MEATLOAF ROULADE

Above: All my ingredients for a great dinner!

(TURKEY) MEATLOAF ROULADE

I’ve been craving a meatloaf but I also want to keep the fat down – solution?  Turkey meat loaf made with 94% fat-free fresh ground turkey – and since turkey can be dry, I’m going to stuff it (thus the roulade) – this will keep it moist and make it stellar.

What I’ll need: 2 eggs, 2 zucchini (or 3 carrots), 1 lb of ground turkey, some rye bread crumbs, ½ cup oatmeal, some crumbled goat cheese, 1 large yellow onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves of raw garlic and fresh herbs.

Side dish: Smashed Yukon gold potatoes, a bright green salad (arugula – I’m addicted to it and its in season, a granny smith apple) and I have a ¼ bottle of Cabernet left from Valentine’s Day – I’ll make a red wine reduction with it.  It sounds fancy but don’t be fooled – it’s easy and you’ll feel like a Master Chef!

Veggie prep is easy - just remember to seek flat surfaces for stability and safety.

BACK TO BASICS NOTE: Whenever we slice anything we always seek a flat surface. Cut round veggies in half – place the flat side down for stability.  This saves fingers!

The veggie prep: wash the zucchini, the herbs (sage) and the celery.  Cut off the tops and the bottoms.  Peel the onion and the garlic – rough cut these.  I have a wonderful little grinder – I want these minced.



Simply rough cut the onions, garlic and sage leaves.

The first pulse leaves everything minced... perfect!

Scrape ½ of the minced garlic/herb and onion mix into a bowl.  Toss in 1 whole egg, some dry oregano, dry thyme, ½ tsp kosher salt, 3 good grinds of fresh ground black pepper, and the turkey. 

I’m going to put the celery through my food processor with the grater attachment.  Take out any fibers – you don’t want them in the mix.  The grated celery will add another element of flavor and moisture to the turkey so it’s worth the trouble.  If you don’t have a food processor, simply chop it extra fine.

Everything is now ready to blend gently with a spatula.

Above: the ground turkey, goat cheese, oatmeal, grated celery, minced onion/garlic/sage + a dash of cayenne (for heat and depth of flavor), a dash of allspice (or fresh ground nutmeg), 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper – read to mix.

Mix everything fully but don’t overwork it (makes it tough).  At this point the mix is going to be wet – add the crumbs – a bit at a time, till it all holds together.  It resembles bread batter when it's right.

perfect consistency - moist but holds together.

Note: You’ll know when it’s at the right consistency because the mixwill pull away from the bowl

Now, I can focus on the stuffing.  I use the food processor to grate the zucchini – a hand-held grater will also work – but will take a bit more time and care.  Cut them in half and push them through – voila!  Toss the grated zucchini into another bowl, add an egg white (toss the yolk), add salt, pepper, cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste – grate a bit of fresh nutmeg for brightness and the remainder of the minced onion mixture. 

The stuffing is prepped and ready to mix.

Note: The egg white will help bind it.  It is a bit wet, and that’s okay.  If you use carrots instead, the stuffing will be dryer.

BACK TO BASICS Note: having good tools in the kitchen makes easier work of it all.  Get an electric grinder, a food processor, they really are great timesavers.

Now we’re going to assemble.  Use aluminum foil to cover a baking sheet.  Place another sheet shiny side down, here you can use a little spray oil, or simply brush on some olive oil to the foil.  This will help it all release later.  Spread the turkey mixture out onto the wax paper.  Try to get an even thickness and a rectangular shape.  Next, spread the zucchini stuffing mixture just short of the edges also, as evenly as possible.

Be playful here - it's like coloring - you want to stay inside the lines of the rectangular turkey mix.

Now, it’s ready to assemble.  To make the roulade (it’s like a turkey jelly roll), use the wax paper as a guide.  Lift it up and as you lift, you move everything evenly to the center of the baking dish.  Oiling the bottom piece of foil serves 2 purposes.  It will keep the roulade from sticking later, and it makes it slide now.

easy does it....nice and steady.

Keep rolling until the seam is on the bottom.  Use the wax paper to even it all out and seal the ends.  The zucchini mixture is watery – sop up the excess with paper towels – if you don’t, the liquid will keep your meatloaf from sealing shut.  Not a disaster, but it won’t be pretty.  Pat the outside of the loaf dry, and make sure to close off the ends.  Use your fingers.  Also, if it's a bit lopsisded, use the wax paper to help round it out and form it. 

Finally, to seal in the flavors, sprinkle some seasoned flower over it.  (1/4 cup of white flour with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme – all whisked together).  The flower will help seal in the juices. 

