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Instant Taters

6/28/2016

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Since I've been traveling and a tiny bit lonely I have really developed my cooking skills. I seem to have impressed my current roommate with my skills. She made the point which I find to be true that many people don't know how to cook. It's going to become a dying art form soon. I know a bunch of guys and gals who live off of a bland diet or reheat able food, take-out or PB+J.  C'MON people! I know personally I couldn't make instant mashed taters to save my life until I moved out into my first apartment. I thought I was so cool, doing laundry and grocery shopping. I was a real adult. I soon realized that Mom wasn't going to be making my meals and I had been spoiled with a lifetime of delicious meals. I wasn't about to downgrade that lifestyle with Ramen Noodles and TV dinners. I was going to need to learn how to fend for myself. At about this time Rachael Ray was starting to become popular and she had started a magazine. I'm very visual and cookbooks sometimes didn't cut it but magazines were a totally different story. I loved the pictures and soon was trying to replicate the recipes. It wasn't totally flawless. I called home often. My Dad would pick up and our conversations would go something like this

DAD: Hey sweetie, how's it going
ME: Great Dad, hey is Mom around. I have a cooking question
DAD: Yeah... CAROL! ASHLEY'S ON THE PHONE
ME: Hi Mom, I've got another cooking question... How do you boil eggs again.

No joke, I literally have a hand written recipe to remind me how to cook hardboiled eggs.  I still call home. Mom is surprised when I call and I don't have a cooking question.

This is one of the first things I cooked in the little Winooski Beirut House. It's a Rachael Ray recipe and I haven't made it in almost 10 years but I've been holding onto it for nostalgic reasons. The gravy reminds me of a tomato gravy my Mom used to make to go on top of meatloaf. I just love it! I decided to go a little healthy and make mashed cauliflower. It you use 1 tater and a whole head of cauliflower it's surprisingly good. Since I'm cooking in a stranger's kitchen I get to "experience" some new cooking environments. I can't pack my entire kitchen to take on the road so I only take the essentials. Potato masher just didn't make the list but I was wishing I had it when I made the mashed cauli. Using this imposter of a potato masher was hell on a stick. After a bit I just gave up and stuck my immersion blender in there until I was happy with the consistency.

Bon Apetite!

Meatloaves with Tomato Gravy
Rachael Ray
Ingredients
  • 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • Salt
  • 1/2 pound each ground pork, veal and beef
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
  • 1/3 cup plus a splash heavy cream
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (eyeball it)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 1/2 cups beef broth
PreparationPre-heat the oven to 425°. 

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, then salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pot.

While the potatoes are working, in a large bowl, combine the ground meats with 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, a splash of cream, the egg, parsley, half of the chopped garlic, the Worcestershire sauce and allspice; season with salt and pepper. 

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of EVOO onto a baking sheet, form the meat mixture into four loaves about 1-1 1/2 inches thick and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Wash your hands after handling the raw meats.

While the meatloaves bake, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic, carrot, onion and bay leaf and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes; season with salt and pepper and the rosemary. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thickened. Discard the bay leaf.

Add the remaining 1/3 cup cream and 1 cup cheese to the potatoes and season with 1 teaspoon salt; smash to desired consistency. Divide the potatoes among four plates and make a small well in the center. Remove the meatloaves from the oven, turn in their sauce and set alongside the potatoes. Spoon extra sauce into the wells and over the meatloaves.


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    I am an aquarius who likes long walks on the beach and the flicker of candle light.  If you haven't noticed yet, Just kidding! I'm a Vermonter who has left my beautiful home state in search of adventure. This blog contains all of my favorite things, mostly food so that my family back home can keep tabs on me. Mom & Dad I'm still alive!!!! Side note: I am terrible at spelling and grammar. There are bound to be typos all over this blog. It's like Where's Waldo. If you look hard enough you will find an error. 

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