Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Recipe : Italian Meatloaf with Spaghetti Squash

This is a very quick and easy dinner, and while you can make it with non-local ingredients, everything in this meal was from within 250 miles of our doorstep. Find a farmer's market near you to get the freshest, best ingredients! It definitely makes a difference.

Spaghetti Squash Side:

What You'll Need:
(serves 4)

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Cube of Butter
1/8 c. fresh sage
1/4 c. white wine
Salt & Pepper to taste


What You'll Do:

1 > Halve the squash
2 > scrape out the seeds and innards 


3 > Place hollow side down on oiled baking sheet
4 > Place in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes (put in at the same time as the meatloaf)

While it's baking, combine butter and sage in a medium sized sauce pan over med-low or low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the wine, bring to a simmer, and then turn the heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally.

10 Minutes before the meatloaf comes out of the oven, take the squash out of the oven. With oven mitts, turn the squash over, and with a fork, start scraping lengthwise, creating "spaghetti". Toss the spaghetti into the butter mixture, stir to coat and cover until ready to serve.










Italian Meatloaf:



What You'll Need:
(serves 4-6)


2lbs of ground beef
2 small carrots, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
4 tbs thyme, chopped
2 eggs, beat
8 oz stewed tomatoes, chopped
3 tbs fresh chopped rosemary
1/8 c "porridge" from Bluebird Grains (you can substitute this for oatmeal)
1-2 tsp of salt
pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
--
Inside of the pan, I like to add:
1/2 of a large eggplant, diced
2-3 diced yukon gold potatoes
3 small carrots


What You'll Do:

1 > Combine all of the above ingredients, adding a little of the olive oil and balsamic for flavor and texture
2 > Shape the mound into a loaf in a large, long pan that has been coated in olive oil and salt
3 > Add diced vegetables around the sides, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic
4 > Sprinkle with salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic, and fresh rosemary
5 > Bake in a 375 degree oven for an hour

8 comments:

  1. That seems fairly easy. Should try to make this with Nicki one day!

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  2. Very easy! And great wintertime comfort food, if you ask me.

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  3. I always wondered how to cook spaghetti squash. I tried boiling it and it wasn't even edible. I will try this. Everything looks really yummy!

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  4. Dan said the same thing... and I know I didn't attempt spaghetti squash for years because I had no idea what to do with it. Of course, anything is delicious coated in butter, right? ;)

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  5. this sounds awesome and looks sooo tasty!

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  6. Speaking of chicken coops I found another cool one made in Portland out of recycled cedar. It may be easy enough to throw some wheels on two of the legs to wheelbarrow it around the yard.
    Check it: http://moderncoops.weebly.com/

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  7. Very cool, Brie! I think we are going to pass on the chickens for awhile. I took a class at Seattle Tilth about raising city chickens, and realized it is not for us. :)

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  8. I’m wondering what is the driver for the high carb count on this? I’ve seen similar recipes with corn, and not quite the same level of carbs. Is it hidden in the seasonings perhaps?

    Harold Burton

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