Many of you know that cooking makes me feel happy and alive from head-to-toe! I do it just for the pure enjoyment of it! Lately, though, I've also been doing it because it's been helping me stay healthy. I love the way I feel when I am feeding myself good and nutritious food! I feel like I'm taking care of my body...and that's important! Not only can I keep track of what I'm putting in my body, but, I also buy much of my produce from farmer's markets and/or Whole Foods, and the meat is always grass-fed or wild-caught if it's fish. Yeah, it gets expensive...but, there is a difference in the quality and nutritional content, so, it's worth it to me to pay a little extra. I'm also becoming a big proponent of "everything in moderation." I'm sure some will disagree with me and will look at these recipes and say, "oh my gosh! Bacon on meatloaf?!" and "I can't believe she's baking brownies AND trying to eat healthy!" To those people I would say, "Believe it, baby! It just happened! And guess what? I just lost 20 lbs since February 26th and I'm on my way to losing 20 more, honey!" :) No disrespect, of course, to you my dear friends! I simply am of the opinion these days that we're meant to enjoy organic, delicious food from nature and lead active, healthy lives. Again...all in moderation! 
Speaking of nature, I think the colors that God has put on this earth in nature for us to enjoy are just incredible! For example, this week, I bought purple asparagus! Yes, you heard me right, PURPLE!!! I didn't even know there was such a thing! Why would anyone eat brown/beige boring food all the time when you can eat purple asparagus??? (Side note: I ended up grilling the asparagus with some lime, honey, salt and pepper, and honeypie, let me tell you...YUM! See recipe below).
Anyway, if anyone is interested in spicing up their meatloaf recipe or trying some new fantastic recipes, I'm including some that I've tried recently below. Another side note: I recently made about 4 batches of the simple tomato sauce recipe (included in the chicken parmesan recipe) and froze them in freezer bags for a rainy day. I think it will be good for other future recipes...not just the chicken parm. I would honestly eat that sauce with a spoon. I'm not kidding...it's THAT good! Also, that reminds me (speaking of sauce)! For those who saw my Facebook post from the other day, The Chili Mayonnaise I made for our breakfast club is also great on burgers or with a green spring salad mix and a sunny side up egg for brunch. Enjoy!
Stout and Cheddar Meatloaf
(From Fine Cooking Magazine)
There isn't anything that isn't delicious about this recipe! Bacon wrapped meatloaf with beer and cheese! Ummm...yes please!! Seriously, the beer gives this such a rich flavor. It's outstanding!
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. canola or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup small-diced celery
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
4 oz. medium-coarse white bread, such as Italian or French, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups)
1 cup whole milk
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground veal
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 oz. sliced bacon (about 9 strips)
Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.Add the stout, and simmer briskly, until almost dry, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to the bowl with the vegetable mixture.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
Add the beef, veal and eggs to the onion mixture. Scatter the Cheddar, rehydrated mushrooms, and parsley over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.
Heat the remaining 1 tsp. of oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Form 1 Tbs. of the meatloaf mixture into a small patty. When the oil is hot, cook the patty on both sides until cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed. Repeat until you're satisfied with the flavor.
Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10x4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Finish the meatloaf by draping it with slightly overlapping strips of bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf.
Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the center of the meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes.
Broil the meatloaf about 6 inches from the broiler element until the bacon is brown and crisped, about 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices.
Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Recipe from www.foodtv.com)
I used a blender to "mash" my cauliflower, but, they ended up pureed. I will probably try the food processor next time for a chunkier consistency. However, the flavor is so spot on and delicious! Definitely worth trying.
Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.
In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.
Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.
Hint: Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.
Chicken Parmesan
(recipe from www.foodtv.com)
This recipe was so delicious! Side note: I used fresh whole mozzarella and cut it into slices instead of the shredded...I just like the way it tastes better.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (3-ounces each) chicken cutlets1 1/2 cups Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or purchased marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
16 teaspoons grated Parmesan2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a heavy large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Simple Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves2 dried bay leaves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.
Honey-Lime Glazed Grilled Asparagus
(Recipe from myself)
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lbs purple asparagus (or regular green will also work), washed and trimmed
1 tbsp honey
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
Pepper
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Wisk honey, lime juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and transfer to a gallon size plastic bag. Add asparagus to bag and seal. Shake around until asparagus are evenly coated with marinade. Transfer asparagus to the grill and grill 1-3 minutes. Turn over and grill another 1-3 minutes (depending on thickness of asparagus). Serve immediately.
Tropical Fruit Salad
(recipe from myself)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 mangoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 bananas, sliced
1 apple, sliced, cored, and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups grapes
1/2 pint strawberries, stemmed and quartered
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp coconut cream
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve immediately.
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
(From Bon Apetite magazine)
These might be the best brownies I've ever had—fudgy in the middle and chewy on the outside. The browned butter adds an amazing, rich, nutty flavor. As my friend, Krissy, said, "I think everything that calls for butter should call for browned-butter." I don't disagree with her sentiments! My friend, Jaeme, was the one who shared this recipe with me and I've made them twice for gatherings since she shared it just a few weeks ago.
Makes 16
* PREP TIME: 20 minutes
* TOTAL TIME: 4 hour 50 minutes (includes cooling time)
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 1/4 cups sugar 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs, chilled 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour 1 cup walnut pieces
Directions
Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
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