Every man loves meatloaf! Italian Meatloaf

This is one of Joshua’s and my favorite meals to have when the seasons start to change. It’s easy, it makes leftovers and it fills the house with the most amazing smells.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon EVOO
3/4 dry bread crumbs (Italian are the best for this recipe)
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cups black olives
2 tablespoons parmesan

YOU WILL NEED:
Large Mixing Bowl
9x5 baking dish
Large sauté pan
Foil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
On stove top heat EVOO over medium high.
Sauté onion, diced tomatoes, green peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes to burn off any excess water.
In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, and tomato sauce.
Season with oregano, basil, black olives and mozzarella.
Mix in onion, garlic, green peppers and tomatoes.

*TIP - Don't forget to spray a light coat of nonstick cooking spray in your pan to make for easier tranfer to the plate.

Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan and sprinkle parmesan on the top
Cover very loosely with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
If the top does not brown, remove the foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
For extra flavor, pour about a half cup of tomoato sauce over the top and serve with leafy greens and your favorite vegetable side dish.

P.S. I didn't a picture so this one is from the internet :), but close enough!

Preseason Pork Pasta!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love back to school clothes like boots and sweaters. It brings back football games and pumpkin spice soy lattes. Last night was the Seahawks last preseason game and I wanted to make something that welcomed in the fall. This is a take on a recipe that I got from Pappardelle's Pastaria in Pike Place Market.

You will need:

Large Sauté pan

Ingreidents

· 1 pound pork chops (this will usually be 2-4 chops, depending on thickness)
· 4 roma tomatoes
· 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
· 1 cup red wine
· 1 large clove of garlic, minced
· 1 medium sweet onion (Walla Walla’s in the summer are the best!)
· 2 tablespoons EVOO
· 2 cups crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
· Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat EVOO in large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper
3. Sear pork on both sides for 2-3 minutes or until they are a light golden brown
4. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, basil, tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently so ingredients do not burn.
5. Add red wine and bring to a boil. Depending on the water content of the vegetables, you may want to add more wine or even some chicken or beef stock to the broth. Play with it and find the balance that is just right for you.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 mins flipping over the pork every few minutes to cook evenly.
7. Pork should lose all pink and be white throughout.
8. Serve hot over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

*TIP – Try it over Pappardelle’s Garlic Rosemary linguini. To DIE for!

Olé! Spanish Paella

The biggest thing to know about Paella is it is a challenge and a learning experience. It takes a few times of practice to avoid over cooking the seafood and undercooking the rice. This feeds a family of 8 and you will need a huge paella pan. So if you are cooking for less people just cut the recipe in half and you’ll still have tons of leftovers. Please don’t try this for the first time if you are trying to impress someone or if you are on a tight schedule. The first time I made this we didn’t eat until after nine, my kitchen looked like a Kansas after a tornado, the scallops were like chew toys and the rice was crunchy. But, if you have the time, energy and patience it can be a truly incredible meal.

Paella is a rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon near the eastern coast of Spain's Valencian region. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's national dish. However, most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identity symbols. (Info from Wikipedia)

You will need: a BIG paella pan with a lid.

Ingredients

Meat
· Frozen Uncooked Scallops 1 pound
· Frozen Uncooked Peeled Prawns or Large shrimp 1 pound
· Chorizo Sausage Links 2 large links
· Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Tenders – thawed, 1 pound

Vegetables
· 1 large yellow onion
· 2 tomatoes
· 1 Green Pepper
· 1 package frozen peas
· 2 Lemons

Spices
· Saffron
· Fresh parsley
· Bay leaf
· Paprika
· Garlic

Other
· 1 quart Chicken Stock
· 1 bag (1 lbs) Rice – Spanish is preferable
· 1 Bottle Chardonnay
· EVOO

