I make variations on meatloaf....Italian meatloaf topped with tomato sauce about 10 minutes before being done and seasoned with oregano basil and garlic and ag emerous splash of red wine. Mexican meatlaof with part of a can of rotel in the mix. And company meatloaf...when i make the usual egg bread crumb ematloaf mix and pat it out like a jelly roll on a piece of foil, them make a spinach filling....squeeze very dry a package of chipped spinach....and chop through it again with a chef's knife. Sautee finely chopped mushrooms and onion in a fry pan...add the spinach...and whil warm add blue cheese....or parmesan and mix well. Spread on the meat, roll up using the foil as a helper and bake. Let cool about1 5 minutes before slicing....and I like to serve it with a sauce of chiopped canned tomatoes, seasones with a bit of onion and basil and cooked down a little. Makes a pretty dish....haven't done that in a while. There are all kinds of things you can put in the center of a meat loaf....asparagus for another....and I have seen but didn't like the looks of...hard boiled eggs in the middle....looked rather like an eye peeking out! Linda C

When I quit buying meat at the grocery store and found other sources for much higher quality meats, I also changed how I prepare it and how I enjoy it. When I have paid the high price per pound for good quality stuff, the last thing that I am going to do with is to pour so much bottled and packaged seasoning stuff into it. I want that meat to taste like the meat that I paid for and not some factory made sauce or blend of MSG and salt and dried bit of onion and garlic powder or that dried soup mix. It took me a while to give up the notion that adding all of that stuff was what I needed to do. So I keep it pretty simple and let the flavor shine. For ground meat to be a loaf I will add some white bread because the bread will absorb the broth and fat and hold it in. I have found, however that a grated onion does well and of course salt and I love black pepper. I even started not using garlic on every piece of meat. I love garlic. Dont get me wrong on that! But I have found that even that garlic can detract from the flavor of the good meat. So I keep it as simple as possible and basic . There are so many options of how to serve it. Most of those seasonings in bottles are nothing more than glorified salt with something red in the them to make them seem as if they are more than they really are. I came to the conclusion that I would rather enjoy a smaller bit of something good rather than a daily plate full of something drowned in factory made flavors. Some meatloaf recipies have so much stuff thrown into them that it is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It is a bit like taking every crayon in the box and coloring on the paper until it all blends into one non color.

some notes on sharon's recipe. funny mj--i did the same thing as you and picked up a jar of sofrito before woodie told me that wasn't what i needed! we had made it twice before (without the frito) and really liked the flavor but i hadn't gotten the texture the way i liked it. i used other things for the tomatoes because we never have a can of the condensed tomato soup around. but we got it "just right" for us last night! i used 2 pounds of 90% lean ground beef and 1 pound of plain ground pork, and used a mandoline to dice the veggies (because it's a whole lot faster than i am with a knife!). for the tomato frito i used a can of progresso's tomato with basil soup (it's ready to eat which obvioulsy wouldn't be as thick as a can of condensed soup). it fit very comfortably into a 7 1/2" x 11" pryrex baking dish and was done in either 55 or 60 minutes. for us, the taste and texture were just right and i'm sure will make some great sandwiches. thanx, sharon!

