MEATLOAF

MEATLOAF

Meatloaf

 3 slices white bread, crusts removed 

  1/2 c. milk 

 2 tblsp. olive oil 

 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 

 1 rib celery, finely chopped 

 2 cloves garlic, minced  (3 or 4 cloves)

 2 carrots, peeled & finely grated 

1 lb. 80% lean hamburger 

2 bratwurst casings removed 

 2 large eggs 

 2 tblsp. Dijon mustard 

1 tblsp. coarse salt & more to taste 

 1/2 tblsp. freshly ground pepper & more to taste

 1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked bacon 

 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

1 tblsp. Coleman's yellow ground mustard 

1 tsp.  catsup

 Heat the oven to 375F. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and place in a small 

    bowl. Pour milk over it & set aside for 5 minutes. 

    Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery & garlic; cook until 

    soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. 

    Place carrots in a large mixing bowl. Ad the milk-bread mixture, meat, eggs, 

    parsley, Dijon, salt, & pepper. Add onion mixture. Combine well using your 

    hands or a rubber scraper. 

    Place mixture in a large ungreased baking dish or roasting pan. Shape into a 5 

    X 12 inch loaf. Overlap bacon across the top, covering meat. Place vegetables 

    around loaf. Season with salt & pepper. 

    In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground mustard & tomato paste to make a 

    glaze. Brush meatloaf all over with glaze. 

    Bake, brushing every 15 minutes or so with glaze, until juices run clear when 

    loaf is pierced with a 2 pronged fork & the bacon is crisp, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let 

    cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Green beans cooked 3 minutes in Instant Pot.

Vietnamese Steak With Cucumber Salad and zucchini pancakes

Vietnamese Steak With Cucumber Salad

MELISSA CLARK  YIELD  4 to 6 servings  TIME  25 minutes, plus 30+ minutes'  marinating

Evan Sung for The New York Time   The marinade on this steak is based on a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce called nuoc cham. Since it consists mostly of pantry staples – Asian fish sauce, brown sugar and garlic – all you need to pick up on the way home are some fresh limes and jalapeño. Nuoc cham works as a salad dressing, too. Here we drizzle it on crisp cucumbers and radishes, but sliced ripe tomatoes work just as well. You could serve it as it is with the salad on the side, or put everything on top of a bed of rice noodles or rice for a more substantial meal.

Featured in: Vietnamese Marinated Flank Steak. 

• ½ cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed lime zest
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 1 large jalapeño, seeds and veins removed if desired, minced
• 1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 small seedless English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable, peanut or olive oil (optional)
• Cooked rice noodles or rice, for serving (optional)
• Sesame seeds or crushed roasted peanuts, for serving (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves or cilantro, for serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic and jalapeño. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the flank steak and let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours). Let meat come to room temperature before cooking if necessary.
2. Combine the cucumber, radishes and scallions. Pour in just enough of the marinade sauce to coat.
3. Light the grill or heat the broiler to high. Pat steak dry with paper towels.
4. If grilling, cook until done to taste, about 3 minutes per side for rare. If broiling, heat a 10-inch skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil to pan and sear the meat for 2 minutes. Flip meat and immediately transfer pan directly to top shelf of oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes for rare, or longer for more well-done meat. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes covered in foil.
5. Thinly slice steak and serve over cooked rice noodles or rice if desired, and top with the cucumber salad. Garnish with sesame seeds and plenty of herbs if using and serve with remaining marinade as a sauce.

Zucchini  Pancakes

ELAINE LOUIE YIELD 12 pancakes

• TIME 30 minutes

Mucver (pronounced moosh-vair) are delicate, crisp zucchini pancakes popular in Turkey. This version has not just shredded zucchini, but also tiny clouds of feta and a sprinkling of minced fresh dill and scallions. They are crisp on the outside, tender within and subtly herbaceous.The trick to making the pancakes crisp and not soggy is to squeeze all the water out of the zucchini before mixing it with the other ingredients. A little brute force is required.

Featured in: Zucchini Pancakes, Turkish Style. 

Vegetarian, Turkish, Dill, Feta, Zucchini

Ingredients for the pancakes

• 3 medium zucchini, shredded
• Salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup finely chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, more as needed

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE

• ⅔ cup plain yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
  Directions FOR THE PANCAKES

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.
3. Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Place heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about 3/8 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.
4. For yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and salt. Mix well, and serve on the side or on pancakes.

