Mini Meatloaf -- Muffin Size

Portion control is particularly important for two groups of people -- people watching their calories and people watching their budgets. Meat is one of the most expensive items in the grocery basket (not that you needed us to tell you that). By portioning out this expensive item and filling up the rest of the plate with cheaper fare (vegetables, potatoes, salad, etc), it can really help stretch a dollar without leaving your family feeling deprived. One muffin is a full adult-sized serving of meat (4 oz - 100 grams).  

This cooks much faster than a traditional meatloaf -- so it saves money and time. Hard to beat that combo. Better yet, these freeze very well, so make up the full batch and put some away in the freezer. They'll keep for 3 - 4 months.



Ingredients:  Makes 20 x 100 gram muffins

• 1.5 kilos (approximately 3- 3 1/2 lbs) ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef/ ground pork) 
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs or finely crushed crackers... if going gluten free, use ground oatmeal and/or crushed Cornflakes. 
• 1 cup salsa 
• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional) 
• 1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning or any favourite herb/spice. 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. Oil or use a cooking spray to lightly grease the muffin tins. 
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients by hand until well combined. In this case, we literally mean "by hand". Roll up the sleeves and really mix those ingredients. 
3. Pack each of the muffin tins fully. 
4. Cook for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees. 
5. Let stand for 5 minutes and remove from muffin tin. 

Serving suggestion:  Top each muffin with a tablespoon of salsa for an extra burst of taste. Many recipes like this call for cheese to be added to the top. We think that in this recipe, it's a waste of cheese which is an expensive (and calorie laden) ingredient. Save the cheese for meals where it's going to have more punch.

Barley Salad -- Taste it at our Open House Sept 21.

The vegetable choices in this salad are interchangable. Add your family's favourites or what's in season. This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. The salad can be served warm or cold; however, it usually tastes better if you can let it sit at room temperature for a while to take the chill off if it's been refrigerated. 

Enjoy this side dish all year round. 

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into large-ish chunks
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/3 cup (250g) pearl barley (you can substitute half with with purple barley)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 300g broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 100g tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp small capers, rinsed (optional)
• 15 black olives, pitted (optional)
• 20g pack basil, chopped

For the dressing

• 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1.       Heat oven to 350° F/ 180°C.  Place the squash pieces on a baking tray and toss with olive oil. Roast for 20 mins or until tender.

2.       Meanwhile, boil the barley for about 25 mins in salted water until tender, still al dente.

3.       Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Drain the barley, then tip it into a bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well and let it cool.

4.       Boil the broccoli in salted water until just tender, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain and pat dry. Add the broccoli and remaining ingredients to the barley and mix well. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge and is delicious warm or cold.

White Bean Ragout

This is a simple dish from the Tuscany region of Italy. Feel free to substitute various ingredients depending on what's in your cupboards. We've given the vegetarian version of this dish; however, it's frequently made with bacon or pancetta (a bacon like cured meat that's popular in Italy). Just dice up your bacon, fry it until crisp and then use the rendered fat to saute your onions, carrot and celery mix. Fresh tomatoes if you have them are great. In winter months, substitute canned tomatoes. 

Buon Appetito!!!


Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white (navy beans or white kidney) beans, soaked overnight (or use 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed.
• 1/4 cup olive oil (plus some more for toast) 
• 1-1/2 cups finely diced onions
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced 
• 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided 
• 3 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 
• 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano (substitute -- thyme, Italian seasoning) 
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

 Toasts:

• 5 ciabatta buns, slice in half length wise. Alternatively, use hamburger buns, day old French bread. 
• olive oil for brushing

Directions: 

1. Boil soaked white beans in fresh water for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Alternatively, use canned beans, drain and rinse them well -- set aside.
2. Using medium high heat in a heavy skillet, heat olive oil until it shimmers. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute for 5-10 minutes until onion is soft and other vegetables are starting to cook. 
3. Add garlic and allow to simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add reserved cooked beans , tomato paste and 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Bring contents of the pan to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes at a simmer or until vegetables are fork tender. 
5. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes and oregano. Turn heat off and add additional vegetable broth if it is really thick. There should be a bit of "runny" to the stew so it can soak into the bread base later. 
6. Preheat oven to 375 or turn on broiler. Alternatively, you can grill the bread on barbeque or in a dry fry pan. Whatever method works best for you, toast the bread and remove to a serving plate. 
7. Brush olive oil on each toast and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese while the bread is still warm from the oven. 
8. To serve, put toast in the bottom of a bowl and spoon the bean stew on top, letting the stew juices soften the toast. Top with additional Parmesan if desired. 
9. Leftover bean stew will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days; freezes for up to 3 months.

Fiddlehead Soup

Image courtesy Creative Commons

The only thing tastier in the spring in NB than a “mess of fiddleheads”, is pairing them with a bit of potato and some cream in the form of soup. Tuck into our simple and quick version of this gourmet classic. It can be made with either fresh or frozen fiddleheads. Alternatively, if you’re making it later in the year, you can substitute 16-20 asparagus stalks for the fiddleheads. The soup base can also be frozen to enjoy later in the year.