1.__________________________________________________________ Butterflied and grilled Greek leg of lamb Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:43 Butterflied and grilled Greek leg of lamb NOTE: I buy a half leg of lamb, bone it and halve the herb rub ingredients. If marinating overnight, I suggest not adding the salt until just before grilling it, as it was more salty than we like. If you have leftovers, slice the meat and bring it to room temperature and serve over a bed of salad greens or better yet, use it for stuffed grape leaves (dolmathes)! For herb rub 8 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, a 7- to 8-pound leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat, boned, and butterflied by butcher (4 to 4 3/4 pounds boneless) 1 lemon Make herb rub: Finely chop garlic and in a small bowl stir together with remaining herb-rub ingredients. Put lamb in a large dish and with tip of a sharp small knife held at a 45-degree angle cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb, rubbing herb mixture into slits and all over lamb. Marinate lamb at room temperature 1 hour. Prepare grill. Lightly pat lamb dry. On a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125F for medium-rare. (Alternatively, roast lamb in a roasting pan in middle of a 425°F oven about 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into meat registers 125°F for medium-rare.) Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Halve and seed lemon. Squeeze juice over lamb and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes. Cut lamb into slices and serve with any juices that have accumulated on cutting board. Serves 8. Gourmet July1999 Gourmet Entertains 2.__________________________________________________________ Chicken with Artichokes and White Wine Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Sun, Dec 1, 02 at 17:37 a few recipes from my cookbook to my children and very best friends: Chicken with Artichokes and White Wine 4 Servings 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, All purpose flour, 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick ) butter, 12-18 green globe baby artichokes trimmed to hearts and quartered, (((or 2 boxes frozen hearts, defrosted))) 1 cup chopped onion, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 3/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate. Add artichokes, onion and Italian seasoning to skillet. Saute until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add broth and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 3.__________________________________________________________ The Frugs Stuffed Grape Leaves Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Sun, Dec 8, 02 at 13:26 i've tried several recipes for stuffed grape leaves, but this one is really good--pretty easy too (especially if you have some rare roast lamb leftover. if not, use raw ground lamb). The Frugs Stuffed Grape Leaves A jar of grape leaves For the broth, 2 C chicken stock and the juice of 1 lemon For the filling, mix together: 1# coarsely chopped or ground lamb, 1 C raw, long-grain rice, ½ C olive oil, 1 C chopped yellow onions, ¼ C chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 T dried dillweed, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp allspice, 2 cloves minced garlic, a little salt and pepper Use some of the smallest grape leaves to line the bottom of a 2-quart stock pot. Place the grape leaves, bottom side up, on a counter, stem side toward you. Place 1 tsp of filling in the center of the leaf and fold the stem end over the filling, fold the sides inward and then roll towards the tip of the leaf. Dont wrap them too tightly as the rice expands during cooking. Place the rolled leaves in layers on the bottom of the pot close to each other, to help keep them from unrolling. Cover each layer will a couple of plain leaves, including the top layer (I usually end up with about 3 layers of stuffed leaves). Pour the broth over the leaves and place a plate on top to weight them down while they cook. Cover with a lid and cook on a low simmer for about an hour. Remove the pan from the heat, leaving the lid on so the leaves dont darken, and allow to cool for an hour before serving. Best at room temp but pretty good cold, too. Serve with avgolemono sauce. 4._________________________________________________________ GINGER ALE CHICKEN Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Mon, Jan 13, 03 at 9:16 GINGER ALE CHICKEN Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, 2 scallions, both white and green parts trimmed and finely chopped, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil or vegetable oil, 1 can ginger ale, 1 chicken (3 1/2-4 pounds), 2 slices peeled fresh ginger (each 1/4-inch thick) Combine ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, pepper and oil in a mini-chopper or blender and puree to a paste. Pop the tab off the can of ginger ale, pour half of it ( 3/4 cup) into a measuring cup and drink or set aside to make a sauce. Make 2 additional holes on top. Remove the giblets from the body cavity. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place half of the ginger-garlic paste in the body and neck cavities of the chicken and rub the remainder over the outside of the bird. Put a slice of ginger in the body cavity and in the neck cavity of the chicken. Put the can on a roasting pan. Lower the chicken over the can so it fits inside the body cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a tripod so the bird stands upright. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken's back. Put the pan in the oven on a low rack (so the chicken will fit) and roast at 350 degrees for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. Test for doneness. Present the chicken to your guests. