Meatloaf en Croute

I made this tonight and it was well worth the effort. The tomatoes on top of the meat loaf were really tasty. I bought a new digital camera so I could take pictures of the food and the processes. Hopefully they will help you in making this dish - there are a lot of steps. I served this with a broccoli and cauliflower gratin.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
2/3 C dark brown sugar
½ C cider vinegar
½ t salt
1 -2 lb firm tomatoes

1 lb lamb, ground
½ lb pork, ground
½ lb ground round
1 head garlic, crushed
1 shallot, minced
¼ C fresh mint, chopped
¼ C fresh basil, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 egg
1 C plain bread crumbs

Puffed pastry crust
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
1 T heavy whipping cream

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine onion, olive oil, dark brown sugar, cider vinegar, and salt until well combined. Slice tomatoes to about 1/8 inch thick. Layer tomatoes in a 9X13 inch baking dish and cover with sauce. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375.

In a bowl, combine lamb, pork, ground round, garlic, shallot, mint, basil, jalapeno, egg and bread crumbs.

Roll out puffed pastry into long rectangle; lay on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Make a long loaf with the meat mixture, lay it down lengthwise over the pastry. Finish layering the tomatoes around the meatloaf. Cut the corners of the pastry dough away (use for decorating the top if desired). Wrap the loaf with the dough, ends first. Use the whipped egg white to seal the dough where it touches, avoid sealing the bottom four corners of the pastry to allow passage of fats and moisture during the cooking process. Combine the egg yolk and cream; brush mixture over all of the exposed dough. Sprinkle with kosher salt, about a teaspoon.

Bake for 45 minutes. Check after 25 minutes for browning of the pastry. If the pastry is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the remaining 25 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 160.

Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

My husband is really not all that into traditional meat loaf with the ketchup style topping. While I love it, he thinks it's just too weird. So, I made this for dinner tonight to change his mind about meat loaf in general. He loved it and told me to write it down, so I am.

Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

- 1 lb Ground Lamb

- 1/2 lb Ground Pork (plain)

- 1/2 lb Ground Round

- 4 Cloves Garlic, Crushed

- 1/2 t Ground Cumin

- 1/2 t Ground Chili Powder

- 1/2 t Onion Powder

- 2 T Worcestershire Sauce

- 1/2 C Italian Bread Crumbs

- 2 Egg Yolks

- 1 t Salt

- 1 t Ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Place mixture into a large loaf pan. Bake for one hour; remove and cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes, slice and serve with mushroom gravy (recipe below).

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

- 3 t Beef Bullion Granules

- 6 t Cornstarch

- 2 1/2 C Water (Potato water if you made mashed potatoes)

- 1/2 C Red Wine (I use Merlot)

- 8 or 9 Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced

- 1 Shallot, Minced

- 2 T Olive Oil

- Black Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, cook sliced mushrooms, shallot, and black pepper in olive oil, stirring frequently. Cook about 20 minutes or until mushrooms and shallots are very tender. Remove from pan and set aside, covered.

In a pyrex measuring cup, combine bullion granules and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup potato water (best if still hot) and mix until the bullion and cornstarch are dissolved. Add the wine and remaining water to the mixture and pour into the same saucepan the mushrooms were previously in. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, add the mushroom mixture and stir. The sauce will thicken. Serve hot over meat loaf and mashed potatoes!

Roasted Lamb

For our small family of three, a boneless leg of lamb is the perfect size!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lb boneless leg of lamb w/sleeve

- 3 T fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

- 3 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 T olive oil

- salt and pepper

Preparation:

Place lamb in small roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over lamb. Liberally salt and pepper top. Add remaining ingredients. Rub the lamb to spread the ingredients all over, getting as much to stick to the lamb as possible. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast lamb in covered roasting pan for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches between 145 and 170 degrees with a meat thermometer.

Let stand for about 10 minutes, slice and place back into juices. Serve with mint jelly.

Meaty Chili

One thing people assume about chili is that it has beans in it. If you've ever been to a chili cook-off, you'll notice there are no beans involved in chili at all. Beans are considered a filler in chili, which is really just a spicy meat stew/soup. There are a lot of ways to serve chili - in a bread bowl, topped with cheese, sour cream, diced onion, chopped tomato, salsa, chili sauce, or hot pepper sauce. I'm sure there are a lot of other ways people eat their chili, but these are just a few suggestions. I like to use chili on my taco salads, too.

Here is a recipe for some meaty chili (without beans) I made for my family last night. We ate the rest of it tonight - so it does make great left overs!

Ingredients:

1 lb - ground lamb

1/2 lb - ground round

1/2 lb - ground country sausage

1 - yellow onion, diced

2 - carrots, diced

2 - stalks celery, diced

10 - crimini mushrooms, finely chopped

2 - small green bell peppers, diced

4 T - extra virgin olive oil

1 14.5 oz can - diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 C - sun dried tomato pesto

1/2 C - roasted red bell pepper, diced

1 t - mole (make sure it is blended well)

2 t - chili powder

2 t - ground cumin

1/2 t - onion powder

1/2 t - garlic powder

1 C - beef broth

Directions

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and all meat. Cook until meat is no longer pink and resembles medium to fine crumbs. While the meat and veggies are cooking, mix all other ingredients, except beef broth, in a bowl. Once meat is ready, add the sauce and mix well. Add the beef broth, stir and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and serve. Enjoy!

Chili with Beans

1/2 Lb. Ground Lamb
1/2 Lb. Ground Round
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
Olive Oil
1 Jalapeno, Finely Diced w/Seeds
2 Pints Seeded and Peeled Tomatoes w/Juice
1 Can Rinsed Black Beans
1 Can Rinsed Kidney Beans
Salt and Pepper
Ground Cumin
Chili Pepper

Cook lamb and ground round with onion and garlic in olive oil until meat is almost cooked through. Add jalapeno, ground cumin, chili pepper, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until meat is completely cooked through. Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

I serve this chili in a bread bowl with shredded cheddar cheese, diced red onion and sour cream!