Saturday, March 26, 2011

Bits and Pieces




This is what you do if there are 3 pork loin center cut chops taking up space in the fridge.

Trim off fat and gnarly bits then cut into strips, add hoisin sauce, soya sauce, ginger and garlic and marinate the pork off to the side.

Cup up a medium carrot, onion (strips), pepper (strips) and sugar snap peas (cut on diag).



Splash some oil (olive, grape seed, sesame, whatever...) into a pan and saute the contents of the pork that was set aside, marinating (dump the whole thing into the pan) and stir it around until done. I like mine a little overly brown, but that's me

Add the onions and carrots, when the carrots are cooked add the peppers and sugar snap peas



Serve with rice or ramen, I had some leftover rice, so that's what I used.

Makes a nice lunch for two. This was just one of them, my husband scarffed the first one down before I could take the pic.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Meatloaf

1K ground beef
300 kg ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup instant oats
2 tbsp lea & perrins
1 tbsp srirachi (or any other) hot chili sauce
1 lrg onion small dice
2-3 med carrots shredded
1 small zuccini shredded
1 stalk celery shredded/diced (whatever)
3-4 cloves garlic minced/pressed
3-4 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp celery salt
oil for pan to saute
salt and pepper

Heat oil in saute pan and saute onions, add garlic after about 2min., then add carrots, celery (chopped mushrooms, zuccini, etc). When veg are done add to meat mixture in large bowl. Add the remaining ingreadients. You can improvise here with whatever spices you want to add.

I always saute the veg first, it just hold together better for me this way, but you can add it raw, whatever....

I don't usually use mushrooms in the mixture, but saute sliced mushrooms to add to sliced meatloaf at the table because I HATE MUSHROOMS.

I have a huge box of disposable painting gloves under my sink just for times like this....mix the thing up wearing gloves it just incorporated better by hand instead of with a spoon.

Once the mixture is combined line a loaf pan with paper and overstuff the mixture into the pan



Line a small sheet (I use the one that came with the toaster oven, perfect size for me) with paper and invert the loaf pine onto it.


Into oven at 425 for about 30min.

Remove the loaf pan and top paper before returning to oven at 350 for about 1 hour. I usually drain the liquid from bottom of the pan sometime during the baking process just because I don't want the house to smell but you do whatever....











I do this process of covering the raw mixture with the loaf pan because I find it flattens to much during cooking for my liking. It retains its original loafy shape when I do this, but it's not necessary. I also cook it in this fashion because I like the way the meatloaf gets browned on all sides, and I really HATE my loaf swimming in the fat, this way it drains off....but also make a note that the meatloaf is much drier when finished adding as much veg into the meat mixture some what moistens it, but not that much. So a sauce could be served with the meatloaf. But since I like mine on the dry side....doesn't really matter to me, use ketchup.




Serve this with loaded smashed baby potatoes

Steam about 25-30 baby potatoes, throw onto small sheet pan lined with paper to cool. Pan that isn't too much larger than the potatoes once they are cooling on the pan.

Once cooled smash down







cook about 8-10 slices of bacon diced, set aside once done. Brush the smashed potatoes with bacon drippings, or oil (no sense in wasteing the drippings) add some seasoning salt then sprinkle the bacon on top of the potatoes. Cook the potatoes along with the meatloaf in the oven (that's why I use the pans that I do, so that they will both fit into the oven together. Just before the potatoes are done reheating and sizzling up, sprinkle with grated cheese (use whatever is handy, i had cheddar, parmesan and some unknown hard white cheese prob romano) just before serving sprinkle with chopped green onions

yummmmm


The sandwich this morning fullfilled all my expectations.....

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Cravings

Woke up this morning and had a sudden craving for a meatloaf sandwich. Mmmm
On toasted rye bread or pumperknickle.....well I have the rye bread, so I guess I'll have to make the meatloaf today for the sandwich tomorrow