Where What When

My Favorite Recipes

Meat Loaf Supreme

2 lb. ground beef

1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 packet onion soup mix

1/2 c. non-dairy creamer or vegetable broth

1 egg

1/3 c. chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients until well combined. Do not over mix! Shape meat into loaf. Bake in either 2 small loaf pans or 1 large one, or you can place the meat in 9x13-inch pan and shape into a loaf by hand. Bake uncovered for 55 to 65 minutes. Allow pan to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and baby green peas.

Perfectly Simple Stir Fried Vegetables

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 c. sugar snap peas or pea pods, trimmed

2 c. carrots, sliced

2 medium scallions, chopped

1 1/2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Add sugar snap peas, carrots, and scallions; stir-fry 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Yields about 1/2 c. per serving.

Broiled Tilapia

cooking spray or 1/2 tsp. olive oil

20 oz. raw tilapia (four 5-oz fillets)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1 T. fresh lemon or lime juice (my preference)

2 tsp. garlic herb seasoning, salt-free (Mrs. Dash’s, any flavor)

Preheat broiler. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Transfer fish to prepared pan and drizzle with lemon or lime juice. Sprinkle garlic herb seasoning over top. Broil until fish is fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Yields 1 fillet per serving.

Note: Lemon and fish go well together, and the addition of garlic and herbs really sends flavors soaring. For variety, try lime juice instead of lemon juice, soy sauce instead of salt, and any other fish, such as halibut, striped bass, sole, and flounder. You might have to cook other fish longer than the tilapia. The rule of thumb for baking fish is 5 minutes per inch per side.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

1/4 c. lime juice, freshly squeezed

3 T. tamari soy sauce

2 T. whole grain mustard

1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c. Green Giant corn niblets

1 red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice

6 green onions, thinly sliced on an angle (white and green parts)

1/4 - 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually add the olive oil, all the while whisking until dressing emulsifies. Then add the beans, corn, peppers, and green onions. Toss to coat all the vegetables. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Spanish Rice

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 jalepeño pepper, finely diced (optional, see note)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 c. jasmine brown rice, rinsed well

2 T. tomato paste

1 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt, sea salt is preferable

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 c. water

1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces)

cilantro or parsley for garnish (about 1/4 c. chopped)

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the next 5 ingredients and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the rice, tomato paste, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Add the water and can of tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer without stirring for 45 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving bowl. Using a fork, gently mix in the parsley or cilantro, whichever you prefer.

Note: 1) Use gloves when you handle hot peppers. Be careful not to touch your eyes if your hands have come into contact with hot peppers. 2) For those of you who have rice cookers, follow the directions until it says “bring to a boil.” Then transfer to your rice cooker, cover, and let the rice cooker do the work. You might need a little extra water at the end. Use your judgment.

Apple Pecan Crisp

Adapted from The Cake Doctor by Anne Byrn

2 cans apple pie filling

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Duncan Hines plain yellow cake mix

1 c chopped pecans, roasted

1 c. margarine melted (2 sticks)

Preheat oven to 350°. Place apple pie filling evenly into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the zest from the lemon over the apples. Drizzle the juice over the apples. Sprinkle the apples with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle the vanilla extract over the apples as evenly as you can. Pour the dry cake mix evenly over the apples, making sure it reaches all the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon over the cake mix. Sprinkle the pecans on top of cake mix and drizzle the melted margarine over the entire pan. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon the crisp into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup! Can you taste it?!

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Article List - February 2007