Chicken Milanese With Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil

Chicken Milanese With Tomato,  Mozzarella and Basil Salad

MELISSA CLARK

• YIELD 4 to 6 servings  TIME  45 minutes

A classic veal Milanese consists of pounded veal cutlets or chops that have been breaded in crumbs and sometimes Parmesan, then fried until the coating is burnished and brittle. Accompanied by a crisp, bright salad, it’s a meal both cooling and rich. In this version, chicken breasts replace the veal, and a salad of tomatoes and mozzarella tossed with garlicky basil oil acts as the foil to the meat. If you want to work ahead, you can coat the cutlets in crumbs up to 4 hours ahead. Store them on a wire rack in the fridge. But try to serve them freshly fried when their coating is at its crunchiest.

Featured in: Chicken Milanese Has Its Moment. 

Basil, Chicken Cutlet, Mozzarella, Panko, Tomato

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets, pounded 1/4-inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• ⅔ cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅔ cup basil leaves
• 1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced
• 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Lemon wedges, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Lightly season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper; let rest while you make the basil oil.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine oil, basil, garlic and salt to taste; purée until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes and mozzarella with about half of the basil oil and salt to taste. Set aside.
4. Place flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Pour eggs into another shallow dish; combine panko and Parmesan in a third dish.
5. In a large skillet, melt butter and remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. As it heats, dip a chicken cutlet in flour, shake off excess, then dip in eggs. Shake off excess, then dip both sides in panko mixture and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
6. When oil is hot, fry 2 cutlets at a time until bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and fry until golden and crispy all over, about another 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt.
7. Taste tomato-mozzarella salad and add more salt and/or basil oil if needed. Serve cutlets topped with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of remaining basil oil and tomato-mozzarella salad.

Kielbasa with cabbage,egg noodles, baguette and a fruit salad.

Kielbasa and Cabbage 

Recipe by:  allrecipes

Ingredients  

6 slices bacon

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

3 teaspoons caraway seed

1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

1 pound Polish kielbasa

Directions Prep10 m Cook 30 m Ready In 40 m

• In a large skillet, fry bacon over medium high heat until browned, turning once. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings, and place on paper towels. 
• Stir water, sugar, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, and caraway seeds into drippings. Add cabbage, and gently stir. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Add kielbasa to the pan. Cook, covered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Crumble bacon over top, and serve hot.

Perfect Summer Fruit Salad

allrecipes Recipe by:  Nicole Graham Holley

"The perfect fruit salad for a backyard bbq or any occasion. There are never leftovers! This is one of my favorite fruit salad recipes, as I think the sauce really makes it. This salad is tastier the longer you can let it soak in its juices. I prefer 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator before I serve it. Enjoy."

Ingredients  

2/3 cup fresh orange juice    2 ounce

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 oz

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 oz

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 pinch

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2pinch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2dash

2 cups cubed fresh pineapple 1/2 C

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2 C 

3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced 1

3 bananas, sliced 1

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned 1

1 cup seedless grapes 1/2 c

2 cups blueberries 1/2 c.

Directions

• Prep  25 m Cook 5 m Ready In 3 h 30 m
• Bring orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool. 
• Layer the fruit in a large, clear glass bowl in this order: pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bananas, oranges, grapes, and blueberries. Pour the cooled sauce over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Shrimp Scampi

I got lazy and bought shrimp scampi in a kit and boy was that a mistake. It was terrible, IMHO.  SO in an effort to try to redeem myself, I made it from scratch today. I hope I learned my lesson and never fall for those all-in-one bag meals again.

Classic Shrimp Scampi

MELISSA CLARK

• YIELD 4 servings TIME 15 minutes

Craig Lee for The New York Times

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names. Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations.

This classic recipe makes a simple garlic, white wine and butter sauce that goes well with a pile of pasta or with a hunk of crusty bread. However you make the dish, once the shrimp are added to the pan, the trick is to cook them just long enough that they turn pink all over, but not until their bodies curl into rounds with the texture of tires.

Featured in: A Good Appetite; Shrimp Scampi, A Classic Open To Interpretation.  

