I pulled together this meal on the fly. I baked the meatloaf on the weekend and made a fresh mushroom sauce to top on the night I served it. It was delicious!
Ingredients
[one_half]
Meatloaf
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup crushed Club crackers
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp mustard (prepared)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork [/one_half]
[one_half_last]
Mushroom Sauce
1 can beef broth (about 2 cups)
1/2 cub crushed Club crackers
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup green onions (about one bunch), chopped
1/2 cup butter [/one_half_last]
Directions
Meatloaf
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Add milk and Club crackers to onion mixture and combine until it forms a chunky paste. Add parsley, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
Add ground meats and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. I like to use disposable rubber gloves to help keep my hands clean.
Form a loaf shape with the mixture and place on the roasting pan. There are two ways you can do this. 1. Form the loaf freestyle with your hands. Or 2. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, press the meat mixture into the pan, turn the loaf out onto the roasting pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the loaf registers 160 degrees. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Mushroom Sauce
In a large saucepan combine broth, crackers, mushrooms, green onions, and butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mushrooms cook down and the sauce is thick and golden brown.
Plating
Place slices of meatloaf on a plate. Then ladle mushroom sauce on top. Serve with mashed potatoes, root vegetables or rice.
Notes The meatloaf recipe is inspired by the recipe found in The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. The mushroom sauce recipe is inspired by “Easiest Mushroom Sauce” from Allrecipes.com.
With New Year’s Eve right around the corner, I thought you might like some suggestions for cocktails you can toast the coming year with. Yes, I know, you could easily grab a bottle of something pre-made that comes from the shelf. But pre-made drinks are usually very high in sugar. If you had a healthier option, would you give it a try? Take a look at these healthier versions of your favorite holiday cocktails.
Rosemary Gin Spritz
Simplicity is one way to make it easy to have a healthier drink. Clear alcohol with some lighter mixers helps keep the calories down and can often make digestion easier. Just be sure to read the labels.
Ingredients
1 large shot of gin
1/2 ounce lemon juice
3 ounces soda
1/4 tsp honey
Fresh rosemary for garnish
Directions
Mix together gin, lemon juice, and honey. Add in soda. Serve with 2-3 pieces of rosemary to garnish.
Winter Holiday Ocean Breeze
If you’re looking for something that can give you some much-needed refreshment, then the winter holiday ocean breeze might be the absolute best drink for you. This drink is wonderfully festive and is great for your urinary tract.
Ingredients
1.5 ounces vodka
2 ounces club soda
1/2 ounce quinine simple syrup
1 ounce grapefruit juice (pink is more festive)
A few pomegranate seeds
3 mint leaves, sliced
Crushed ice
Directions
Combine vodka and club soda in a glass.
Add simple syrup, grapefruit juice, pomegranate seeds and mint. Stir.
Add crushed ice for a fast chill.
White Sangria
Sangria is a favorite for all sorts of functions and get-togethers. It is usually made with a red wine and fruit chunks, but is there a way for this classic drink to get healthier than that? Yes, it can! This sangria recipe will definitely raise some eyebrows and impress some guests. It comes out best when it’s made in a large quantity, so grab a punch bowl and some plastic wrap.
Ingredients
1 apple, sliced
1 pear, cut into matchsticks
2 bottles of sauvignon blanc (or use Gewertraminer for a sweeter sangria)
2 cups frozen mango cubes
3 clementines, wedges separated
1-1/2 cups vodka
Directions
Place all ingredients in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Let it sit for the night, then stir it up and serve.
When you want a tart and fruity cookie, these light lemon cookies are perfect. They are a type of snickerdoodle cookie that uses lots of lemon for soft and chewy cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cup Splenda
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp lemon flavoring
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Zest from one lemon
3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Add lemon juice, lemon flavoring, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well.
Mix in lemon zest.
Add flour and mix until combined. The dough should be thick and crumbly.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.
These have many names, from pecan balls or pecan cookies to Italian wedding cookies. The pecan balls are not very fattening even with the standard ingredients, but switching out almond or coconut flour for white flour gives them a nutritional up-tick.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
3/4 powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups finely ground pecans
4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups sifted almond or coconut flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl.