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat paella pan over medium-high heat
3. Fry sausage pieces in the wok until brown on all sides
4. Remove sausage fry the chicken strips in the sausage drippings until browned. The chicken does not need to be thouroughly cooked.
5. Remove chicken and stir in frozen scallops and shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove. Seafood should not be cooked through out.
6. Stir in the uncooked rice, saffron, paprika, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 1 min or until the rice is golden brown. You may need a little EVOO to keep the rice from burning.
7. Stir in and Sauté onions, green pepper, tomato, peas and garlic for 5 minutes, or until tender.
8. Add chicken stock and wine and bring to a simmer.
9. Add chicken pieces and sausage, cover and simmer on the stove top for about 20 minutes.
10. Place seafood on top of the mixure.
11. Cover and bake in the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until seafood is cooked through and rice is tender.
12. Once the rice is nearly done, remove from the heat and let it absorb the remaining water.
13. Paella usually has a crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom (called socarrat in Valencia but pegado in Latin America) that is considered a delicacy.
14. There are two ways to achieve socarrat/pegado: The first is to time the evaporation of the water properly with the completion of the rice; the second is to use a high flame while listening to the rice toast at the bottom of the pan.
15. You then removes the paella from the heat once the aroma of toasted rice wafts upwards. The paella then must sit for about five minutes before serving.
16. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon.
17. Serve Hot with a sweet white wine or a Sangiovese

Oh yes it's ladies night and the food is right! Baked Sun Dried Tomato Goat Cheese and Farmers Market Quesadillas

I don’t have many “true-isms” but of course, I do have a few. And one that really rings with me is only be friends with women who like to eat. I can’t stand girls who don’t eat. You want to be healthy, good for you. But not eating has nothing to do with being healthy!! Get your booty to hot yoga or run a marathon and then eat the dang cheeseburger and stop hating yourself! And that is my rant on the subject.

I feel so blessed to know lots of wonderful women who like to live, laugh, love (coined from Miss Larson) cook and EAT! I am surrounded by such impressive women who I either grew up with, met in college, through work and I’m even blessed to have my guy friend’s spouses be amazing!

Tuesday was Ladies Wine (or whine if the mood strikes) Night with Emily, Katie, Stephanie and Liv (that’s pronounced Leave. Not Leaf, or Life or Live…LEAVE. And she doesn’t want you to get out of here when she says her name J). These are the girls who I fell in love with when my best guy friends from high school introduced me to their girlfriends and then, their girlfriend’s friends.

It was the first house warming party at the new pad and I was so excited for these gals to see it. These girls all know how to cook so I am working on getting the recipes from them (of course I forgot after the wine started flowing!). These are all great party dishes, pretty fast and easy but unique and delicious.
I hope you get to try a few out at a party this holiday season.

Baked Goat Cheese with Sun Dried Tomato Olive Oil

Ingredients
· Disc of goat cheese
· ½ cup EVOO
· 1 teaspoon dried basil
· 1 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1 tablespoon sundried tomato pesto (or minced sundried tomatoes)

I love this recipe because it is so easy! First, go to the deli cheese section of your grocery store. Look for a 1” thick disc of goat cheese. They are about 3” in diameter and a good one is about six or seven dollars. I almost grabbed a loaf until I realized it was almost seventy dollars and would have fed an army.

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre heat oven to 375.
2. Mix all ingredients, save the goat cheese, in a small mixing bowl and stir until all ingredients are blended together and the oil is a clear redish color.
3. Place the goat cheese on a porcelain plate that you wish to serve from

*TIP – Check the oven safe temperature on the bottom of the plate before proceeding. Most plates are safe up to 450.

4. Pour the oil mix over the top of the goat cheese and set aside for 15-30 mins to let the oil soak into the cheese and to allow the cheese time to become room temperature.
5. Bake for 5-8 mins or until the cheese begins to melt on the edges.
6. Serve hot with fresh French bread or sourdough.

Farmers Market Vegetable Quesadillas

You will need:

Large Sauté pan
Cooking Sheet
Cooking Spray

Ingredients
· 1 zucchini – quartered and diced
· ¼ cup red onion, diced
· ½ package button mushrooms – sliced
· 1 bell pepper (red, orange or yellow) – diced
· Optional: yellow squash, black olives, eggplant, etc.
· 2 tablespoons EVOO
· 4 Flour tortillas
· 1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese (I like the Tillamook Mexican blend in the bag!)
· Salsa
· Sour Cream
· Avocado for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Pre heat oven to 350.
2. In a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
3. Spray cooking sheet with a light layer of spray. Place two tortillas on the pan and do a layer of cheese, layer of vegetables, another layer of cheese and then place the top tortilla on.
4. Bake for 10-15 mins.
5. Slice with a pizza cutter and serve warm with sour cream, salsa and avocado or guacamole

Cucumber Sandwiches – Coming Soon

Cucumber and Dill Salad – Coming Soon

Spinach Dip & Artichoke Jalapeño Dip - Coming Soon

Crème Brule – Coming Soon