An Inspired Kitchen

Meatloaf

Meatloaf is such a humble dish, but we love it and love the leftovers it brings for sandwiches the next day.  This recipe is inspired from my friend Steve who wraps the whole thing in bacon ~ something I love, but for an everyday meal, don’t like to add all the calories.  The recipe is unique in that it has a mixture of milk and eggs and is bound together with oatmeal.  The milk makes it very tender.  I like to add thyme, oregano, sautéed onions, garlic and a little Parmesan cheese.  To make clean up easier, I crimp a piece of foil and put the meatloaf on a baking tray when I bake it and then I just have to throw the foil away with all the grease and don’t have to scrub a pan.  I make a sauce with ketchup, brown sugar and cider vinegar to put on the top and serve alongside which is nicely sweet and sour.  I usually make a double batch and freeze an uncooked one for another day.  Just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day.  Click here for the recipe….

                                                    Nectarine and Blueberry Galette This nectarine and blueberry galette is not going to win any beauty contests, but it is so quick to put together and the rustic look is what you are going for with this dessert.  You roll the dough out into a large circle and place it on a baking tray.  I like to use a silpat liner on the baking tray to prevent the crust from sticking.  Then you mix the fruit with some sugar and place it in the center.  In a food processor, mix some flour, sugar, vanilla powder and butter together and drop clumps of it on top of the fruit.  Then bring the pastry 2 inches up around the fruit and crimp all around.  I like to take a pastry brush with half and half and brush it all around the crust and then sprinkle it with some coarse sugar to make a nice crunchy crust.  It still doesn’t win any contests but it tastes great!  You can use any stone fruit, or apples and berries and one of my favorite combinations is apple-raspberry.  Click here for the recipe….

Red Velvet Cake

Years ago, Kathleen, my friend Rosemary’s mother taught me how to make her traditional family  cake that everyone requested as their special cake for their birthday.  As she was directing me, the recipe seemed strange – like mixing a teaspoon of soda with a tablespoon of vinegar and adding it in at the last minute, and making a paste with cocoa powder and 1 ounce (a whole little bottle!) of red food coloring!  It seemed odd but I had tasted the cake before and knew it was delicious and trusted her to teach me how to make it.  The frosting also starts out funny by cooking flour and milk into a thick paste, letting it cool, and whipping it together with a creamed butter and sugar mixture.  The frosting is fluffy and delicious and I am always looking for the same Red Velvet cake Kathleen made when I see it at a bakery and am usually disappointed with the cream cheese frosting so many people make instead.  It’s not the way Kathleen made it and not as good!  For Rosemary’s birthday cake, I piped roses all over the cake and printed a little birthday banner and tied it to skewers with some ribbon and placed it in the cake for a decoration.  Thanks Phoebe for the first photo!  Click here for the recipe….  Click here for the free printable birthday banner….

Buttermilk Biscuits

Roll dough balls in flour and place in pan.

Brush with melted butter.

I have used this recipe for years and can’t remember where I got it, but it makes a really nice flaky buttermilk biscuit.  Use a food processor to mix the flour and butter and then put the mixture in a bowl and gently mix the buttermilk into the flour.  With a cookie scoop, form balls of dough and place them in some flour, gently roll and then place it in a greased baking pan.  Brush the tops with melted butter and place in a really hot oven for 5 minutes and turn it down and continue cooking.  The results are a wonderful and tender biscuit which are great to serve with dinner or slather with butter and jam for breakfast.  Click here  for the recipe….

Chocolate Cake with Fresh Berries and Vanilla Whipped Cream

This is the best chocolate cake recipe and makes a perfect birthday cake if you frost it with chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting.  It makes 2 9-inch cakes, 3 8-inch cakes, or 40 cupcakes so I freeze one cake to have on hand for quick desserts.  It’s an oil based cake with the addition of melted chocolate, cocoa powder and a cup of coffee and it is very moist and very chocolatey.  I cut one cake in half and made some whipped cream and added some vanilla powder and macerated blueberries, raspberries and strawberries with a little sugar and layered them between and on top of the cake for a nice summer dessert.  Click here for the recipe….

Mixed Baby Greens with Fennel, Grapes, Shallots, Blue Cheese and Apricot Vinaigrette

This salad is so good with sliced fennel, grapes, thinly sliced shallots and tossed with an apricot vinaigrette.  I add candied pecans and blue cheese at the end for a slightly sweet and salty bite.  The vinaigrette is made with apricot jam, honey mustard, and rice wine vinegar.  You can chop all the ingredients ahead of time, make the vinaigrette, and toss it all together at the last minute.  This salad is best eaten shortly after tossing with the vinaigrette.  Click here for the recipe….

Fresh Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

I love this quick, simple, no cook pasta sauce as a main course or side dish in the summer when tomatoes and basil are at their peak.  I put cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese and olive oil in a food processor and process a few seconds until chunky (you can also chop it by hand).  Cook some angel hair pasta or spaghetti and put in a serving bowl and add the tomato sauce, toss and serve with a little fresh grated Parmesan over the top and some torn basil.  Save a little of the pasta water and add it to the dish if the pasta needs a little more sauce when tossed.  Couldn’t be more easy! Click here for the recipe….

Grilled New Potatoes

I love grilling new potatoes in the summer because I can make the entire meal on the grill and don’t have to use the stove top or oven.  You can use Yukon Gold, Red Bliss or any potato.  I adapted the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and it is a quick way to make moist and flavorful potatoes on the grill.  In a microwave safe bowl add olive oil, salt, pepper, and you can add minced garlic or garlic powder and fresh or dried herbs.  Cut potatoes (you can also use sweet potatoes) in half or fourths and toss in the oil mixture.  Microwave for 7-8 minutes or until fork tender and drain the oil.  You can make these potatoes up to this point earlier in the day and set aside.  To grill them, tumble the potatoes onto a hot grill and use tongs to arrange them cut side down.  Grill for 2-4 minutes each side until they are lightly golden brown.  Click here for the recipe….

Grilled Summer Pasta

I needed to make a quick dinner for unexpected guests and went to the refrigerator to see what I had on hand.  I decided to marinate chicken breasts, zucchini, onion, red pepper, garlic and tomatoes with fresh herbs and grilled them in my grill basket.  You could make it vegetarian, or use pork, sausages or beef.  I boiled some penne pasta and tossed the cooked chicken and vegetables with Parmesan cheese and some of the pasta water to make it a little saucy and added some fresh herbs for a blast of flavor.  If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, add the dried herbs to the marinade.  If you have fresh herbs, add them at the end of cooking to keep the fresh flavor.  Thyme, rosemary, basil, and oregano all work well in this dish and use whatever you like.  Click here for the recipe….

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Lavash Rolls

Lavash is an Armenian flat bread and Trader Joe’s is now carrying it.  I used to have to buy the dried lavash bread and reconstitute it with water to make it pliable, so this product is great because it is ready to roll.  I bought a jar of Trader Joe’s Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper spread and spread it over the bread, added arugula, fresh basil and capers and rolled it up and then cut it into 1-inch pieces.  It makes a nice healthy alternative to sandwiches and can be served as an appetizer.  You could also add deli turkey or roast beef.  You can make it several hours ahead of time by taking a damp paper towel, laying it over the rolls and wrapping it with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until serving.  Click here for the recipe….