Gradually add powdered sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add pecans, vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend in the flour and mix well.
Shape into balls or crescents using about 1 Tbsp dough for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Let your roasted squash cool before prepping for puree.
This Thanksgiving, since I was hosting my parents and my husband’s parents, I got fancy with the decor and used some mini-pumpkins and mini-squash. Many people use these small winter squash as decorations and then throw them away. But did you know you can eat them? This year I made mini squash soup!
I purchased four mini pumpkins (one of them went bad before I tried to cook them) and two delicata squash to decorate the buffet and dinner tables. I arranged some in a basket and others elsewhere on the table, with a few extra Granny Smith apples I had. With the addition of some fake fall leaves I picked up at the Dollar Tree, I thought it looked pretty nice.
Now, you could just throw them away when you’re done. But you don’t have to waste your money that way. You can cook and eat them just like any winter squash. I decided to use them to make a squash soup. Here’s how I did it.
Step 1: Roast the Squash
In order to make a squash puree, I needed to cook them. I decided to roast them.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare a large baking dish by lining with aluminum foil and spaying the foil with non-stick spray.
Cut open the squash and deseed.
Cut into 1/4 slices and place in a large bowl.
Toss with enough olive oil to coat all peices evenly.
Arrange squash on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Toss and then bake another 10 minutes. They are done when a fork can be easily stuck into them.
Arrange the olive-oil coated squash pieces on prepared baking sheet.Let your roasted squash cool before prepping for puree.
Step 2: Puree the Squash
Remove skins/rinds from the squash.
Place squash in a food processor or blender (I used my NutriBullet). Add enough broth or stock (I used homemade turkey broth created from leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones).
Blend until smooth.
[one_third] Place squash and broth in a blender to puree. [/one_third][one_third] The pureed squash with broth will be thick and creamy. [/one_third][one_third_last] This puree method is for a savory soup base, not to be used for desserts. [/one_third_last]
Step 3: Make Squash Soup!
Mini Winter Squash Soup Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh basil, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, crushed
1/2 tsp dried marjarom
1/4 tsp ground white or black pepper
Up to 3 cups your favorite broth
1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (as prepared above)
1 cup greek yogurt
Sour cream or greek yogurt for garnish
Mini Winter Squash Soup Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic. Saute until softened and the onions are beginning to become transluscent.
Stir in sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basic, ginger, marjarom and pepper until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Stir in broth. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the pumpkin and yogurt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring, until heated through.
Optional: Transfer to a blender and blend until creamy. Return to saucepan and heat through.
Serve in shallow soup bowls and garnish with sour cream or greek yogurt.
The Recipe in Action — with Commentary
You might call this Thanksgiving Leftover Soup — many of the ingredients were leftover from the holiday. Waste not, want not, right?
[one_third] I used fresh thyme and sage left over from Thanksgiving. I had some fresh frozen basil, ginger, parsley and rosemary, as well. [/one_third][one_third] I used one medium and one small onion, left over from Thanksgiving along with some fresh frozen crushed garlic. [/one_third][one_third_last] Once the onions began to become translucent, I tossed in the herbs. [/one_third_last]
[one_third] Once fragrant, I added in turkey broth I made from the leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones. [/one_third][one_third] Add the squash puree to the simmering soup base. [/one_third][one_third_last] You can use sour cream, sour cream alternative, or regular yogurt. I used plain Greek yogurt I had left over from Thanksgiving. [/one_third_last]
[one_third] Mix in the puree and yogurt while the soup heats up. You can serve this as is, or blend it like I did. [/one_third][one_third] If you like a creamier squash soup, transfer the warm soup to a blender and blend until desired consistency. [/one_third][one_third_last] Return the blended squash soup to the pot and heat until desired temperature. [/one_third_last]
Serve in large, shallow bowls. I didn’t garnish, but you can garnish it with sour cream, yogurt, or a small sprig of parsley.
