Meals: When I get it right ...

... I need to record it!

Every so often I make a meal where everything comes together nicely and creates a sumptious feast for all. In other words ... we don't have much left-over when I cook well. This doesn't happen all the time ... it doesn't even happen often ... but when it does, I need to record what I made for posterity.


So here was the meal I made last night:

• Turkey Meatloaf (recipe below)
• Fresh spinach sauteed in olive oil with minced garlic and Italian seasoning
• quartered potatoes, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with Tony Chachere's and just a bit of raw sugar and roasted in the oven at the same time as the meatloaf

We ate all this while watching college football -- something we NEVER do!

We don't have cable or dish tv, so it's hit-or-miss for getting college football games worth watching. But yesterday, just as I was getting ready to start dinner, we found out that LSU and Georgia would be televised in our area on a station that we get pretty well! So dinner in front of the game was a "must do"!

Unfortunately, LSU lost pretty badly ... but StringBean and I consoled the gang with this amazing, made in the microwave in minutes, chocolate surprise (recipe below)! That helped console the LSU fans around here anyway.

Turkey Meatloaf (from Cooks.com with some slight changes -- one thing I really like about this is that the meatloaf is moist because of the grated apple)

• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 1/2 c. peeled, grated apples
• 1 dried bread crumbs
• 1lg. egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

GLAZE:

• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in thyme and sage and let cool slightly. Combine onion mixture in large bowl with turkey, bread crumbs, apple, egg, parsley, salt, mustard and pepper. Mix well. Pack into a greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour off any fat (I never have any!).
GLAZE: Combine ingredients in small bowl and brush over top of loaf. Bake 30 minutes more or until juices run clear when pierced.

Minute Chocolate Mug Cake (this is like a brownie pudding cake that I make but this is so fast!)

Ingredients (here's what you need for 2 servings):

• 1 Coffee Mug (Microwavable)
• 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• splash of vanilla extract
• handful of chocolate chips to cover top of batter
  □ Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well
  □ Add the egg and mix thoroughly
  □ Pour in milk and oil and mix well
  □ Add chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix again
  □ Place mug in microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high (1000 watt microwave) -- I did 3 mugs at a time (for 6 servings) and placed the 3 on a pyrex pie plate and micro'd for 6 minutes
  □ The cake will rise over top of the mug, do not be alarmed!Allow to cool a little, slice cake in two and spoon onto plates.

This really is good! With a bit of icecream, chocoloate mint chips or other substitutions .... this could be a phenomenal family dessert experience!

So what's your favorite meal?