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (3 cups or more) or shredded
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup of diced onion (about a medium sized onion)
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
•  1-2 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 ½  cups cleaned fiddleheads, tightly packed into the cup
• Water as needed
• 1-2 cups of cream (2 cup coffee cream or 1 cup whipping cream)
• Salt to taste
• Croutons (optional garnish)
• Parmesan cheese leaves (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, celery, onion and garlic in a heavy bottomed pot. Add stock and enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are starting to get tender.
3. Add fiddleheads and recover pot. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Fiddleheads must be thoroughly cooked. Potatoes at this point should be very done – mushy and falling apart.
4. Remove a few of the fiddleheads and set aside for use as a garnish. Using an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth.
5. Return to pot and stir in enough cream to give it a creamy texture without overwhelming it. You probably won’t use the full amount called for in the recipe.
6. Salt to taste
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved fiddleheads and/or croutons or parmesan cheese leaves.

Keeping it for later: After step 4 (before adding cream), this soup base can be packaged into freezer safe containers and frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat the next day in a pot. Add cream, salt to taste and serve.

Hamburger Chop Suey

This "budget cuisine" dish was invented by one of our mothers back in the 1970s. Bean sprouts were not readily available in many Canadian grocery stores in those days, so being an inventive cook, she substituted shredded cabbage for bean sprouts. Of course, it tastes equally delicious with actual FRESH bean sprouts or a combination of the two. Just whatever you do, avoid the canned bean sprouts. They are very high in sodium, taste terrible (like the inside of the can) and have the texture of mush. Not to mention, they're expensive as all get out. 

Cabbage has the advantage of being readily available, inexpensive and it stores well over a period of time.




Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 tsp minced fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp soy sauce – we used sodium reduced

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 cup beef stock

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Water chestnuts – 1 small can, rinsed and drained (optional)

Bean sprouts – 3 large handfuls or substitute with finely shredded cabbage (about 6 cups)

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms,

Green or red pepper

Shredded carrots

Shredded zucchini 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until it is brown, breaking up the larger chunks.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. If using fresh ginger and garlic, add it now and cook for another minute or two.
3. Stir in the molasses and soy sauce and half (1 cup) of the stock.. If using dried garlic and ginger, stir it in with the beef broth, then add to the cooked ground beef. If using shredded cabbage, add it now and allow to cook for a minute or so to soften.
4. Dissolve the cornstarch in remaining stock and add to the pan. Stir and cook until thickened.
5. If using the water chestnuts and bean sprouts, add them now and cook for another minutes The bean sprouts should maintain some crunch.
6. Spoon over rice and serve.

 

Tummy filling Hamburger Soup

We did this as a demonstration soup at the NBEX on Tuesday. It's a delicious, basic soup that is very flexible in terms of ingredients. Use what you have on hand, take the opportunity to clean out those dribs and drabs in the fridge.  We use lentils in it, along with soaked dried beans, to make the meat go farther. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and iron and really do go well in meat dishes. 

Feel free to experiment with this recipe. It has a hundred different variations. Check the "tips" section at the bottom for some ideas on how to make this your own favourite comfort food. 



Ingredients: 

2 Tbsp oil

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 bay leaf

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 can (796 ml—28 oz) diced tomatoes — can also use fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 cup of tomato sauce or puree

1/4 cup dried green lentils (can also use red)

3-1/2  cup beef stock  (cube/stock pot/ boxed is fine)

1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning, or basil. Alternatively, you can use fresh

Salt to taste

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms

Pasta (cook separately, put in bowl and top with hot soup)

Rice  or barley 

Diced green, red, yellow or orange sweet peppers. 

Shredded zucchini -- add at the end

Shredded cabbage

Barley

Parmesan cheese rind (for flavour — remove before serving) 

Dried shitake mushrooms (for flavour — remove before serving)

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Break up ground beef and scramble fry until it is brown. Drain any excess fat and liquids.

2. Add celery, onion, carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic.

3. Add lentils, bay leaf, pinch of red pepper flakes, tomato sauce (or puree), canned tomatoes including liquid and beef broth. If using dried herbs and spices, add them now.

4. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook on a low heat until everything is tender. Depending on the ingredients and their size, this could be 20 minutes to 45 minutes.

5. If using fresh herbs, add them now. Stir and taste. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

6. Serve with garlic bread, warmed rolls or topped with Parmesan cheese.







Tips:

• Cook a small pasta like macaroni, stars, alphabets, orzo in a separate pot and add hot soup on top. This keeps the pasta from getting mushy if there's leftovers
• Finely slice fresh spinach leaves and put into the bowl. Top with hot soup. The heat will wilt the spinach without it getting slimy. Also means that the soup will keep better in the fridge

 

 

Carrot and Lentil Soup

This is a recipe we adapted from BBC's Good Food. We've made this version vegan because we are demonstrating it at the NBEX tonight.Chicken stock could be used to replace the vegetable stock.

Unless you're a real cumin lover, consider cutting the cumin in half for this recipe. We found that the flavour "bloomed" when the soup sat for a bit. The soup is quite thick, so be prepared to thin it out with a little additional stock.


Makes 2.5 litres or about 7 generous servings 

Ingredients:  

• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250 ml - 1 cup onion, diced finely
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel) – about 8-10 carrots
• 200 g split red lentils – about a cup
• 2 litre – 8 cups vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• plain yogurt to serve 

Directions: 

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside.
2. Add the oil, onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
3. Add carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened. Add the nutmeg.
4. Whizz the soup with a stick blender until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
5. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads