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    • Striking Meatloaf Recipe with Apples

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    Striking Meatloaf Recipe with Apples
    If you want to serve your family wholesome home- cooking, but are too busy to cook something from scratch every evening, look no further than the humble meatloaf. This is a relatively straightforward dish to make and the leftovers will keep you going for a couple of days afterwards, either fried-up, or as the perfect filling for a tasty sandwich. In fact, many people claim that meatloaf actually tastes best the next day. The apples used in this recipe add an extra dimension and make this a really striking dish! Part of the success of meatloaf as a dish is its huge variety – it goes well with so many different things. If you’re looking for a delicious new twist, try this fabulous version with apples elevating a simple dish into something very special. It’s not just the sweet moist quality that the apples bring to the dish. It’s a very rare blend of taste, convenience and nutrition.
    Ingredients
    1. Ground beef 2 lbs
    2. Onion (finely chopped) ½
    3. Butter 1 T
    4. Apples (peeled and finely chopped) 4 large
    5. Olive oil 1 T
    6. Fresh breadcrumbs 1 cup
    7. Fresh chopped parsley 2 T
    8. Eggs (beaten) 2
    9. Salt 1 t
    10. Black pepper ½ t
    11. Worcester sauce 2 t
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    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
    2. Sautee the finely chopped onions in the tablespoon of butter for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften.
    3. Peel, core and slice one of the apples. Place on a baking sheet drizzled generously with the olive oil.
    4. Mix all of the remaining ingredients together until they are evenly blended.
    5. Place the mixture in a greased loaf pan, lined well with tinfoil which has been lightly brushed with oil.
    6. Place the loaf pan onto the baking tray with the sliced apple, and put this tray in the oven for about an hour. Turn the roasting apples over regularly, so they are well coated in the oil and do not burn. After 60 minutes, check that the meatloaf is cooked through and not pink in the centre. Once you remove it from the oven let it rest for about 15 minutes. Keep the sliced roast apples in a warm place.
    7. Serve the meatloaf with the roast apple slices and vegetables on the side. Cabbage with marjoram goes well with this dish. Kids will enjoy it with a blob of tomato ketchup.
    Notes
    1. It’s best to cook the loaf in aluminium foil. This will aid the cooking process so that it cooks through evenly and stays moist. It also keeps it fresh for longer if you want to keep the leftovers for a quick meal later on, or a sandwich filling.
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  • Recipes

    • Classic Meatloaf Recipe That Will Warm Your Heart and Belly

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    Classic Meatloaf
    For all the passionate lovers of meat we have prepared a classic meatloaf recipe that will definitely wake some butterflies in your stomach and it will wet your mouth as soon as you start reading. If cooked properly, it is a real pleasure and a source of necessary nutrients. One piece of meatloaf contains 33% vitamin B-12, 15% B-16 and is also rich in iron, vitamin D and calcium.
    Ingredients
    1. Ground chuck 3 ½ lbs.
    2. Eggs 2
    3. Onions 3
    4. Olive oil 1 tbsp.
    5. Broth ⅓ c.
    6. Tomato sauce 1 tbsp.
    7. Ketchup ⅓ c.
    8. Worcestershire sauce 2 ½ tbsp.
    9. Bread crumbs ½ c.
    10. Salt
    11. Pepper
    12. Thyme or basil leaves (chopped)
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    Instructions
    1. Before starting to cook the meat, heat the oven to 320°F.
    2. Heat a skillet with the olive oil and add the onions (chopped) together with the spices (salt, pepper and basil or thyme leaves). Cook this on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onions get soft, but don’t let them change their color to brown.
    3. After you finish with cooking, put the skillet off the stove and add the ⅓ cup of broth, the tomato sauce and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix the ingredients, gently stir few times and let it cool slightly.
    4. In a previously prepared bowl with the ground chuck, add the cooked mixture with onions and sauces, then add the bread crumbs, 2 large eggs (previously beaten) and slightly mix the ingredients with a fork or with a bigger spoon.
    5. Put the mixture on a sheet pan with baking paper and make a rectangular shape of it. Cover the top of the meatloaf with ketchup (you can add 1 tsp. of tomato sauce in it).
    6. Put the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour (maximum 1 hour and 15 minutes). Serve hot.
    Notes
    1. Avoid using low-fat meat; it’ll dry easily while being cooked in the oven.
    2. Before adding the bread crumbs, soak them in milk so they can mix easier with the meat.
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  • Recipes

