Sicilian Meatloaf

Meatloaf is just a terrible word isn't it? I feel like it's right up there with fruitcake or jello mold. But, really, this one is delicious. It's a great main dish for the savvy entertainer. If ever there was a high-class meatlof, this is it. It's not super expensive, but it tastes great, serves a lot, and is quite hearty. The more I make it, the more compliments I get.

Sicilian Meatloaf
by Linda Fleming

1 1/2 lbs. ground round (1 lb. will work if it needs to)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
3 tbsp. parsley
1/2 c. tomato juice
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 slices cooked ham, thinly sliced
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Knead meat, eggs, salt, oregano, parsley, tomato juice, bread crumbs, pepper, and garlic until well blended. Pat mixture onto a double layer of heavy wax paper into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Arrange han slices on top of meat layer in an overlapping pattern, leaving a small boarder uncovered. Sprinkle cheese over ham slices. Roll up meat, lifting away as rolling proceeds. Roll meat onto a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Tuck in ends (IMPORTANT). Bake 1 hr at 350. Serves 6-8 generous portions.

Tips:
-For the ham, I always like to buy Italian-tasting ham from the deli. It contributes to the "Sicilian" part of the meatloaf. Anytime I add super-cured meats, I cut back on the salt because the meat will have extra. And if you go for the Italian-y ham, you can cut the garlic to 1 clove.
-Make sure to tuck those ends in before baking so that most of the cheese will stay in the meatloaf as it melts. Some will almost certainly leak out, but tucking well can prevent the meatloaf from becoming a casserole of sorts, if you get my drift.
-Using 1 1/2 pounds will be more likely to get you 8-10 portions. Using 1 lb. will give you 6 good sized portions. I almost always use ground venison and most people can't tell the difference between it and beef because of all the other flavors in the dish - can be a good substitute if you have ground venison laying around...

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup

Hungry for some hearty, but healthy comfort food? This is what you're looking for. It definitely beats the cool-weather blues and warms you up from the inside out! Ooh, and it has a little bit of a zip to it because of the crushed red pepper flakes and fire-roasted tomatoes. Perfect!

Chicken Cacciatore *Stoup
A Rachael Ray Recipe Adapated by Beth Turner

1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 potatoes, cubed (and peeled if you prefer)
1 box mushrooms, chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c. wine (she prefers red, I only have white and it works)
15 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp. rosemary
1 package spinach

Brown chicken, pepper flakes and garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil and remove from pan. Cook all veggies to desired tenderness in 1 tbsp. olive oil (leave them a little al dente because they have to boil). Add chicken, tomatoes, wine, broth and rosemary. Boil, cool and serve over a handfull of spinach in each bowl. (The spinach will wilt into yumminess when you pour hot soup over it.) Serves 6. And DELICIOUS with cornbread.

With the tomatoes, Rachael Ray suggests a 15 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes and a 28 oz. can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, but for some reason, I can NEVER find that at the grocery store. So, I just switch it up and use what I can find. Make it work for you! Enjoy!

*"Stoup" is Rachael Ray's word for a stewy soup.

Lentil Soup

I have a hard time finding meatless meals that sustain my hunger (lunches are no biggie - but overnight is another story!), but this one is a home run! The starch from the potatoes and lentils gives the soup a great roux-based comfort food taste, but without the calories. If you can't find red lentils, I would experiment with green ones, but if you don't like them, don't write off the recipe until you've found some red lentils.

Lentil Soup
An adaptation of a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 lb. red lentils
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4 cans of low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. thyme
Shredded Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until all the veggies are sweating and becoming tender (5 min. or less). Add tomatoes with their juices and simmer until the juices evaporate and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally (about 8 min.). Add the lentils and potato and mix to coat. Add broth and thyme and stir. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the lentils are tender (30 min.). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Easily serves 6.

When I made this last night, I didn't have a can of petite diced tomatoes, but look at what I had just saved from a cold snap:
Much cursing would have ensued had I peeled those little suckers, so I just diced about a cup of them and tossed them in the soup. It was super. And quite nice knowing that I had grown part of the soup! You've just got to love gardening!
Also, here's a less-than-awesome pic of the soup. It had been refrigerated and not warmed up... Sorry. :/