Tag Archives: light meat loaf

CREMINI MUSHROOM MEATLOAF

Posted in Beef by

As Anne Burrell often puts it: brown food tastes good. I fully agree, but it is a nightmare for food bloggers. Why? Taking a good picture is quite tricky. Granted, photography is not one of my fortes, but I am aware that even those who know their way around a camera need to work a little harder when faced with beef stews, chocolate brownies, and – case in point – meatloaf.  This one maybe even trickier as the beef is mixed with cremini mushrooms. Double decker brown for you!  Still, no matter the quality of the photos, I had to share this recipe because it is totally worth it. The mushrooms not only provide extra moisture to the meat loaf, but they add that enticing umami-ness.  The recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine which is one of my favorite sources for weeknight recipes. Never too rich, always packing great flavor.

Cremini Meat Loaf

CREMINI MUSHROOM MEAT LOAF
(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 pound cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/4 cup ketchup, divided
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Heat oven to 375°.
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Place the mushrooms in a food processor; process until minced. Do it in two batches if necessary.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add minced shallot; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms; cook 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown. Add sherry; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in thyme. Cool slightly.
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Combine mushroom mixture, almond flour, and next 4 ingredients (through egg), mixing until well combined. Shape mixture into a free-form loaf on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; brush with half of ketchup. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Remove from oven; brush with remaining ketchup, if desired. Cut into 8 slices.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

served

One of the changes I made in the recipe from Cooking Light was using almond flour instead of Panko. If you prefer a more traditional take, go for breadcrumbs, same amount.  I served the meatloaf with mashed cauliflower and spinach, a recipe that I blogged about not too long ago. This was a simple, but delicious meal. You can prepare the mushroom mixture in advance, even a couple of days earlier to speed up dinner preparation. One of the best things of this meal: leftovers. My lunch next day was a couple of slices of meat loaf with a hard-boiled egg, and an avocado. The type of lunch that doesn’t make me sluggish during the afternoon. Love it!

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THE LIGHTER SIDE OF MEATLOAF

Posted in Poultry by

I’m a firm believer in “Everything in moderation,” so I often make the “real” (rather than light) versions of lasagna, potato dauphinoise, risotto milanese or other classics, instead of trying to cut calories. I’d rather eat less of the real thing, or run an extra mile or two later… 😉

But sometimes, a dish that was maybe conceived as a lighter variation of a classic  turns out so good that I wind up craving it.  For example: this turkey loaf is absolutely delicious, and compared to its original parent, quite a bit healthier.  The recipe comes from  “American Favorites“.

turkeyloaf1

THYME-SCENTED TURKEY LOAF WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY
(adapted from American Favorites, by Betty Rosbottom)
receita em portugues ao final do texto, na proxima pagina

for turkey (or chicken)  loaf…
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1.2  pounds ground  turkey (or chicken)
1 ¼ cups fresh bread crumbs
1  teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium unpeeled tart apple, grated
3/4  tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
2 egg whites

Melt  the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, and celery, season with a pinch of salt, and sautee’ until soft.  Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Place ground turkey in a large bowl and mix in all the other ingredients, adding the egg whites last. The mixture will be quite “wet”.  Shape it in two oval loaves as shown in the photo, pace them in a roasting pan (I like to use parchment paper or Silpat underneath).

Place in a 350F oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with or without mushroom gravy.

for gravy…
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
8 ounces white mushrooms cut into thin slices
Salt  to taste
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Heat the  butter in a  heavy skillet, add in the chives and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste and transfer to a bowl. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pan and add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add broth and whisk until sauce is smooth and thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the soy sauce, and put  the reserved mushroom mixture back in the pan.  To serve meat loaves, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Ladle some mushroom gravy over the slices.

ENJOY!

This is a good opportunity to show you my Zyliss (an older version of this one),  a  little gadget I’ve had for a long time, but neglected to put to use until I saw Michael Chiarello on FoodTV using his.   He removed the plastic base that came with the cutter, instead placing it directly on the cutting board. Why didn’t I think of that? I tried his method and loved it!  The plastic base is a pain to use and  wash; by placing the cutter on a cutting board you get its full benefits without any hassles. Carrots, onions, celery, garlic and  peppers are prepared in seconds! Check it out in this photo (click to enlarge).

prep1

Meatloaves are often baked in pans, I prefer to shape them in free form, to get a nice crust all over, and make cleanup much easier…
loavesbefore

General comments

Fish sauce, that Vietnamese touch: The addition of fish sauce was my main modification to the basic recipe – I was inspired by an interesting twist on a hamburger recipe shown in the blog  “White on Rice Couple”.  Fish sauce was the secret ingredient, and I thought it could go well in this loaf too.   As in the hamburger, you won’t be able to taste it, but it will add that “umami” component to the loaf.  Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. If you want to play with fish sauce in your recipes, just keep in mind that it is salty, and adjust your seasoning accordingly.  And avoid sniffing the bottle!  Its smell has little to do with its taste, and for that I am  grateful… 😉

The mushroom gravy: Even though its taste was excellent, if you prefer a more contrasting color in the gravy then add a little tomato paste or sautee some tomatoes with the mushrooms.

A little rice, a little tomato salad, and…. dinner is served!

plated

para receita em portugues clique aqui