homeward bound
what's for dinnerIn the past two weeks I’ve been to Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard, Washington DC, New York City, and Cleveland. The food lineup has been impressive. Highlight’s include the signature hamachi sashimi at Macku’s on North Clybourn, the chowder at Larsen’s Fish Market in Chilmark, the six course tasting menu at Marcel’s on Pennsylvania Avenue, the oyster stew at Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown, the nadru kofte at Junoon in the Flatiron district, and pan fried trout at Deep Springs Trout Club in Chardon.
While this whirlwind of travel has been a blast I find myself loosing steam. Each toll booth and TSA line making me long for my own pillow and sitting down to some simple fare at our dining room table. Tonight before my husband jets off to Zurich and I drive east to Columbus then Sewickley PA I’m going to make something that is undeniably homemade. What better than meatloaf.
Sauté the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent but not brown.
Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and ground pork, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and egg. Mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense.
Divide the mixture into 4 (8 to 10-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan.
Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each loaf. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.
Carrot and cauliflower mash make a tasty and healthy alternative to classic mashed potatoes. Place carrot slices and cauliflower florets in a medium saucepan. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover until just tender about 10-15 minutes.
Drain taking care to reserve the broth. Return the drained vegetables to the empty saucepan. Add the butter, pinch of salt and two generous grinds from a pepper mill along with 3 tablespoons reserved broth. Puree coarsely with a hand blender. This can be made earlier in the day, cool to room temp, cover and refrigerate. Re-heat gently and add more reserved broth if needed.
Keeping with tradition serve up green bean almandine. This side is even simpler when using French green beans that come in a microwavable bag. Steam until tender and then quickly sauté in a nutty toasted almond butter.
And because this clever traveler is perfecting the art of packing while she unpacks she’s freezing half of this dinner so when she and her husband finally return and catch their breath they can savor a little more of home before heading overseas to Spain.