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.

Wild Boar Ragù

On a cold winter night, nothing beats a hearty, meaty sauce for pasta. I recently had access to two wild boar loins out west, and having recently made a pulled-beef "bolognese" of sorts at home in VT, I knew EXACTLY what I had to do with these little guys: make one of my all-time favorite dishes (pre-no-gluten) to order at an Italian restaurant, Pappardelle al Ragù Di Cinghale or Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu.

This is shockingly easy, and the rewards are tremendous. I made this with rice spaghetti and fusilli, but I find it best with pappardelle (I'm still looking for rice pappardelle, good luck...). It will serve 8 easily, with extras for lunch or dinner the next day or two. Serve with a hearty green salad.

Wild Boar Ragu
4 cups tomato sauce:
  3 tbsp olive oil
  1 small yellow onion, chopped
  2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  2 carrots, peeled and shredded
  1 stalk celery, chopped
  40-ounces canned whole tomatoes
  1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

  3 bay leaves 

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices bacon, rendered
2 pounds boneless wild boar meat, such as tenderloins

1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah
1 tbsp dried chili flakes
Cocoa powder, to taste (I used about a tablespoon)
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
3 sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the sauce, heat olive oil until warm over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onions are translucent and vegetables tender. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook over low heat, partially covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. Set aside.

In a large cast-iron pot, heat the oil and add the bacon, cooking until the fat is rendered. Add the boar and gently brown. Add the tomato sauce, red wine, and seasonings and vinegar, to taste. Bring to a boil. Return to low heat.

Place in a 300-degree oven (at 8000 ft; 250 at sea level) for 2-3 hours, or until the meat is very tender. The longer you simmer the dish, the tenderer the meat will become.

The ragù is ready to eat when the meat has totally fallen apart and the meat has absorbed most of the liquid. Take out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves before serving.

Serve over a wide pasta of your choice and top with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese. Accompany with some crusty peasant bread and a good red wine, preferably a strong Italian, like Amarone or Barolo.

Even the puppies know what is going on ;)

Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two

This would have been the perfect Valentine's Day post, but it didn't occur to me to make these until I had a long day on the slopes and just needed some splurge that was tasty and sweet as a pick me up on a cold Saturday night. So easy, SO good. If you don't have ramekins, do as I did in a pinch and use small tea cups (if the walls are thick, try preheating the ceramic in the oven).

Top with a healthy spoonful of salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

Butter, for ramekins
6 ounces dark chocolate

3 tbsp butter, plus more for ramekins
2 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar (I used a bit less as I like my chocolate chocolaty)

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2-3 ramekins or tea cups well with butter.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over water until just barely melted. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted.

Meanwhile, warm eggs to room temperature in hot water. Beat room temperature eggs and sugar together until creamy and lemon-yellow covered. Add the salt. Fold in the slightly-cooled chocolate. Pour into ramekins and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is just set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with warm caramel and vanilla ice cream. 

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.

Easy Gluten-Free Scones

A couple of weeks ago, I was granted an afternoon to myself. I think the first time in 4-5 weeks?

The day started off like this: Up early, at 7, to head to the Skiway for a morning of testing and some fun runs. A stop for java along the way, and music blasting as I drive north along the Connecticut. Testing our device, and of course, the requisite fun runs.

The term, then (and until today), had been a blur. 12-14 hour days, with a night and a morning to myself, usually to go out to dinner, bed early, then blow some steam off at the gym or along the trail Saturday morning before hitting the books (or meeting) again.

This one Saturday, as the snowflakes started to swirl down, I had the chance to do whatever I damn well pleased. And, as I'd just finished a week of dinners out and exams, and I had the kitchen to myself,  all I really wanted to do was cook.

First up, my favorite gluten-free "granola" bars. A hearty and mind-numbingly easy Thai beef curry. And scones.

Living in Norwich, VT, I have the great pleasure to be so close to King Arthur Flour, which now being gluten-free, I regard as the BEST producer of an all-purpose gluten-free flour. Seriously. And no corn!

It's been nearly two years or more since I had my last scone, and these, while not as massive and doughy as my favorites available at Nantucket Greens, when my family still lived in New Canaan, they're pretty good, certainly rivaling many available at bakeries around the country today. Furthermore, this recipe is pretty foolproof and comes together in minutes.

The hardest part is resisting on sampling one fresh out of the oven. OK. Cave. Just wait 7 minutes!

Easy Gluten-Free Scones
Makes 16 small scones

2 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar (add more if you like sweeter scones)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried currants, raisins, cherries, or cranberries
2 eggs, beaten well
1 cup heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse until just crumbly. Add fruit and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

Whisk eggs together and then add in cream. Whisk mixture together with a fork until just combined. Pat together with hands into a round mass. Place on greased cookie sheet (or one lined with parchment or a silpat) and score wedges with a knife. Sprinkle with more sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gluten-Free Almond-Poppyseed Muffins with Lemon Glaze

I have always loved muffins. The problem is/was that about two years ago, I went gluten (and relatively dairy) free. So long muffins of all kinds. Those 6am flights became trickier without a muffin and latte on the go for the flight. Sunday morning sleepy trips to Starbucks (or Grey Dog) weren't the same without a sweet wheat treat to go along.

And to be honest, I haven't really missed muffins/carbohydrates in general. I've found a couple of AMAZING gluten-free pizza crusts out there, actually prefer brown rice pasta to wheat, and thankfully can still indulge in French Fries. So, I've been OK.

Until two weeks ago, when I started going to the gym again at 5:45am (this time because it's the only time that my academic schedule permits, not because I was addicted to a specific 6:15am spin class (and working in midtown). A banana and muffin are the perfect accompaniment to my 8:45am Systems class. I'm already bored of Kind bars. Uh oh.

Luckily, one of my favorite (and conveniently Gluten-Free!) bloggers Jess Thomson saved my ass.(Literally. Gym. Will. Go. On. After all, I've got some Main Chute hiking and backcountry touring to stay in shape for...) She published a recipe inspired by Jeanne Sauvage's Applesauce Spice Muffins. I've taken the liberty to do away with yogurt (only butter and some alpine cheeses are OK for me...) and upped the almond factor. But don't worry -- they're awfully good :)

Lemon-Glazed Almond-Poppyseed Muffins 
Adapted from Jess Thomson, Hogwash

Makes: About 18 muffins

For the muffins:
Muffin liners
2 1/2 cups (350g) gluten-free all-purpose flour, such King Arthur
2.5 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
2/3 cup almond milk
Toasted finely chopped almonds, for topping (optional)

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard muffin cups (or 12 standard cups and 12 mini cups) with muffin liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low to blend. Stir the almond extract into the milk, add to the bowl, and mix again. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

Spoon the dough into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about three quarters of the way full. Sprinkle the tops with almonds, if using. Bake the muffins until lightly browned (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean), 12 to 15 minutes for mini muffins and 15 to 20 minutes for standard-sized muffins.

When the muffins come out, make the glaze: Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack, then drizzle or brush a little glaze onto each muffin. Let the glaze cool for about 10 minutes, then enjoy warm.

Note: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.