I'm going to tent it with foil and then bake it.

Tent it with foil (make a crease down the center of you foil to keep it off the meat – and place into a preheated 350F oven for 35 minutes. 

While the loaf bakes, slice the Yukon gold potatoes and a peeled clove of garlic + an herb from your theme of the night (thyme, oregano or sage).  Rough cut them evenly and cover with water.  Add a generous dose (a heaping tbsp) of kosher salt.  Boil till a knife goes in easily.  Drain the water, add a dollop of light sour cream and smash it all thoroughly (you now have garlic smashed potatoes). 

boil the evenly cut potatoes on med-high till they're fork tender.

Put the red wine into a small sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Add 3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, a touch of salt, some fresh black pepper and a spring of sage.  Also add a good tablespoon of strawberry or black raspberry jam (this is a trick I learned from very good Danish friends) – and as it reduces by half, it becomes glossy and fantastic.  Add a pat of butter and voila: red wine reduction extraordinaire! 

this red wine reduction will make you feel very "Mater Chef"!!!

Peel and slice the apple for the salad.  I’ve got some of my go-to vinaigrette in the fridge – dress the apple with the dressing (the acid in the dressing keeps it from going brown).  Prep the greens (arugula) and compose the salad (make it pretty) by laying the apple slices on top.

The salad is prepped, the wine is flowing, the red wine reduction is glossy - dinner is done!

BTW: I’m sharing this meal with a friend who is a Master Chef in his own right.  But, no worries – this is a foolproof crowd pleaser.

Uncover the loaf and brush on any juices – this final basting will help it brown.  Put back into the oven for 10-15 minutes.  Then, take your roulade out of the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.


Let it rest before you slice it.  It's the secret to juicy meat, pork, lamb and chicken dishes.

I began this meal with the salad… American style.  Next came the turkey roulade with smashed garlic potatoes and a drizzle of my red wine reduction made it all spectacular!  Please join me on this journey from my kitchen to you table - Enjoy!

See:  guilt free and lots of TADA!

This is a meatloaf is jam packed with so much flavor… you’ll stay up daydreaming about the leftovers.  Note:  it slices even better cold for lunch the next day.

This is truly meat and potatoes with zero guilt and quite a bit of TADAH!

NOTE:  If you use carrots instead of zucchini, grate and toss with a bit of brown sugar for added depth of flavor.  The carrots are drier at the start, but the result will be the same, a moist delicious treat for the eyes that is an upgrade on a meatloaf.

Here's the carrot filled version - an excellent lunch served with red cabbage and carrot salad

Always feel free to send me your questions.  Are you trying any of these recipes out?  I’d love to hear how it goes for you.

 

A ROMANTIC VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER FOR 2

Dining out on Valentine’s Day can fall short of the mark: the restaurants are crowded, their staff is harried, they rush you because they want to turn the table over to the next diners… not anybody’s idea of romance. 

I’m suggesting a different approach…. This menu is a little daring, has a bit of drama, but it will definitely set the mood.

MENU:

Potato gnocchi – sage, olive oil and garlic

Citrus stuffed rainbow trout

with mashed sweet potatoes

Arugula and roasted fennel salad

in citrus dressing with goat cheese

Boxed Chocolates with fresh berries

Making out on the couch

The prep on this meal should take 35 minutes.  You can do most of it in advance. 

The first thing I do is brine the fish.  I always do this unless it was caught the same day: ¼ cup table salt, large pan, 2 cups ice, cover the fish or fillets with water.  Set the fish in this brine (salted water) for 10 minutes.  It will turn murky because the salt is clearing the fish.  This brining will make it taste like it just came out of the lake (or the sea if it’s a snapper, etc.).



Lake trout in saltwater brine

Now we’re going to prep all the veggies.  Start with the fennel – cut off the bottom and most of the tough frond top. 


Whole Fennel Bulb



Slice it lengthwise

Save the tops and the fronds – all of this has a delicate anis aroma which we’ll use to perfume the delicate fish. 

BACK TO BASICS NOTE: Whenever we slice anything we always seek a flat surface.

Cut the bulb in half using your sharpest knife (dull knives cut fingers).  The fennel has a slightly tough central core.  I use it to keep my slices together.  Dress the sliced bulb and set it into the oven to roast @ 450F for about ten minutes until it looks translucent and the tips are browning.  Pull it out and let it cool on the counter.



While the fennel is roasting, peel and cube the sweet potatoes (1 med one per person is more than enough).  And we repeat the process: cut it in half lengthwise (flat surface) and then cube.  Just cover with water, pinch of salt, a clove or nutmeg + a bay leaf, and 2 sage leaves.  All this will add depth to this side dish.  Set it to boil and let it go.

