A Daisy Garden

There are so many recipes for meatloaf out there!

I don’t think I’ve made it the same way twice…
It usually depends what I have on hand.

It’s never turned out tasteless, but I have to admit
sometimes it’s been better than others.

Here’s one way I like to make it…

I start  by making sofrito, and giving it a quick cook with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Sofrito is a mixture of green pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and vinegar.
For more on sofrito, click here.

Cook the sofrito in the pan for about 5 minutes and set it aside.

I add the sofrito to the meat mixture.
Sometimes I just use ground turkey,
Other times I use ground beef & turkey sausage — that’s my favorite mixture

To the mixture, I also add:
one egg
1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tb mustard
2 Tb sour cream or yogurt
2 Tb worcestershire sauce
NOTE:  I mix these in a separate bowl before I add it to the meat mixture.

Then, I spread it in a cake pan.
A cake pan??
Yes!
I love the topping most of all– So, instead of using a loaf pan
and just getting a little area of topping,
I spread it out in a cake pan and get a lot of it!  🙂

The topping:  I mix brown sugar, mustard and ketchup in a small bowl.
You can mix it to your taste…
If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar,
if you want it with more of a tangy flavor, add more mustard.

Then, I spread it all over the top of the meatloaf and bake it for one hour at 350.

It’s a classic family meal.

My favorite sides with the meatloaf is, of course, mashed potatoes.
Corn is also good on any day, but especially when it’s fresh.

Are you hungry yet?

Have fun in the kitchen!
I’m linking up today on Tasty Tuesday at Creatively Homespun.

Daisy

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These turkey burgers are perfect for a summer lunch!

This whole meal is an easy, tasty variety of healthy foods…
Turkey burgers, roasted sweet peppers, and sweet potato oven fries.

This is my husband’s plate
(He didn’t have any bread/buns with it).
You can tell he likes mustard with it.

I buy a bag of these small sweet peppers for $2 and they add so much flavor
to so many dishes.  I use them to season black beans, different soups,
and even salads.

I drizzled some olive oil and some balsamic vinegar over the peppers,
then sprinkled Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt over them.
I’ve been using this salt since I was in college when
a sweet lady from church was teaching me how to make potato salad
and she told me, “I never make it without Jane’s salt!”

I buy it at the local Supermarket for $1.79.

I roasted the peppers at 425 in the oven for about 20 min.
I flipped them over once, half-way through cooking.

I also made some sweet potato oven fries to go with the burgers.

This is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to eat sweet potato.
All I do is peel and slice the sweet potatoes,
then I season them with brown sugar, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar,
and I sprinkle just a tiny bit of salt over them.

They’re done in about 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.
For crispier fries, leave them in a few minutes longer.

They come out crispy, sweet, delicious!

My favorites are the ones that look a little burnt – the brown sugar caramelizes on them
and they are crunchy goodness!

While the peppers and the “fries” cooked in the oven, I made the burgers on the skillet.

This is how I seasoned the burgers:

In a small bowl, I mixed together:
1 egg
2 Tb sour cream
3-4 dashes of hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp of: garlic powder and onion powder
1 tsp Jane’s salt
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

I added the mixture to 1 lb of ground turkey.
I shaped 4 patties out of the mixture, and placed on a hot skillet
with 2 tb olive oil, 1 Tb butter, and one half of a large onion, sliced.

I cooked the burgers for 7-10 minutes on med-high heat,
flipped each one and cooked for another 7-10 minutes.
Then I covered the skillet, lowered the heat to the lowest setting
and cooked for another 5-7 minutes.

I turned off the heat and removed the pan from the hot burner,
leaving the burgers covered for an extra 5 minutes.

I toasted the bread for my burger

Then I added the peppers right on top of the patty.

It was a healthy and  delicious meal!

Trying to eat healthier,

Daisy

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Since I haven’t felt like cooking much,
(I’ve been sick…)

but not wanting to eat something from a can,
I decided to try a simple recipe I saw last week
on Food Network by Trisha Yearwood.