Carma’s Commentary
I wasn’t sure what to expect because I’ve never eaten mini-pumpkins nor delicata squash before. The resulting squash soup was delicious! The dominant flavors were rosemary and thyme, and I could tell that the roasted squash helped balance those flavors. You can serve the soup without blending it. I chose to blend it because I like a creamy soup better.
You don’t have to roast the squash the way I did, but you do need to cook it until it is tender. You can bake it or even boil it. Each method comes with its own flavor profile. I chose to roast with olive oil for the extra flavor that both the extra virgin olive oil and the roasting process adds to the squash.
When you are pureeing squash, such as pumpkin, to add to a pie, bread, or other such recipes, do not add broth! Purees used in most of those types of recipes require a dryer puree. And you don’t want the savoriness of the broth to change the quality of your dessert. When not adding extra liquid, a food processor is a better choice. Or you can push the squash through a metal sieve. I did it this way because I knew I’d be adding broth to the soup anyway, so it didn’t matter if I added some a bit earlier in the preparation of the recipe.
The beauty of this recipe is that it is highly adaptable. If you are Vegan or Vegetarian, use a vegetable-based broth. If you don’t want dairy, use a nut milk for the soup and garnish with a sour cream substitute, such as plain Greek yogurt (I like The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt) or a homemade substitute such as Cashew Sour Cream or Coconut Milk Sour Cream. If you do eat meat, you can try adding some savory sausage or diced ham to the soup.
Johnny Appleseed Pie is my husband’s favorite pie! I make it for his birthday every year.
Below you’ll find both traditional print directions, and photo-illustrated directions. Creative variations are included at the end.
Ingredients for Johnny Appleseed Pie
Filling
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6-8 tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced1
1/2 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Crust
1 pie crust, uncooked2
Topping
1 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Directions for Johnny Appleseed Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine sugar and cinnamon from Filling ingredients. Mix with apples.
Turn into the unbaked pie crust.
Top with semisweet chocolate morsels from Filling ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the Bisquick and sugar from the Topping ingredients. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the pie.
Bake until apples are tender, about 45 minutes.
After you remove the pie from the oven, top with semisweet chocolate morsels from Topping ingredients.
Let cool for about 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Photo Directions
These photographs were taken when I made this pie on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, for Thanksgiving.
[one_fourth] Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Slice apples and warm refrigerated pie dough to room temperature. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Roll pie crust into your pie pan. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth_last] Press crust to edges of pan. [/one_fourth_last]
[one_fourth] Measure cinnamon and sugar into a small bowl. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Mix cinnamon and sugar together well. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Add sugar mixture to apples. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth_last] Mix together until apples are evenly coated with sugar mixture. [/one_fourth_last]
[one_fourth] Place apple mixture into the pie crust. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Top with chocolate chips. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Measure Bisquick and sugar into a small bowl. Cut in butter. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth_last] Top pie with crumble mixture. [/one_fourth_last]
[one_fourth] Bake until apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Then remove from the oven. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] Top with chocolate chips while still warm. [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth] [/one_fourth]
[one_fourth_last] [/one_fourth_last]
Want a plain apple pie? Simply leave out the semisweet chocolate morsels!
Want a little more kick to your pie? Add in 1/4 tsp of cloves, mace or allspice to the cinnamon sugar mix.
Toss chopped pecans or walnuts in with the apples for a cruchier texture.
Substitute raisins, yellow raisins or craisins for the semisweet chocolate morsels.
Use half pears and half apples for a more mild flavored pie.
In the filling, instead of cinnamon, use grated fresh ginger, and instead of semisweet chocolate morsels use chopped candied ginger. Then in the topping, replace half the Bisquick with crushed gingersnaps.
Get creative with your crust and make a cinnamon crust. You can find a recipe for it in my book, Your Perfect Pie.
Use a lattice topping instead of the crumble topping.
Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping.
Add in 1/2 tsp ground ginger to the cinnamon sugar mixture of the filling and replace 1/2 cup of the Bisquick with crushed gingersnaps for the topping.
Mix and match any of these suggestions, as well as any ideas of your own!
