Ahhh, Meatloaf

Done this one before, but it's a family favorite, Meatloaf with Red Pepper Relish. I was smarter this time though, I made the relish the day before and put the meatloaf together so all I had to do was top it and bake it for about an hour. The relish has Red Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, Ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce and spices, and takes a while to cook down, then cool. A third goes in the Meatloaf, a third on top and the rest gets served with the meal. For the meat, I put some soaked (in milk) fresh bread, fresh thyme leaves, 2 eggs, and a mixture of ground beef, veal and pork. Piled high and wide, then covered with some of the relish, then a few slices of Bacon and into the 350 degree oven until done. This one MUST be served with mashed potatoes and peas, at least in my house!!

Blacken Chicken

Went for a simple Chicken Breast this evening. Some Blackening Seasonings and a broiler did it for these guys, dark and crispy outside, juicy and succulent inside. To go with, a side of fresh Spinach and a Corkscrew Carbonara.

Fajitas, Corn Salsa and Black Beans

The Butcher had some nice Flank Steaks in the case when we were there, so we picked one up and decided on Fajitas for tomorrow, as the steak needs to marinate overnight. I put together a marinade of Orange Juice, Lime Juice, Garlic, Cumin, and Chipolte Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Tossed the steak into a freezer bag along with the marinade and into the fridge until we're ready.

I put together a Salsa made from Grilled Corn, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Lime Juice, Garlic and as long as I had some, Chipolte Peppers. While those flavors married, I put the steak on the grill until medium rare and heated some Black Beans as a side. Together with Avocado, Tomatoes and Sour Cream, we had a wonderful Mexican Feast!

Seared Chops with Orange Glaze

The boneless Sirloin Pork Chops looked good at the market today so I picked up a few for dinner. Into the pantry for some Orange Marmalade, Soy Sauce, Chicken Stock and Sesame Oil. First I seasoned the chops with a little salt, pepper and some of my house seasoning and into a hot pan for a quick browning. In goes the marmalade, soy, stock and sesame oil to reduce and finish cooking the chops. On the side were Oven Browned Potatoes and Fresh Asparagus. A quick and easy one this time!

Cobb Salad

With the leftover Chicken from last night, we opted for a Cobb Salad today. Into the refrigerator for a couple of Eggs, Lettuce, Bacon, Blue Cheese, Tomatoes and an Avocado. While I'm hard boiling the Eggs, I fry off 2 pieces of Bacon, dice up the Avocado and Tomato, and crumble the Blue Cheese and make a White Wine/Dijon Vinaigrette. Now it's time to assemble. First, down goes a layer of Romaine, then a few Chicken pieces, Tomato, the sliced Egg, diced Bacon, Avocado and finally the Blue Cheese. Topped it all with the Dressing and a delicious salad was ready to dive into!

Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies

Back in the kitchen again!! Tonight with a few visitors we decided on a big Roasting Chicken. Along side I picked up some Turnips, Parsnips, Carrots and Onions. I rubbed the bird down with an Olive Oil, Garlic, Rosemary, Sage and Pepper Flake Schmear and let in sit in the fridge overnight. When we were ready to roast, I cut the root veggies and put them in the bottom of a roasting pan (except for the Beets!) with a Thyme bundle and about 2 cups of Chicken Broth. Placed the Chicken on top and into a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes I double checked the liquid making sure there was plenty and turned the oven down to 350 until he was cooked through (about an hour). I cooked the beets on the stove as to not turn everything purple, which didn't work anyway. When all was ready, I took the chicken off the veggies, drained the juices from the pan and added a cup of White Wine to pan with the vegetables and cooked it down on the stove, added the Beets (here's where everything turned purple) and served it with a side of stuffing.