Here’s the link to that page:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/pork-chops-and-rice-recipe.html

I made a few changes and loved how it turned out!

It’s an easy recipe with simple ingredients
(which is why I wanted to try it).

I added a few ingredients to the recipe
and changed a few of the measurements.

The most important thing to remember is:
THICK-CUT pork chops.  Thin-cut would dry out.

I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the butter
when I was “sauteing” the rice in the pan.
That insured that I wouldn’t burn the butter
and I like the flavor the olive oil gives to the rice.

Instead of one cup of rice, I used 1 1/2 cups.

I also added green onions for flavor.
I sprinkled them over the rice just before adding the beef broth.

Instead of using a can, I used the carton of beef broth.
I think it tastes a lot better.

I also increased the broth to 3 cups
because of the change in the amount of rice.

I seasoned the pork chops with a sprinkle of garlic powder,
onion powder, salt & pepper.
I placed some onion slices on top
and covered the entire dish with aluminum foil.

My oven isn’t working properly, so after 45 minutes at 350,
I increased the temperature to 375 and left it in for another 15 min.

It was perfect.  The rice was not dry and not too wet.
The pork chops were cooked but not tough.

I wanted a nice sear on the pork chops so I placed them
in a hot cast iron skillet for just a few minutes.

It was the final touch they needed.
They lost the “white, roasted” look
and now looked crispy and delicious.

I steamed some broccoli to round out the meal.

I also added some fresh lemon wedges to sqeeze right over
the pork chops.  It was amazing the difference!  It brought out all the flavors.

My husband thought it was delicious.

I can’t wait to try this recipe using chicken.  I think it’ll be great.

It was wonderful to have a home-cooked meal
with minimal effort.
Since I haven’t been feeling well, an easy recipe was the way to go.

I will be adding this recipe in my new “tried-and-true” file.
It’s nice to have something new to make for friends & family.  🙂

Happy cooking,

Daisy

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Growing up, I must’ve had this sandwich more times than I can remember.

I’ve made it for my kids countless times, and it’s one of their favorite meal choices whenever they come home to visit, or when I am visiting them.

It’s easy, quick, and very delicious!
It feels more like a comforting meal than
just a “sandwich”.

Here’s how I make it:
First, I brown some ground beef
with Sofrito.  For that recipe, just click here.

I also add 2 bay leaves.

Once the ground beef begins to brown,

I add a small can of tomato sauce or tomato paste.

Once it’s cooked, I add a small jar of stuffed green olives.
This is my kids’ favorite part, I think.

While the beef is cooking, I prepare the sandwiches.
It’s almost impossible to find cuban bread where I live.
But if you can find it… Wow.  It’ll make this so much better.
I use the softest french bread I can find.
Stay away from anything too dense.

First I spread mayo on one side, and put some
sliced roma tomatoes sprinkled with salt
on the other side.

After the meat is cooked, I cover it
and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Then I load up the bread with a mound of picadillo.

Oh yes, this would definitely be on my list
of “Comfort Food”.
It’s so delicious.

If you try it,
you won’t be disappointed.

Happy cooking,

Daisy

Pan Con Picadillo

1 lb   ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/4 c   sofrito
Salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
2   bay leaves
1  small can of tomato sauce OR tomato paste
(I use the roasted garlic flavored)
1 tsp  sugar
1 small jar of red pepper-stuffed green olives, DRAINED
For the sandwich: mayo, tomatoes, cuban bread or the closest thing to it

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with sofrito, salt, and bay leaves.
Add tomato sauce/paste when beef is halfway done.  Cover and simmer
for about 5-7 mins on medium.  Add sugar, olives, and stir to make sure
everything is combined.  Cover and cook for 2-3 mins.
Enjoy on a sandwich, or…
it’s also delicious with white rice and black beans!

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