Dinner was practically on the table and ready to eat when I walked in the door after work this evening. My wonderful and amazing husband prepared the recipe that I planned to make for dinner tonight. He knew that I had a really busy day at work, so he decided to cook for me! Of course, I was super thankful and gave him a big hug as soon as I smelled something cooking. I felt so pampered sitting on the couch waiting for dinner to be served! :)
Tonight's dinner included a great big salad made with grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, snap peas, scallions, and Claire's relish...
... and the most incredible
meat loaf ! Mal made
Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meat Loaf . Mal's meat loaf was nice and moist with
lots of flavor. The roasted red peppers added a nice "kick" to it, and I loved the strong parmesan flavor! I'm usually not a big fan of meat loaf, but I
chowed my piece. This recipe is a keeper!
Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meat Loaf From Real Simple , March 2008 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups mixed greens
Heat oven to 400° F.
Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, the parsley, red peppers, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish. (See Tip, below.)
Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165° F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Whisk together the remaining mustard, the vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
Divide the greens among individual plates and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Serve with the sliced meat loaf.
Tip: A loaf pan isn't the best choice for baking meat loaf. Instead use a large pan with 1 1/2- to 2-inch sides, such as a metal, glass, or ceramic 7-by-11-inch baking dish, which will allow the heat to circulate over the meat, cooking it evenly.
Yield: Makes 4 (enormous) servings (we divided our loaf into 8 smaller servings)
NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 610(50% from fat); FAT 34g (sat 6g); CHOLESTEROL 83mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21g; SODIUM 1089mg; PROTEIN 47g; FIBER 3g; SUGAR 3g
All together...
Dessert was a small bowl of fresh sliced peaches, topped with plain yogurt, and chocolate and peanut butter chips. So yum!
Barney Butter Love Look at what came in the mail today! Jennifer at
Barney Butter sent me one of their new t-shirts. How cute are they!?
The Barney Butter t-shirt is soft, light-weight, and fitted, and I love the long torso fit, which can be so flattering! The logo on the front says: "All Natural Barney Butter Almond Butter, Peanut Free, Premium California Almonds." On the back is the Barney Butter website ("www.barneybutter.com"). I really love this shirt-- it's totally something I would buy myself! Thank you, Jennifer!
Afternoon Snacks Two Lindt Lindor chocolate balls...
... and cantaloupe with
Barney Butter drizzled on top. It sounds like a weird combo, but it was actually very tasty!
Time for BED! Let's hope I get a good night's sleep tonight! I need it! Zzzzzzzzz....
Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meat Loaf
From Real Simple , March 2008
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups mixed greens
Heat oven to 400° F.
Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, the parsley, red peppers, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish. (See Tip, below.)
Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165° F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Whisk together the remaining mustard, the vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
Divide the greens among individual plates and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Serve with the sliced meat loaf.
Tip: A loaf pan isn't the best choice for baking meat loaf. Instead use a large pan with 1 1/2- to 2-inch sides, such as a metal, glass, or ceramic 7-by-11-inch baking dish, which will allow the heat to circulate over the meat, cooking it evenly.
Yield: Makes 4 (enormous) servings (we divided our loaf into 8 smaller servings)
NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 610(50% from fat); FAT 34g (sat 6g); CHOLESTEROL 83mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21g; SODIUM 1089mg; PROTEIN 47g; FIBER 3g; SUGAR 3g
All together...
Dessert was a small bowl of fresh sliced peaches, topped with plain yogurt, and chocolate and peanut butter chips. So yum!
Barney Butter Love
Look at what came in the mail today! Jennifer at Barney Butter sent me one of their new t-shirts. How cute are they!?
The Barney Butter t-shirt is soft, light-weight, and fitted, and I love the long torso fit, which can be so flattering! The logo on the front says: "All Natural Barney Butter Almond Butter, Peanut Free, Premium California Almonds." On the back is the Barney Butter website ("www.barneybutter.com"). I really love this shirt-- it's totally something I would buy myself! Thank you, Jennifer!
Afternoon Snacks
Two Lindt Lindor chocolate balls...
... and cantaloupe with Barney Butter drizzled on top. It sounds like a weird combo, but it was actually very tasty!
Time for BED! Let's hope I get a good night's sleep tonight! I need it! Zzzzzzzzz....