-high heat, in 2 batches, with slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Pour off fat. Add wine to pan; bring to boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Transfer to Dutch oven. Stir in remaining onion mixture, diced and crushed tomatoes, half of the basil, the sugar and remaining salt. Add meatballs. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Top with pasta with sauce, garnish with remaining basil. Makes 6 servings.

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

This is very, very good.

15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 can enchilada sauce
½ tsp dried minced onion
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ cup fat-free refried beans
1 cup shredded Cheddar

Cook pasta; drain. In a nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in enchilada sauce and seasonings; set aside. Place a rounded teaspoonful of refried beans in each pasta shell; then fill with turkey mixture. Place in an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Makes 5 servings.

Black Bean Burritos

Another family favorite! This is really fast and easy, the kids love it and it's vegetarian, so it's a good candidate for those nights when you want to plan a meatless supper (or if you're a vegetarian all the time, hey.).

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, mined
half medium red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 carrots, shredded
½ cup chopped broccoli
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
¼ cup water
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
8 soft tortillas, medium

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and peppers; saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in beans, carrots, broccoli, chili powder, cumin, vinegar, water and brown sugar. Increase heat to high and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Place ½ cup bean mixture into middle of tortilla and fold all sides over to enclose. Serves 4.

Beef And Bean Burrito Bake

This is a great and easy supper dish that is SUPER high in iron - always a good thing around here - and the kids like it.

1 tsp vegetable oil
12 oz lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp each ground cumin and dried oregano
¼ tsp pepper
1 can pinto or red kidney beans
1 cup salsa
8 8-inch flour tortillas
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar

In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook beef, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off fat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, paprika, cumin, oregano, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse beans; mash half and stir into skillet along with remaining whole beans and salsa. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Spoon about ¾ cup of the beef mixture over bottom two-thirds of each tortilla; roll up. Place in lightly greased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake in 400 degree oven until steaming, about 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings. 49% iron, 60% Vit c, 37% folate.

Our Favorite Meat Loaf

This is SO yummy. It's also AMAZING in sandwiches the next day. I think it originally came from Family Fun Magazine, which always has GREAT recipes.

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
½ lb sweet pork sausage, casings removed
1 cup Cheddar, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
½ green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp paprika
1 cup milk
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Heat the oven to 350. Line a large baking pan with oiled aluminum foil and set it aside. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, blend everything together until it is evenly mixed. Transfer the meat to the lined baking pan and form it into a long fat loaf, about 10 by 5 inches. Bake the loaf for 60-70 minutes, until the center is cooked. (internal temperature of 160). Serve hot, warm or cold. Makes 8 servings.

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

This is a nice slow cooker recipe and everyone liked it, which pretty much NEVER happens.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans great northern or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
½ cup sliced celery
2/3 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a skillet, brown chicken in oil in batches on both sides. Place the beans, carrots and celery in slow cooker; top with chicken.Combine the salad dressing, rosemary, salt and pepper; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken juices run clear.
Makes 6 servings.`

Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole

Important note: my husband hates this. I love it, though, so I make it a couple of times a winter.

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef or turkey
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can condensed tomato soup
½ cup long grain rice
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/3 cup tomato juice or water
sour cream

Lightly grease the inside of the slowcooker’s stoneware insert.
In a large skillet, combine ground beef, onions, garlic and pepper; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until browned. Drain off any excess fat. Return to heat and add tomatoes, water and half the can of tomato soup, mixing well. Add rice, stirring to combine.
Into prepared slow cooker, place half of meat mixture, then half of cabbage. Top with remaining meat mixture and remaining cabbage.
In a bowl, combine remaining tomato soup with tomato juice and mix well. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, until bubbling and heated through.
Serve with sour cream.(the recipe suggests mashed potatoes and peas as ideal accompaniments, and I’ve never seen any reason to disagree.)

Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Black Beans

We did this earlier this week and it was REALLY good - and completely simple, a nice combination.

(adapted from Everyday Food November 2007)
1 can black beans, drained
1 jar mild or medium salsa
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipolte chiles in adobo sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
salt and pepper
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped

In the slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles and 1 cup of water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Toss the onion and pepper on top of the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Do not open or stir.
Remove chicken from stew and shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.