Butter, Garlic, Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine or broth
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ¾ pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley
• Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
• Cooked pasta or crusty bread

PREPARATION

1. In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
2. Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.

Smoked Steelhead Trout for lunch.

I love orange juice squeezed from Valencia oranges. The problem is they aren't in season very long,  but they are in now and Walmart has them. While I was there, I saw this big filet and decided it would be good cooked with apple wood smoke.  I also smoked a tomato topped with bread crumbs and butter and a couple ears of corn.  An hour and a half was a little too long for the corn but it was still tender and juicy. 

DYI Sandwiches

Plus some deli fried chicken and some cookies.  I didn't want to cook today.

Sunday's Birthday Dinner

Steak 4 minutes per side on the grill. Before grilling, sprinkled with Kosher salt and pepper and allowed to sit out at room themperature for 45 minutes before grilling.

Sourdough bread:

1 cup sourdough starter

1 1/3C. water

1 T. salt

1 T. sugar

scant T. instant yeast

enough flour to make soft dough.  

Let rise til doubled, shape, let rise again, paint with beaten eggs, slash, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake at 430 degrees until set. insert thermometer and take out of oven when internal temperature is 190.

Mango Salsa

This is a very tasty mango salsa that is great served over fish. My favorite is any fish blackened with Cajun seasoning and then topped with this salsa. Also great for dipping chips.

Serves: 8 

• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Prep:15min  ›  Extra time:30min  ›  Ready in:45min 

1. In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Bacon

I left out the ham. Charlie said I could have left out the bacon too. Cooked in the Toaster Oven. Electricity went off for a few minutes while it was baking and I didn't realize the oven had stopped baking for 30 minutes or so and restarted the oven and cooked another hour. I am not sure the total time it spent but it was done when I checked it. I cut the recipe down to the equivalent of about 2 russets but I used about 8 or 9 small Gold potatoes.

Ingredients

2 h 45 m 15 servings  644 cals

• 1 (16 ounce) package bacon
  
• 2/3 cup milk
  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  10 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 pounds cubed fully cooked ham
• 2 (16 ounce) packages shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Directions

• Prep 40 m    Cook 2 h 5 m Ready In 2 h 45 m
• Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until slices begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. 
• Transfer partially cooked bacon to the bottom of a large roasting pan. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
• Whisk milk and flour together in a bowl; set aside. 
• Layer about one-third of the potatoes over the bacon, followed by half the onion and half the ham. 
• Scatter one-fourth of the Cheddar cheese atop the ham. 
• Pour one-third of the milk mixture over the cheese and season with salt and black pepper. 
• Repeat the layers of potato, onion, ham, Cheddar Cheese, milk mixture, salt, and black pepper. 
• Arrange the final third of potatoes in the roasting pan; pour remaining milk mixture on top. 
• Scatter the remaining Cheddar cheese over the potato mixture. 
• Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil. 
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are tender, about 2 hours. 

Footnotes  Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.

Chocolate cake was store bought.

CLASSIC SOURDOUGH BREAD from King Arthur in capital letters and changes I make when using this recipe.

STIR SOURDOUGH STARTER TO MIX IT WITH THE LIQUID WHICH HAS FORMED OVER IT. Pour off the liquid. it contains some alcohol which will interfere with sourdough yeast ability to act. REMOVE 1 CUP OF THE STARTER AND REPLACE IT WITH 1 CUP OF FLOUR DISSOLVED IN 1 CUP OF WATER. I use less than 1 cup of water but usually more than half a cup. I pour in the water then add the flour and mix them together with the remaining starter.  LEAVE IT SETTING OUT, COVERED, 18- 24 HOURS. COVER STARTER AND REFRIGERATE i do not refrigerate it unless I plan to not use it for a while. Otherwise i feed  it about once every 9 to 10 days.

1 C. SOURDOUGH STARTER
1 1/3 C. WARM WATER
5-6 CUPS UNBLEACHED ALLPURPOSE FLOUR It never takes 6 cups to form the dough as I make it and almost never needs as much as 5 cups.
1 T. SALT i usually use a scant Tablespoon salt
1 T. SUGAR (OPTIONAL) i always use sugar
1 t. BAKING SODA It does not hurt to leave this out
CORNMEAL TO SPRINKLE ON PANS. I do not use cornmeal but use a french bread pan and spray it with oil.

