No one EVER asks for meatloaf. When you think back on the last great thing you’ve eaten, meatloaf never comes up…until now. Meatloaf has a reputation for being boring, dry and tasteless. Trust me when I say, no more.  The three types of meat (pork, veal and beef) represent the perfect trio for a flavorful, moist and tender dish. (Try it the next time you make meatballs too!) Wrapping the loaf in bacon is an old French cooking technique that ensures the meat is able to cook thoroughly without drying out. In addition, the fat bastes the meat and imparts a smokey flavor. We all know the power of bacon! My husband eats it (and LOVES it) with the bacon in tact, for the boys though, I take it off. They confuse easily, lol.

NOTE: This recipe will make 2 loaves which I needed for 8 people and hopes of not cooking the following day. Feel free to half the recipe for 4-8 people.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil; more for the baking sheet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef, 85-percent lean
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground pork
1 pack center-cut bacon
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or other good quality Parmesan)*
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup fresh plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tsp. kosher salt
1-2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped**
1/4 cup basil, chopped**

My meats and flavors ready to be GENTLY combined

(PLEASE SEE COOK’S NOTES BELOW!)

* I already had a block of this cheese in my fridge so I used it. Again, you can use regular parmesan. By parmesan I DO NOT MEAN the powdered stuff on the sauce aisle!! The deli section is equipped with block imported cheeses in the cooler. If you don’t want to grate it yourself, there is a brand that offers the parmesan in little shards/grated.
** I used a quarter cup of the tube parsley herb blend and a quarter cup of the tube basil found in the produce section. They are super convenient because who doesn’t HATE discarding wilted herbs you were unable to use fast enough.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat the oil; add the onions and peppers and cook over medium heat until soft, about 4-6 mins. Add the salt and pepper followed by the garlic and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients except the bacon. Add the cooled veggie mixture. Mix with a rubber spatula or your hands just until the ingredients are combined. PLEASE BE GENTLE! HANDLE YOUR MEAT GENTLY!!! Pounding your meat, compacting it, smashing it (like I see some of y’all doing with hamburgers) will toughen your meat! So please don’t overwork the meat. (The goal is a tender, juicy loaf, remember?)

Oil a rimmed baking sheet, turn the meat mixture out onto the pan, and shape it into 2 large loaves. (I was thinking that the next time I make this I will divide the meat into 8 mini loaves so everyone can have their own. I’m considerate like that. The only other adjustment needed would be to cut the bacon in half as well. Wrap strips of bacon around the shaped loaf, tucking the ends under the loaves.)

Bake the meatloaves until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Before slicing, let the meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow some carryover cooking and to let the juices redistribute. To serve, slice and spoon some of the pan juices over the slices, if you like.

I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and corn or sweet peas.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TRY THIS RECIPE! YOUR MAN, YOUR GUESTS AND YOUR TASTEBUDS WILL LOVE IT!!!!!

The other night I intended to cook a very quick and easy meal of pork chops, yellow rice and frozen sweet peas. To be honest, I really wasn’t interested in the meal but Greg loves pork chops. Since we have to co-exist, I decided to jazz them up a little bit. I quickly scoured the web for an easy recipe. I already knew apples paired well with them so, I googled pork chops and apples. After comparing 5 or 6 recipes, I found one that used all the crap I already had, lol. I could not believe how easy and DELICIOUS it was. And the best part, it fits into my “A little Fiercer in the Middle” eating plan. Plus, Greg said to put it in rotation.

4 extra lean pork chops (seasoned with salt and pepper)

2 apples (cored, cut into eighths)

1 medium onion (sliced)

2 tbsp. of butter

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. Cinnamon (or more to taste)

1 tea. nutmeg

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 4 tbsp of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add seasoned pork chops and braise 2-3 mins on either side. Remove from pan and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and scrape the bits from the pan. Add onions and saute for 4 mins. Add apples, sugar and spices and continue cooking for an additional 6 mins. Remove from heat. Add butter and toss. Push the mixture aside and return chops to the pan. Top the chops with the apple mixture and place the skillet in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Today my girlfriends and I started laying some of the groundwork for our fitness 2010 plan. I didn’t speak up too much because I had already defrosted my pork chops with every intention in lightly breading and pan-frying them. These aren’t TOO bad though. Instead of the large amount of gravy I usually use, I made a small amount and then added chicken broth. Better right? lol In my defense, I served baby carrots (although they were cooked in brown sugar and butter) and brown rice with them. Needless to say, I’m already in the running for “Most Improved”. : )

On to the recipe. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE….DO NOT be afraid of pan gravy!!! It is Super Duper Easy!

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops (bone in)

1/2  large white onion

Vegetable Oil

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Seasoning Salt

• Roughly chop onion. Set aside.
• Season pork chops with salt, pepper and seasoning salt.
• Dredge in flour.
• Once grease is heated, fry at medium high in a shallow pan of oil for 4-5 mins. on each side. (I started with EVOO and when I realized I needed more oil, I switched to veg. oil)
• Remove from pan,  and place on paper towels to drain some of the fat.
• Pour out all the oil. Pan should be coated with a little oil and the bits of flour that may have come off the chops (aka the good stuff)
• Turn pan back on to medium.
• Add 4 Tbsps. of oil back to the pot. (Or if you can eyeball it, just pour off all but 4 Tbsps. from the beginning) 
• Get a whisk and starting with a Tbsp., begin whisking in flour.
• After it’s pretty much broken up, add another Tbsp. Keep whisking.
• If you need more liquid, add liquid. If you need more flour, add flour.
• Add onions to the pan and toss around to saute.
• After they get going add 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Whisk.
• It may need a little seasoning so taste it. If so add salt and pepper.
• Return pork chops back to pan and simmer on low for about 5 or 6 minutes.

On to the good stuff…

Today started as a good day. I took my new camera to work to photograph the Holiday Luncheon and Christmas Tree Pics. I was uber excited although I had a 9 am meeting just before the festivities. In any event, I sorta kinda donated my car keys in with my canned good donations to one of the 4 food banks we partner with every year. The worst part is that I did not notice they were missing until after their business hours. So, my friend picked us up from work and now we’re trapped. We probably wouldn’t be going anywhere but I never noticed how much I liked the option. : )

In a hurry to whip something up, relieve my stress and not take my stress out on the “unneccessarily pouty Greg” I remembered that I had purchased Jerk Pork from Publix. I used to be skeptical of pre-seasoned meats for some reason but since it’s just the two of us, I decided to give it a try. The meat is cut into big bite-sized chunks and is marinated in a jerk seasoning. IT IS SPICY AND DELICIOUS. I served it over egg noodles that night with corn on the cob and a side salad. However, a friend of mine says she makes it with yellow rice and I presume any other kind of rice or noodle would work just the same. This meal is hella quick, tasty and EASY. Give it a try one night. (P.S. I buy 2 packs for about $2.50 each and we eat it for lunch the next day as well). Good Stuff…