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the can and serve, taking care not to burn yourself. Recipe adapted from "Beer-Can Chicken" by Steve Raichlen. 5.__________________________________________________________ Macaroni Grill's Scaloppine di Pollo Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Mon, Jan 13, 03 at 9:23 Macaroni Grill's Scaloppine di Pollo Lemon Butter Sauce: 4 ounces lemon juice, 2 ounces white wine, 4 ounces heavy cream, 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, Chicken & Pasta: 6 to 8 (3-ounce) chicken breasts, pounded thin, Oil and butter for sauteing chicken, 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging, 6 ounces pancetta, cooked, 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced, 12 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 pound cappellini pasta, cooked, Chopped parsley, for garnish To make the sauce: Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third. Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3 to 4 minutes). Slowly add butter until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm. To make chicken and pasta: Cook pasta and drain. Heat a small amount of oil and two tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour and saute in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add to pan remaining ingredients. Heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked; add chicken back to pan. To serve: Place cooked pasta on each plate. Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss. Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed. Place chicken mixture over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Alternately, mix pasta and chicken mixture together. Toss with butter sauce. Yield: 10 servings 6.__________________________________________________________ Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Jan 15, 03 at 19:44 Mom's Barbecued Spare Ribs i hadn't made this in a couple of years and sort of forgot about it until someone asked for a country spare rib recipe. this is Mom's recipe and if you like a little sweet/tangy sauce it works great! and she always did these in the oven... Mom's Barbecued Spare Ribs par boil 3-4# of ribs for 20 minutes in salted water stir together: 1 C catsup, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2/3 C chili sauce, 4 T brown sugar, 2 T salad mustard, 4 T chopped onion, 2 T worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp celery seed (i like a little more of that...), 1/2 tsp salt, a few drops of "hot sauce" bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes 7._______________________________________________________ chicken Suzanne Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Thu, Apr 3, 03 at 21:42 chicken Suzanne 6 boneless (8oz) chicken breast halves, 1 cup flour, 1 egg beaten with 1 cup milk, 3 cups good quality fresh bread crumbs, 1/2 to 1 cup cooking oil dip chicken breasts in flour, dip in egg/milk mixture, the completely in bread crumbs. saute in hot oil untill well browned on each side. cook till done but not overcooked. serve with the following herb butter Herb butter 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp basil (2 tbs fresh), 1/2 tsp oregano (1/2 tbs fresh), 1 tsp marjoram (1 tbs fresh), 1 tsp tarragon (1 tbs fresh), 1 tsp dillweed (1 tsp fresh), dash tabasco, 1 pound unsalted butter mix all the above in a food processer. this herb butter can also be used on french bread toasted,steaks,hamburgers or steamed veggies 8.__________________________________________________________ BARBECUE MEATLOAF Posted by: Daisyduckworth on Mon,Aug 25,03at 0:42 Culpeper's meatloaf got rave reviews: BARBECUE MEATLOAF 500g minced beef, 500g sausage mince, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 onions, diced, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped, 1 egg, beaten, 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional), 1/2 cup milk, Combine all meatloaf ingredients and mix until well combined. Shape into a loaf and put into greased baking pan. Bake 30 minutes at 180C. Sauce: 1 onion, chopped very fine (optional), 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup dry red wine or beef stock, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons vinega,r 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 30g butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, Saute onions until golden and add all other ingredients. Bring slowly to the boil, lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes. After loaf has cooked for 30 minutes, pour the sauce over the meat, return to oven and bake 45 minutes more, basting often. The sauce goes well with ribs or chicken. 9.__________________________________________________________ Salt- and Pepper-crusted Pork Tenderloin Posted by: LoriJean44 on Mon, Aug 25, 03 at 23:18 Salt- and Pepper-crusted Pork Tenderloin 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped) 1 large garlic clove, minced, 1 12-ounce (approx.) pork tenderloin, 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine pepper, salt, rosemary and garlic in small bowl. Rub over pork. Let pork stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat oil in heavy medium ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer skillet with pork to oven and roast until pork is cooked through, turning occasionally, approximately 20 minutes. Remove pork to cutting board to stand for a few minutes. Deglaze pan with 1 cup red wine (or broth), allowing wine to reduce slightly. Season to taste. Slice pork and serve with wine gravy.