Boozy Meatloaf

Getting my family to be excited about eating meatloaf is usually a terrible task. "What are you making for dinner?" is the usual question around 5 o'clock and the only safe answer is "Something delicious". This is my usual answer so as to avoid pre-dinner groans and complaints about food that is not yet made.

I had some ground beef that I needed to cook and I decided to make an "everything but the kitchen sink" style meatloaf. I thought about other meatloaves I have tortured my family with in the past and I concluded that the main problem was a lack of flavor and the meat always became dry and boring. So with a dash of this and a splash of that, including some beer from my special "mommy is cooking" drink I came up with the Boozy Meatloaf - a flavorful and moist dish that had my family begging for more. REALLY, they were. Here's the recipe.

Boozy Meatloaf

1 medium onion, diced
1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup beer (light or medium)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coursely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your fingers. Pour the mixture into a bread pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until bubbling and browned on top. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is really easy - it's a one bowl masterpiece that serves about 4 hungry adults and maybe even a bit left over for a lunch or two. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Creamy Curry Pumpkin Kale Soup

Every day it is part of my duties as a mother and wife to dream up healthy and tasty foods for my family to eat. I love to cook from cookbooks, but I find that the best creations come from just throwing a bunch of ingredients together that my gut tells me will taste great. I call this style of cooking "Everything but the kitchen sink" cooking and it's how I whip up meals for the family almost every day.

Last night was no exception. With some this and some that I created a delicious soup that I have called Creamy Curry Pumpkin Kale Soup. It may sound like these things wouldn't go together, but they do wonderfully. Not only do you get to enjoy a low-calorie pumpkin soup, but it is also packed full of nutrients from the kale. This soup was loved by my husband and baby of 9 months. Give it a try and let me know what you think.


Creamy Curry Pumpkin Kale Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 apples (sweet ones like Ambrosia or Gala), diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
4 cups chicken stock
1-14oz (397g) can pureed pumpkin
1 bunch of kale, coarsely chopped (approx. 2 cups)
salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cauliflower and saute untill onions are soft. Add the apples, cumin, corriander, curry powder and hot pepper flakes. Saute for about 5 minutes, giving the apples and cauliflower a chance to absorb the delicious curry flavors. Add the chicken stock, pumpkin and kale and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy (you'll have to do a few batches). Add the blended soup back to the pot and heat to desired temperature. Season with salt and serve.

The result is a greenish looking soup that is really tasty and healthy. It makes lots too - about 4 large servings. I hope you like it.