The Cookbook Experiment: Italian Meat Loaf

Tonight's cookbook experiment is once again courtesy of Doris Baynes. To be honest, I was not too sure about the recipe as my husband is pretty particular about his meatloaf. I decided to go ahead and give it a try as it sounded a lot different from any meatloaf I have ever made.

Italian Meat Loaf by Doris Baynes

( 1 1/2) pounds lean ground beef
(1) small onion, chopped
(1/4) teaspoon garlic powder
(1) egg
(1) teaspoon oregano
(1/4) teaspoon pepper
(1) cup tomato sauce
(1) 8 ounce package grated Monterrey Jack cheese

In a large bowl mix the ground beef, onions, garlic, egg, oregano and pepper. Spoon half the mixture into a loaf pan, then add 2/3 of the cheese and 1/2 the tomato sauce. Add remaining beef mixture to pan. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not use a loaf pan. I did not have 1 1/2 hours for the meatloaf to cook. I had a hungry husband so I put it in my 9" x 13" cake pan and made it not so thick so it would cook faster. It took approximately 45 minutes to finish. The meatloaf fell apart easily but that is probably because I did not use a loaf pan.
• As I am never allowed to put ketchup on top of my recipe of meatloaf I was a little bit worried about how this one would be received. As I suspected, my husband declared it "too tomatoey" if that is even a word.
• I am enjoying all of Doris' recipes. She seems to have been a very smart lady. Thanks Doris!

The Cookbook Experiment: Cheese Broccoli Stuffed Pasta

Tonight's dinner is courtesy of a recipe by Doris Baynes. I don't recognize the name (this book was published during a period that I lived out of state and unable to attend church here) but she is one smart cookie!

Let me say outright, this recipe is quite a bit of work. Preparing it for someone you love makes it easier but I have to admit I have never, ever made stuffed shells before but this recipe was worth waiting for.

Cheese Broccoli Stuffed Pasta by Doris Baynes
(1) 6 ounce giant shell pasta (I honestly never looked at the size in the store and bought a 12 ounce!)
(2) quarts boiling water
(2) Tablespoons of salt
(1) 10 ounce package frozen cut broccoli
(1) Tablespoon of butter or margarine (I used butter, because...duh, butter!)
(2) green onions, chopped
(2) cups chopped fresh mushrooms (okay....I did not use this. The majority of my family does not eat mushrooms, in fact I may be the only one who does so I omitted this. I'm sorry Doris!)
(1) teaspoon dried basil
(1) teaspoon dried oregano
(1/2) teaspoon salt
(1) Tablespoon All purpose flour
(3/4) cup milk (I only have whole milk in the house so that is what I used)
(1) cup shredded Swiss or Mozzarella cheese (I used the Mozzarella)
(1/2) cup grated Parmesan cheese (don't scrimp, get the real stuff)
(1/2) cup whipping cream

Cook pasta in boiling salted water for the length of time the package says for "al dente". (Doris says 15 minutes but that was too long for the shells I had) Rinse with cold water and drain. Cook broccoli as directed on package. Chop fine and set aside. (Doris, I feel dumb here. As I type your recipe it seems I missed that sentence and was mushing my broccoli while it cooked in the pan with a potato masher!)

Heat butter in skillet. Add onion, mushrooms (or not), basil, oregano, salt and broccoli.  Stir to blend. Sprinkle with flour and stir well.  Add milk. Stir and heat to boiling. Cook until mixture thickens (and it does so pretty quick so pay attention). Stir in shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.

Fill cooked pasta shells with a rounded tablespoonful of broccoli mixture and place into a buttered shallow baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and drizzle with cream. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Good served with crusty bread.

OKAY, a few tips here from me:

• make sure you use butter to grease the dish. Cooking spray will not cut it here, you need real butter (or if you must, margarine)
• when your shells are done cooking, spread them out on some parchment paper so they don't stick to each other while they are waiting to be filled (I thought they looked like albino turtles, but maybe I am just crazy!)
• Don't forget to chop up your broccoli small like I did. It makes a difference.
• I prefer my milk and cream to be room temperature when I use them so I measure and set aside while I am doing everything else. I have never like putting cold anything to make a sauce thicken.

This was a delightful recipe that my whole family (except my vegetarian because she does not like broccoli!!!) enjoyed. I had never stuffed pasta before and this was a good starter recipe. Imagine, a last name of Maurizi and I had never stuffed shells before! 

I hope you try it! And Ms. Doris I cant wait to try your other recipes in this book! You are a keeper!

Another kitchen adventure with The Crystal Chef!

Tonight was the youth group party.  I was not really sure what to do so I made my first attempt at white chili - truthfully, I was trying to use ingredients that I had on hand without having to go to the grocery store.  Here is what I did:

I soaked one package of baby lima beans overnight and then drained and rinsed them and set them to boil.

I put six boneless chicken thighs in water to boil until done, reserving the broth when they were finished.  Shred the chicken.

Saute one medium yellow onion chopped and four cloves of garlic minced in two tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add the shredded chicken.

Add the following:

(2) teaspoons of Cumin
(2) teaspoons of dried oregano
(2) teaspoons of red chile flakes
(2) teaspoons of red chile powder
(1) cup of the reserved broth

Stir well and let bubble and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add:

(1) cup of the reserved broth
(1) large can of Old El Paso Enchilada sauce (what? It was in my cabinet and had all the right flavorings without adding a bunch of tomato flavor! Don't judge, I was a desperate woman trying to feed a bunch of people without spending any money!)

Stir.  Check your lima beans to see if they are done.  When they are soft, drain them and add to the chili mixture.  If you need more liquid, add more chicken broth.  Otherwise, let the beans cook in the chili for a while before serving.

That's it! That was my adventure in cooking tonight.  I am not convinced it was spectacular but my husband and children all liked it so I am glad for that.