Main Course

Low-FodMap Weekday Meat Loaf
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Low-FodMap Weekday Meat Loaf

Lyn who really does not like meatloaf saw that I took some sirloin out of the Freezer and showed me this recipe from The Low-FodMap Diet. It looked familiar I swear I tried something like this before. Anyway, being a meatloaf lover, I jumped at the chance. It came out pretty good, good enough to go into my site which is our cookbook so to speak.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar ( I used my 18 YO)

Meatloaf:

¼ cup dry  gluten-free bread crumbs (I had Italian seasoned)

1/2 cup lactose free whole milk, 2%, 1% or fat free

2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80% I only had sirloin.

2 large eggs, at room temperature, whisked well.

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

1/4 cup (16 g) finely chopped scallions, green parts only

2 teaspoons Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil or purchased equivalent, such as FODY Garlic-Infused Oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

4 slices meaty bacon, choose gluten-free if on a gluten-free diet

How:

For the Sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together; set aside.

For the Meatloaf: Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Have a flat cookie sheet ready.

Combine the measured breadcrumbs with milk in a large mixing bowl; allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the milk for 5 minutes.

Add eggs, parsley, scallions, garlic olive oil, salt, thyme and a generous amount of black pepper to the same bowl and use your hands to mix well.

Scrape meatloaf mixture into center of cookie sheet pan and use your hands to form an oval loaf shape about 9-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2-inches thick.

Spread about half of the sauce on top of the loaf, coating the top and sides. Reserve any remaining sauce to serve alongside cooked meatloaf.

Use your fingers to lay bacon over the meatloaf on a slight diagonal, tucking the ends underneath the loaf. The sauce will help the pieces stick and stay in place.

Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is cooked through and the bacon is crisp. An instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf should read 160°F. You can crisp up the bacon further, if you like, by placing meatloaf under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute, taking care not to burn.

Meatloaf is ready to cut into slices and serve with the reserved sauce alongside.

Next time I am trying mixing some of the sauce into the meat mixture before shaping.

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How to warm the house up with the smell of Thicker Instant Pot Beef Stew

Today the wind chill was 24% and we only made it half way to the lake before the breeze was cutting through our clothes. We looked at each other and turned around and the snow started. It was not supposed to snow today and it really didn’t amount to anything but it got us in the mood for some beef stew. I had almost everything needed so what the heck grab the instant pot and cook away. I really like this recipe because I like a thick beef stew. It’s a little more work than throwing everything in the pot and pressing start but worth it.

Check it out Thicker Instant Pot Beef Stew

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Our 4th take out meal since February

Kugels Deli 1st non home cooked meal.
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Kugels Deli 1st non home cooked meal.

It happened and during this pandemic. After what 3 months we broke down and needed something to eat that someone else prepared. Now visions of steak dinner, big Italian meal, Thai are roaming around our heads but our final decision ended with Kugel’s Deli A small always packed New York Style Deli. I got corned beef (lean, I had a physical coming up next week) and Lyn got the roasted turkey both on marble rye We order pickup and enjoyed the meal at home. Lyn loves the roast turkey you can watch them carve right form the turkey if you stand in the right spot.

I had to borrow a picture from their web since we gobble both our sandwiches down.

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From Scraps To The Table

This year I kind of went crazy with the start from scraps, what i mean by this is you take parts of your veggies and root them. Scallions, tomatoes, Celery, lettuce, bell pepper and squash to name a few. This year I kind of went nuts. I think i only bought maybe 3 seeds or seedlings for the garden. Not having a good spot for a garden because of all the trees I also grabbed two raised beds. That is another story it took literally months with the pandemic to find someone who had them in stock and were shipping.

Anyway Scallions, Celery, lettuce saved the bottoms and placed them in a little water until the roots took and they started to grow and then transplant outside. Misfits Market came in handy for this. Hey, if you decide to try use my code we both save COOKWME-FG1DCQ. Anyway I’m picking tomatoes, Arugula, Lettuce, Herbs already. here is a montage of my work this year.

Jicama Is a Fiber-Rich Powerhouse
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Jicama Is a Fiber-Rich Powerhouse

As you may know we belong to Misfits which has been great help during these times. * If you decide to try use this code we both get a discount. COOKWME-FG1DCQ and when I saw the Jicama as a choice this week In grabbed it. It had been awhile since we discovered so i tried the ole faithful slaw and then tried chips and fries. I recently had made sweet potato chips so figure what the heck.

Jicama (HEE-kah-ma), sometimes referred to as yam bean, Mexican turnip, or Mexican potato, is an edible root vegetable native to Mexico.

The vines of the jicama plant can grow up to 20 feet in length, but the leaves and seeds are actually toxic. The root is the only edible portion of the entire plant—the tough brown skin that gives way to juicy, white flesh on the inside. The flavor is sweet and starchy—think of a cross between a water chestnut and an apple.

