Perfect Meatloaf Dinner

... or The-Perfect-Meal-to-Impress-Your-Date, perhaps?

Now is the time when the temperatures fluctuate from the mid-40s to 50s during the day, down below freezing at night. While I may dream of the days when I can again hop on the bike and wear shorts to the gym without freezing, there are nights I still crave warm, filling meals by the roaring woodstove and a big glass of red wine.

Such was the case last week. I had plenty of ground beef on hand, and I kept being taunted by the thought of my grandmother's meatloaf. Mmm. And salad. And, per my sous chef's request, mashed red bliss potatoes. Sounds awfully good.

I began with the basic meatloaf recipe my grandmother has somewhat followed for years (though I think there is ketchup in there somewhere, I forget). I adapted it a bit again this time, using a local tomato sauce rather than making my own (Bove's!! The best in VT) and adding a bit of Worcestershire sauce and basil to my meat mixture, along with toasted gluten-free bread in lieu of traditional breadcrumbs. I found the Worcestershire to impart the umami flavor I like in ketchup without the added sweetness. My only fault was that I wish I'd used 2 lbs of beef rather than one, because it went pretty fast and my onion:meat ratio was high.

My sous chef was in charge of the mashed potatoes (I'm wary of my abilities). Super easy. Wash and remove the eyes from the potatoes. Chop into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are easily piercable with a fork. Drain and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 stick of butter. Mash well, adding more cream or butter if desired. Season to taste.

I served this with my favorite salad du jour: Bibb lettuce with pear, avocado, and toasted walnuts, tossed in olive (or toasted walnut) oil, maple syrup, and Maldon salt. This one with spinach and roasted grapes would be good, too, as would this one with beets and blue cheese. Even this hearty kale-miso one, if you're super hungry!

Super Easy Thai Red Curry

This is a classic winter favorite that comes from a friend/talented chef/sous chef Claire Smallwood from Alta, Utah. Oh, and one sick skier ;)

When my grass-fed beef share served me up some stew meat, I postponed by grand Boeuf Bourguignon plans for something a bit more exotic, a lot easier, and did I mention less expensive (even though I splurged on a $5 organic red pepper. Geez…)

I made this with whole coconut milk, but you could also swap in two cans of light coconut. As well, I went heavy on the curry paste, because I like my food with a kick. The key ingredients to finish this off are the juice of a lime and fish sauce to taste. Served over sticky or jasmine rice, it’s a real winter evening treat!

Super Easy Thai Red Curry
Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds grass-fed beef stew meat (or chicken. Or tofu. Your pick.)
1 medium-large shallot, chopped in slices
Red curry paste, to taste (I used about 6 tablespoons)
2 bunches of baby bok choy, rinsed and chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1 lime, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil and heat til it shimmers. Add the beef and cook until just cooked on one side. Add a sliced shallot and stir, browning the other side of the beef. Add the bok choy and red pepper and sauté briefly. Add the coconut milk and ½ can of water (if using full-strength coconut).

Bring to a simmer and reduce to low. Cook for 30 minutes or so (be careful NOT to boil the mixture), then add basil. Season to taste with salt, lime, and fish sauce. Serve hot over rice and garnish with more basil, if desired.

Easy Winter Chili

Let's just say I've been a bit slow on posting what I've been up to over the past 10 weeks. There are a number of tasty recipes that are sure to come your way in the coming days, now that I've got a week off of class. First up, a winter favorite for the last few days of winter we have left (though if you're where where I am right now, spring and summer were totally chased away by a large gust of winter today; brr!). 

This was a lunchtime favorite many a day at school, served atop a bed of roasted vegetables. I also had it for dinner a few times, served with guacamole and black bean chips, then with a healthy grating of cheese. This is the perfect party dish to serve a crowd (double to serve 8+ people) or for a week's worth of nutritious and flavorful lunches. 

I made this with a mix of grass-fed ground beef and veal from my favorite local farmer. I suggest you do the same!

Easy Winter Chili

2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground beef
3 oz double concentrated tomato paste
One 14-ounce can diced Roma tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar
1 tsp chili flakes
8 sundried tomatoes, reconstituted overnight
1 carrot, peeled and cut into coins
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
6 bird chilies, soaked and finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
2 to 2.5 cups just-cooked (or canned) pinto beans, rinsed well
1 tsp salt

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the beef and brown. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes then add the spices and vegetables. Stir well. Add stock, beans, and salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce to low and cook for 2 hours (or longer). Season to taste and serve.

Coconut and Cilantro Make for the Best Winter Soup...

Sounds too good to be true, no?

You can call it by name -- Hey you, Mr. Coconut Cilantro.

Whaaaatt?!!

Yep, coconut + cilantro + pumpkin = pure bliss.

I don't know about you -- when I think of fall, I think of apples and pumpkins. Big pans of tender baked apples, garnished with raisins and a sticky-sweet pan sauce, steaming pots of applesauce. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin butter. Pumpkin ravioli.

And soup.

Being dairy-free (save for some hard cheeses and pastured butter), I’m always on the lookout for dairy substitutes that are, well, REAL. Creamy cream-less soups are a favorite, but I feel like pumpkin soup always needs the help from a bit of dairy (same with tomato)… so it’s been, um, 4 years since I was you last? So when I heard about a heart-warming, tummy-filling soup that swapped cream for coconut, I got all excited.

Plus doesn’t the combination of coconut and pumpkin (and cilantro) just scream summery, flavorful, and oh so fun?!

Well, it did for me. These are unusual soup ingredients (at least if you’re not serving up tortilla soup or chili). But they would be amazing together. Sweet and creamy coconut. Hearty pumpkin. Bright cilantro.

This recipe originally called for a Hubbard Squash. But after visiting my friends at the Norwich Farmers’ Market, the only local Hubbard was all to big for little me, so I picked up a close second, and local favorite for soups – a Red Kuri.

The technique itself is easy. Roast up your squash – save those seeds for a topping! Cool the flesh, mix with stock and coconut, add cilantro stems, and blitz.

For extra cilantro flavor, I used the trimmed stems of the entire bunch, and then half of the leaves in the soup, saving the remaining leaves for a garnish. As well, I toasted the seeds with some curry, cayenne, ginger, maple syrup, and salt. Be sure to taste the soup and season to your liking while it’s still warm. I think next time, I might add a bit of curry powder for a bit more depth (I like my food flavorful), and perhaps a ginger crème fraiche dollop on top.

Coconut Cilantro Soup

Adapted from Diary of a Locavore

Olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 medium Red Kuri or Hubbard squash
2 cups chicken stock
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1/4 teaspoon curry powder, optional
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and trimmed, leaves fine chiffonade
Sea salt to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the flesh is fork tender. Remove from heat and turn cut side up. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove warm flesh from the skin.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring often, until tender. Add the roasted squash, sauté a few minutes more, then pour in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Cover, bring everything to a boil, and then turn the heat down. Add the cilantro stems and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender or using an immersion blender, and then transfer it back to the pot.

Turn the heat onto low, add half of the cilantro stems, cayenne pepper, and ginger and stir well. Season with sea salt to taste. Serve hot with cilantro leaves and crispy spiced seeds on top.