NOTE:  This is a perfect opportunity to sweeten the garlic (check out my second blog entry for directions).  Add to cloves to this water and fish them out in 5 minutes.  Why?  Sharp garlic breath isn’t very kissable.



we cube them so they cook evenly

Now we’re going to prep the citrus.  Like when we decorate a home, in cooking you also create a theme.  This meal will have ruby grapefruit, sage, and fennel in every course.  It’s like using a color palette for your living room.

At this point turn the oven on to 350F.  You can put the fish in now or after you clear the pasta – it will be done in 7-10 minutes…. This is the perfect time to make the vinaigrette – use the grapefruit juice you set aside with just a splash of rice or white wine vinegar, light flavorless oil, salt and pepper, Dijon and a pinch of sugar.  Add some of the fennel fronds or some sage to complete the dressing.

Serve the Gnocchi – a small portion for each – if you have leftovers, you can heat those up for lunch tomorrow.

Cut the fruit in half (flat surface gives you control).  Peel the skin away.  Save a small portion of it.  If you feel daring, do some citrus imperial for the salad, if not, it’s okay.

Half of a Ruby grapefruit - peel it completely don't leave the white pith

Imperiale - it's easier than you think

Imperiale is a fancy name for slicing the flesh out of the citrus, leaving all the membranes behind.  It takes a steady hand and a very sharp knife.  Follow the membranes through the flesh till all the juicy fruit comes off the knife in whole sections – place into your salad bowl.  Remove any seeds and set the juice aside for the salad dressing.

I used half of a ruby grapefruit, the other half I sliced to stuff my trout.  Let’s finish prepping the fish: wash off the brine.  Then with my very sharp kitchen shears, cut off his tail and his fins (they burn and look unappetizing once baked).  Rub a bit of oil on the outside of the fish.  Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the trout.  Stuff with citrus slices and a couple of sage leaves.

NOTE:  Don’t want to see his eyes?  Cut off the head or have your fishmonger do this.  Don’t want to fillet him at the table?  That’s okay too – have the fishmonger at your market fillet the fish.  You’ll simplify the process.  Brine it, dress it (salt and pepper) and lay the citrus over it.  You can also do this with a whole snapper and any other delicate white fleshed fish.  You can also do this with salmon, but it’s a stronger flavor, use a small piece so it won’t be heavy and salmon goes better with lemons.  Remember: Too full a belly impairs romance!

Gorgeous!



Delicious!  Add a few hot chili flakes for extra zing!

I usually mash up the sweet potatoes with a bit of light sour cream.

Check the fish.  If it’s done, the outside is starting to look crispy, and when you touch it, it has bounce.  You don’t want to dry it out – no more than 10 minutes @350F.  Remove the baked citrus with tongs and plate it whole on a platter with the mashed sweet potatoes.



Very fancy!

If you’re brave, at the table, using a knife and a fork, or better still, a sharp edged pie spatula cut off the head.  Now, peel off the skin and then follow the natural curve of the fillet – get under it and separate it from the central bone ridge.  Serve the deboned fillet on the plate.



Use the fine china!

Notice that the fish is moist and delicately perfumed by the combination of citrus and fennel.  The next fillet is even easier to serve – lift the bony ridge right off the flesh – voila!  Fillet #2.

After you clear these plates, you serve the salad.  Be creative.  I added farm fresh vine tomatoes, a bit of goat cheese, the cooled roasted fennel and arugula.  Dress it and toss at the table.  If you dress it too early, it goes mushy.

Desert I leave completely up to you!  Break out the boxed chocolates, some berries, be creative.

PS – I welcome your questions and comments!  I hope this inspires you to bring your passions to the kitchen!

Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

I used the tough stalks and fronds of the fennel as a bed to lay the fish over. As these roast they’ll also perfume the fish.

Now I’m going to prep the gnocchi.  At this point, the sweet potatoes are soft so I fish them out of the water and into another sauce pan with a lid.  I want these to stay warm.  Add more water to the remaining brew, throw in a few slices of grapefruit peel and bring to a high boil.  This is where the gnocchi will land once it comes to a rolling boil.

NOTE: You can make your own gnocchi – I’ll give you a great recipe for it, but commercially vacuum packed potato gnocchi are superb.  Lets only put love into the pot, stress isn’t tasty.

The pasta doesn't need to swim in sauce - a little goes a long way.