THE SPONGE:  POUR 1 CUP STARTER INTO A LARGE CERAMIC BOWL.  ADD THE WARM WATER AND ABOUT 3 CUPS FLOUR. BEAT VIGOROUSLY WITH A SPOON OR WIRE WHISK. COVER SPONGE WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND SET ASIDE FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS AND AS MANY AS 24 HOURS. I omit this step. Instant yeast will start to raise the dough almost immediately
THE DOUGH:  AFTER THE SPONGE HAS BUBBLED AND EXPANDED, REMOVE THE PLASTIC WRAP.   TO ABOUT 2 CUPS OF FLOUR,  ADD THE SALT, SUGAR, AND BAKING SODA. STIR THIS INTO THE SPONGE UNTIL IT LEAVES THE SIDE OF THE BOWL. TURN OUT ONTO A FLOURED SURFACE AND KNEAD 4 TO 5 MINUTES. ADD FLOUR AS NEEDED TO MAKE A FAIRLY STIFF DOUGH.  I add all the ingredients to the sponge, adding the yeast to the first cup of flour and the salt to the second cup. It almost always takes less than the full amount of flour when using a stand mixer before the flour leaves the bottom of the bowl clean and the dough comes together to form a ball. I leave the mixer running for a few minutes to continue to knead the dough.
GIVE THE DOUGH A REST WHILE YOU CLEAN OUT AND GREASE YOUR BOWL. CONTINUE KNEADING FOR ANOTHER 3-4 MINUTES. PLACE THE DOUGH IN THE BOWL AND TURN IT OVER TO GREASE THE TOP. COVER IT WITH PLASTIC AGAIN AND LET IT RISE FOR ANOTHER 2-4 HOURS. THIS SECOND RISING CAN BE SKIPPED BUT THE SECOND RISING WILL GIVE THE BREAD MORE FLAVOR. Since the flavor comes from the sourdough yeast, I find it unnecessary for the second rise since the dough will not really gain any more flavor from the instant yeast in the second rise. It takes 2 hours tops for the first rise. Usually less time.
SHAPING AND BAKING:  KNOCK DOWN THE DOUGH AND SHAPE IT INTO TWO LONG FRENCH BREAD ROLLS. PLACE ON A CORNMEAL SPRINKLED COOKIE SHEET, COVER AND LET RISE FOR ANOTHER 2 HOURS  OR SO. I place them on a perforated, curved French loaf pan sprayed with oil from a Misto.
TOWARD THE END OF THE RISING PERIOD, PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 DEGREES I bake at  at a lower temperature if your oven browns too much at 450 degrees. AND BEGIN HEATING A KETTLE OF WATER ON YOUR STOVE. I usually forget to add steaming water to the oven. JUST BEFORE YOU PUT THEM IN THE OVEN SLASH THE TOPS OF THE BREAD DIAGONALLY WITH A KNIFE ABOUT 2 INCHES APART AND ABOUT 1/4 INCH DEEP AND BRUSH WITH COLD WATER OR, FOR A SHINY CRUST, BRUSH THEM WITH A WASH OF EGG MIXED WITH WATER. I use beaten egg with no water added most times.  ALSO FOR A FESTIVE LOOK SPRINKLE THEM WITH SESAME OR POPPY SEEDS. Charlie likes sesame seeds.
PLACE A PAN IN THE OVEN BOTTOM AND POUR IN 3 OR 4 CUPS OF BOILING WATER. PUT THE LOAVES ON THE RACK OVER THE STEAMING WATER, CLOSE THE OVEN AND BAKE FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES. THE CRUST WILL BE VERY HARD WHEN YOU REMOVE THE BREAD FROM THE OVEN BUT IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES THE CRUST WILL CHEWY AND CRACKLING. TO KEEP THE CRUST CRUNCHY, LEAVE THE BREAD IN THE OVEN WITH THE OVEN OFF FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES.  I put a probe thermometer in the crust after the bread has baked about 10 minutes and take it out when it reads 190 degrees which is usually only a few more minutes... less than 5 more minutes. The bread crust will soften after cooling, unless you leave it in the oven as the directions say.  Put it in a zip lock bag as soon as it cools if you want the crust to stay soft and chewy.