Many call jicama a superfood, equating it with kale, acai berries, and quinoa. Jicama, along with sunchokes, packs a prebiotic called inulin, a big contributor to a healthier gut. In addition, jicama is rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Lastly, jicama is naturally low in calories, making it a smart starchy substitute for those watching their weight.

Salad or slaw depending on what you want to call it

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped (optional)
  • 1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Pinch of paprika
  • Salt

How

Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large serving bowl.

Pour lime juice over all. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Season generously with salt.

2 Let sit a half an hour before serving.

Fries and Chips

Tried these in oven and Air-Fryer watch closely they will burn quickly

Air-Fryer
Oven
Air-Fryer

These are best served warm but did reheat nicely. You won’t get them super crispy but they good.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Jicama, peeled and cut into medium sized fries (1 pound)
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon Paprika
  • How
  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • In a small bowl, combine spices. Gently toss the jicama fries with the oil and lime juice, then sprinkle with the spice blend.
  • Spread fries evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fries are golden.
  • Serve immediately – they taste best hot out of the oven. 

Air-Fryer

same as above but watch closely and I turned half way through both methods. Oh the oven I made on a rack and used convection

First Pandemic Visitors
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First Pandemic Visitors

I’m back, healthy and cooking. It has been awhile, but I really did not stop just hid in the house like most others these days. Being a senior, I decided to take a break from the outside world work on the house, garden and have been volunteering for some Presidential and Senate campaigns. So, if you are getting those text asking who you might be voting for or are you registered before you hit delete or ignore it could be me asking the question be nice.  Anyway, the other day we had Mike and Gail over for the first time since they became engaged. I cooked up a meal that was pretty good if I do not say so myself.

BBQ Vegetable kebabs of, yellow (summer) squash, zucchini, mushrooms, Onions yellow and, red bell pepper.

Teriyaki Steak tips from Dom’s the Patriots version is better in our opinion although these melted in your mouth. These I simply put on skewers and BBQed until done.

Herb rubbed Flank Steak see here this is one of our favorite recipes. I will add I have learned to rub off the marinade with paper towel and overnight marinating to 24 hours works best.

BBQ Corn- I soaked the corn in husk all day but I am sure 1 hour would work. Then BBQ on the grill for about 15 minutes. We were fighting a threat of a horrendous thunderstorm, SO Lyn took the husk off and wrapped in tin foil. Oh, the storm did happen we soon had a river in the road in front of the house, and it lasted for hours the storm and the river. It ahs been years since we saw storm to that extent.  

Here are a few corn you might like Roasted Corn Salad,  Local Corn, Ginger, Corn Chicken Soup

Anyway, after a little discussion and the fact that we all had been symptom free and Gail who is back to work was tested negative a few days before, that masks were not needed. Thank goodness it is hard to drink wine with a mask. Wine and cooking are just a natural thing to me. Was a great evening.

Well look at that I’m babbling something my family expects from me.

Enjoy your summer and remember to check to make sure you are registered to vote it’s easy it takes seconds click below. Encourage your friends and family to double check.

Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary
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Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary

Up front this would work better with bone in, and fresh rosemary but you have to do with what you have because running out to the grocery store to pick up one or two things thing is a tough decision these days, especially for seniors.

This week has been a pork week from sausage patties with our breakfast for supper last night to tonight’s 30 Minute Pork Piccata. See ther is the What’s for syndrom and its only 9:30 AM.

I had two boneless pork chops in the freezer from Butcher Box and since our last anniversary in Maine where I had Brined pork chop and have been playing with this to duplicate. Came close but not there yet. Anyway

I tried this with what I had, I should have cut the chops in half to make thinner but it still came out Ok. This is definitely a work in progress for me and can’t wait for my herb garden to start to flourish.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Bone-In Pork Chops, About 1/2 Inch Thick
  • 1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 2 Tablespoons Juniper Berries
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary Note: I had to use dried so I heated in oil first, fresh would be so much better
  • Sea Salt

How

  1. Use the back of a knife to crush the juniper berries and peppercorns.
  2. In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat along with the juniper berries, rosemary, and peppercorns until lightly smoking, then fry the chops for turning every minute, until no longer pink. 5-6 minutes estimated time.
  3. Sprinkle with sea salt, and serve immediately.

BTW left over made great pork rollup for Lunch the next day.

Cod in tomato sauce with potatoes and Olives
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Cod in tomato sauce with potatoes and Olives

Pappa Russo Style
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Half a roasted chicken with Broccoli puffs.

Just another quick meal, we got in the habit of buying roasted chickens from Whole foods when they are on sale for $5.99 cutting in half and Food Savering, there that word again, freezing.

This makes for a quick meal and leftovers for salads and sandwiches.