Now we make the sauce: peel the garlic and throw it into your mortar and pestle.  A drizzle of olive oil with some kosher or sea salt and a sage leaf – mash it to make a paste.  Scrape into a bowl with four or five sliced up sage leaves (use a knife or your handy dandy kitchen shears – remember to wash them after cutting fish).  Take a small curl of grapefruit skin and cut it very fine.  This also goes into the bowl.  Add two turns of parmesan cheese and a small pat of butter for shine.  Throw the gnocchi into the boiling water and fish them out as soon as they float. 

COLD PRESSED OLIVE OIL

I went to Central Italy in the fall for the olive harvest.  Being a city person, I’d never thought about how all that wonderful, rich, buttery olive oil gets to my kitchen shelves.

Above: An olive tree ready to be harvested on my gentleman farmer friend’s estate. 

It was a thrilling experience to be a part of something so ancient – human beings have been picking these berries of trees just like this one for thousands of years! 

Though my real job was to feed our hungry motley crew of friends and family in for the harvest, I also traipsed through the muddy hills and did my share of picking. 

Above: Here, our olives begin the process.  First they’re washed, then, they’re sorted (leaves and twigs are removed), then they’re pressed under enormous stones or milled by machine.  Either way – it’s a cold process. 

While I was at it, my curiosity was piqued: I tasted a nice, juicy, ripe black olive, right off the tree – horrendous!  It tastes toxic! 

How did those first people come up with the idea of picking them and then squishing them with heavy stones to extract their oil?  It’s one of those food mysteries I always ponder… like fluffy egg whites peaks, mayonnaise, whipped cream, etc. – all strange and wonderful products that probably come to us through much trial and error.

Above: On our way to the mill – the Tuscan countryside is stunning!

Above: The cold pressed olive oil is flowing through the spigot – ready for a final filtering and then decanting.

The final product is surprisingly green in this part of the world.  And it’s flavor is as complex as most wines.  It has a beginning nutty palate which is rich like a salted butter and then goes down the throat with a touch of spicy chilly… so much character!  Sensational oil to use to finish a dish!

Above: This is a 5 liter canister of our rich, green oil…. Tuscan gold is really olive green.

This got me thinking.

Here in the states, cooks are trained to only use olive oil to finish dishes.  We’re taught to use light, flavorless oil for frying, sautéing and vinaigrettes.  On top of it, we’ve been brainwashed into accepting canola oil as the go-to oil for all our actual cooking.

Upon investigation I’ve developed some concerns:

1.      It (canola), along with corn and soy oils, is extracted at very high temperatures.  The temperatures are so high that I doubt any nutritional value remains in them… this is why it has such a great shelf-life... it’s dead. 

2.     All these oils are also extracted with the use of solvents – specifically hexane.  I’ve never gone anywhere and asked a waiter to please add some hexane to my fish.  Have you?

3.     Peanut oil – a great alternative has a very high allergic response.

I still love my olive oil.  And I’m finding it in all the markets I frequent (looks for Extra Virgin “COLD PRESSED” – it’s noticeably better).

Note: Light olive oil may be mixed with palm oil, and if it’s simply marked olive oil, it’s the second, third or even the fourth press of the processed olives – they use heat and may also use some solvents to assist in the extraction.

However, I still want light, flavorless oil for my vinaigrettes! 

I’m now using “expeller pressed” Safflower or Sunflower oil.  I’m finding these readily in the markets I frequent.  Like the soy and canola, they have no trans-fats, and unlike them, they are absolutely hexane free.

HERE’S MY GO-TO VINAIGRETTE:

Above: I use it as a salad dressing, veggie sauce, and a marinade.
Ingredients: light flavorless oil, good white wine or rice vinegar*, a tsp of Dijon mustard, pinch of sugar, kosher or sea salt, fresh thyme or dill – chopped fine (you can also use dry), fresh ground black pepper.

Proportions are the key: Most vinaigrettes are 1to 3 but I prefer a 1 to 2 proportion of oil to vinegar… ¼ cup of oil and ½ cup of vinegar. 

Whisk or use the tines of a fork to emulsify them.  Add the Dijon and emulsify them. (emulsify = mix thoroughly)

Now add the condiments, and voila!  This salad dressing is also a rocking marinade for chicken and fish, plus it will put a definite zing to your blanched veggies.  Enjoy!
A DIET NOTE FOR ALL OF YOU:  Relax and put love into the pot and it will nourish you (and anyone else who eats your food with you).  Nobody needs or wants to eat stress so let’s keep it out of the casserole.  Remember: champagne, cheese, and butter are all glorious mistakes.
FOOTNOTE: *white vinegar should only be used for washing windows.