    • Pork and Prune Casserole

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    Pork and Prune Casserole
    If you’re looking for something a little special to serve as the nights start to get colder, you need look no further than this rich, herb-infused recipe for pork tenderloin with prunes and port wine. For such a special dish, you’ll find this casserole surprisingly easy to make. Once you’ve put the fried-up ingredients in the oven you can sit back and relax whilst the wonderful sweet and savory aromas of the casserole drift through the house.
    Ingredients
    1. Pork loin (trimmed of fat) 3 lb.
    2. Olive oil 1 tbsp
    3. Butter 1 tbsp
    4. Bacon (or thin slices of ham) 2 rashers
    5. Shallots 8-10 small
    6. Garlic (crushed) 2 cloves
    7. Leeks (trimmed and chopped) 2
    8. Dried pitted prunes (do make sure all stones have been removed) ½ lb.
    9. Port wine 300 ml
    10. Chicken stock 200 ml
    11. Fresh thyme 2 tbsp
    12. Bay leaves 2
    13. Fresh parsley 1 tbsp
    14. Salt
    15. Pepper
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    Instructions
    1. Pre-heat oven to 350⁰ F.
    2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet and fry the pork loin until browned on all sides. This should take between 4 and 8 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
    3. Add the butter to the pan and when hot add the peeled shallots and chopped bacon slices. Fry until golden then add the crushed garlic and leeks. Continue frying until soft but not burnt.
    4. Remove vegetables from the pan and de-glaze the pan by pouring in the port wine and stirring with a wooden spoon over a medium heat until all the impurities have been removed from the side of the pan and blended into the port. Now add back the meat and vegetables to the pan. Add the pitted prunes, the stock, the fresh, chopped thyme and the whole bay leaves.
    5. Bring to simmering point, season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole with a firm lid and place in the pre-heated oven for 90 minutes.
    6. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove 8 of the prunes. Puree these and then add the pureed prunes back to the dish. Slice the meat into potion-sized rings and serve with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with the fresh, chopped parsley.
    Notes
    1. This dish goes wonderfully with pureed potatoes, beans, green vegetables or carrots.
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  • Recipes

    • French Onion Soup

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    French Onion Soup
    French onion soup, known in France as “Gratinée des Halles” is a rich and warming meal-in-itself. It makes and ideal lunch on a chilly day. Even people who do not normally eat soup or onions usually love the taste and textures of this wonderful dish. The ingredients may appear simple, but during the cooking process they are completely transformed. The onions are very gently fried in butter, which means they take on an almost sweet caramel flavour. The soup is then topped with crusty French bread sprinkled with cheese, and grilled until the cheese is bubbling and golden. The recipe originated in the soup kitchens around Les Halles marketplace in Paris. It became a classic, keeping the market traders warmed-up and satisfied, ready for a hard day’s work. To make this dish a little more special, you can serve the soup in individual bowls with their own lids.
    Ingredients
    1. Onions (peeled and finely chopped) 450 g
    2. Butter 2 tbsp
    3. Olive oil 1 tbsp
    4. Sugar 1 tsp
    5. Flour 1 tbsp
    6. Beef stock 800 ml
    7. Dry white wine 300 ml
    8. Salt
    9. Black pepper (freshly ground )
    10. Freshly crushed garlic 2 cloves
    11. Bay leaves 2
    12. Fresh thyme 1 sprig
    13. Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese (grated) 100 g
    14. Crusty French bread 8 slices
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    Instructions
    1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and when hot add the onions and crushed garlic cloves. Sprinkle on the sugar and gently fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to turn golden. Now cook very gently for a further 30 minutes, stirring frequently. It is important that that the onions do not stick to the base of the pan or burn.
    2. When the onions are soft enough to turn mushy when crushed, add the flour and stir in well. Pour in half of the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any deposits of onion off the bottom of the pan. Then add the rest of the wine, the bay leaves and thyme, the beef stock and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    3. Cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour.
    4. When the soup is ready, slice the French bread and grill the slices on one side only. Remove the bay leaves and thyme from the soup. Pour the soup into heat-proof serving bowls and place 2 slices of toasted baguette on the surface of each serving with the toasted side facing down. Top with the grated Swiss cheese and grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.
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  • Recipes

    • Filled eggplant

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    Filled eggplant
    Eggplant belongs to the group of nightshade vegetables, together with potatoes and tomatoes. Besides having a beautiful and unusual color, it is tasty and nutritious. The eggplant is rich with fiber, B vitamins (B1, B3 and B6), manganese and copper. This vegetable consists of phytonutrients, which have antioxidant activity and also the same ones can protect brain cell membranes. We prepared a delicious recipe for you and we’re sure that you won’t resist to prepare it.
    Ingredients
    1. Eggplant 3
    2. Mixed minced meat 1 lb.
    3. Onion 1
    4. Tomatoes 2
    5. Green Pepper 2
    6. Grounded cheese ⅔ lb.
    7. Eggs 3
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    Instructions
    1. Wash every eggplant, get rid of the stem and cut them lengthwise into two halves. Remove the core from the eggplant and cook it on medium heat in a pan with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Cook until the eggplant core becomes soft (you will need 10-15 minutes). While cooking the core, season it with chopped fresh basil leaves and salt.
    2. In another pan, add a tablespoon of cooking oil and the previously chopped onion; first cook the onion, then add the minced meat. Add spices (pepper and salt) and cook the meat until it becomes brown. Chop the tomatoes and the green pepper into small cubes and mix them with the eggplant marrow and then add the minced meat.
    3. When you get a homogeneous mixture, with a spoon fill each half of eggplant with this filling. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add the grounded cheese. Easily move the spoon over the stuffed eggplant to get a flat surface and then on the same, stir a thick layer of the egg-and-cheese mixture.
    4. Put the stuffed eggplants in an oven tray (previously oiled) and bake in oven on 350 F for 40 minutes.
    5. When baked, let them cool for 5 minutes and serve warm. As an addition to this dish, you can serve cold sour milk in a separate bowl.
    Notes
    1. If you don’t consume meat, use soy crumbles and other vegetables by choice to fill the eggplant halves. Instead of regular milk-based cheese, use vegan parmesan cheese or any other plant-based cheese and exclude the beaten eggs. To have a soft surface, you can mix the cheese with tomato sauce.
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  • Recipes

    • Parmesan Eggs

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    Parmesan Eggs
    These delightful puffs closely resemble meringue, but they are a savory snack. The beaten egg whites create a little cloud for the egg yolks to sit on, making this not only fun to eat, but pretty to look at as well.
    Ingredients
    1. Whole eggs 8
    2. Grated Parmesan cheese 1 T
    3. Salt ½ t
    4. Black pepper to taste
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    Instructions
    1. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
    2. Crack each egg into two bowls, separating the yolks from the whites. With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
    3. Fold the grated Parmesan cheese into the egg whites with a rubber spatula, but do this quickly so that you don’t ruin the stiffness of the whites. Sprinkle with salt.
    4. Use a spoon to scoop the egg whites onto the lined baking sheet. You should be able to get 8 “clouds” out of this. Make sure that the clouds are spaced about one inch apart from each other.
    5. With the back of the spoon, create a little well in each cloud and pour one egg yolk into each.
    6. Bake for 14 minutes (a few minutes less if you want runnier eggs) and remove from oven. Season with salt and black pepper.
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  • Recipes

    • Moussaka

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    Moussaka
    Yields 4
    Moussaka is a dish whose main ingredient is potatoes and minced meat, although in some kitchens the ingredients deviate from the basic recipe. The name of this dish comes from the Arabic word musaqqa’ah, which means “chilled.” In some countries, people use eggplant instead of potatoes. For this recipe, we’ll suggest that you keep the potato on your grocery list as (its half-sweet flavor makes a perfect combination with minced meat).
    Ingredients
    1. Mixed minced meat 500 g
    2. Cooking oil 100 ml
    3. Onion 1
    4. Potatoes 4-5 large
    5. Milk ½ l
    6. Eggs 3
    7. Cheese (by choice)
    8. Water 1 cup
    9. Salt
    10. Pepper
    11. Paprika
    12. Parsley
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    Instructions
    1. Finely chop the onion and put it in a deep pan with cooking oil. Fry on medium heat and then add the mixed minced meat (previously thawed – if you usually use frozen meat). Fry the minced meat until it changes its color. While cooking this mix, add the spices (salt, pepper and paprika).
    2. In greased casserole pan, add one row of potatoes (previously washed, peeled and chopped in circles) and season with salt. On this potato base, add half of the meat and stir it well, so that you cover the entire row. Repeat this step by adding one more row of chopped potato circles and the rest of the fried meat. Add one glass of water and put the casserole pan in the oven (previously heated on 200°C). While the dish is in the oven, beat the eggs and mix them with 500 ml milk and chopped parsley. After ten minutes, take the pan from the oven and cover the moussaka with this topping. If you want, you can add some grounded cheese. Put back in the oven and let it cook for 40 minutes.
    Notes
    1. Moussaka can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.
    2. For topping alternatives try chopped tomatoes and grounded white cheese.
    3. If you need vegan/fasting alternative for meat, use soya and/or mushrooms.
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