Mini Beef Meatloaves

I grew up not really liking meatloaf much. I think it was because there was a bright red ketchup sauce on top and I hated ketchup. I know, I know - weird kid. Having a blog opens me up to sharing about myself and you will probably all learn a lot of interesting quirks about me if you keep following. I was not a normal kid - and I guess may not be considered a normal adult either!

As I grew into my adult self, I began to be able to tolerate ketchup a little more, so decided to try meatloaf again. The first recipe I tried was a mini meatloaf that was cooked in the skillet and had a grown up ketchup type sauce on top. I decided to take that general idea and apply some twists and was actually pleased with the result. 

One unique thing I did to my meatloaves, was add shredded vegetables. I think a lot of people have difficulty getting their kiddos (or spouse) to want to eat veggies, so I continue to think about ways to sneak them in to make the meal more nutritious. No, Zach doesn't have problems eating his vegetables, but I guess just practice for when we have our own kids. I find any ground meat dish is an easy place to conceal ingredients, so decided to add some to this dish. Adding shredded veggies, not only add nutrients, but helps keep the meat moist, which is important especially in this case when you are cooking in the oven for a longer period of time. Give it a try - I bet your kids won't even notice.

For my sauce, my secret ingredient is agave nectar. Agave nectar is a natural sweeter made from the same plant as tequila and is mostly produced in South Africa and Mexico. Agave nectar is sweeter than sugar and honey, although not near as thick as honey.

Also, with my meatloaves, I decided to do all beef. A lot of recipes call for a mix of  beef, veal and pork - use whatever ground meat you would like. I picked all beef, simply because that is what I had. 

Hope you enjoy!

Mini Beef Meatloaves

Adapted by Food Network’s Mini Skillet Meatloaves

Servings: 6 mini loaves

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

Carrot, ¼ cup - shredded

Zucchini, ¼ cup - shredded

Onion, 1 small -  finely chopped

Garlic, 2 small cloves - chopped

Worcestershire sauce, 3 T

Egg, 1

Bread crumbs, ¼ cup

Milk, ¼ cup

Parsley, ¼ cup

Salt and Pepper

Sauce:

Agave nectar, 2 T (can use honey if you would like)

Tomato paste, 6 oz can

Apple cider vinegar, 2 T

Lemon juice, freshly squeezed from one small lemon

Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop parsley, onion and garlic and set aside in a large bowl. If you don't like onion texture, you may want to cook the onion in a skillet for a few minutes to soften it up before adding to the beef. Or you can grate the onion, so you only get the flavor, not the texture. Next, using a box grater, shred the carrot and zucchini until you get approximately 1/4 cup of each. Veggies have a lot of moisture and we want some of it in our dish, but not all of it. Place the shredded veggies in either a thin dishtowel or paper towel (making sure the paper towel doesn't rip) and gently press to ring out extra moisture.

Better Bonus Tip: If you think your picky eater will notice the color, you could do all zucchini - not as easy to recognize!
 
Add remaining meat loaf ingredients to the bowl, mix well and place the bowl in the fridge while you make the sauce. This will make it easier to form the loafs.

  
In a separate bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.

Form meat mixture into 6 small meatloaves and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the top of each loaf with sauce (you won’t use all of the sauce).  Feel free to play around with the size and shape to allow for the quantity of meatloaves you need for your meal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  

Optional: Warm remaining sauce and serve with meatloaves.

Use one of the cooking methods from last month and serve with a side of veggies and mashed potatoes.

 

I would love to hear if you made this with the veggies - did your kids (or anti veggie spouse) notice? 

~Ashley

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Meal Planning 101

I had a request to do a blog entry on meal planning. I know there are some meal planners out there, but there are also a good handful of people that do not. My mom was always a meal planner so I grew up doing this, but have chosen to continue to do this in my adult life, because I truly believe it is beneficial. I plan my meals for the week, but also know there are people out there that are able to plan meals for a month. That is amazing, but I haven’t gotten there yet!

Today I will share some of the tips I use when planning meals and hopefully they will help you, if this is something you struggle with.

I plan my meals on a Thursday or Friday, with hopes of getting to the grocery store on Saturday and Sunday to buy food for the following week. When I am ready to sit down and plan my meals, I have a few tools that assist me: my computer, zip drive, a notebook and a piece of paper for a grocery list. 

There are a couple of additional items I feel are imperative to successful meal planning:

• A good catalog of recipes
• Well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer

First, lets talk about the recipe catalog. I have both electronic recipes and actual cookbooks, but tend to prefer the electronic versions because I can organize them easier. There are many online recipe storage sites, but I like to keep mine on a zip drive because there are no storage limits and I can organize them the way I desire. Any recipes I have obtained from the internet, I store on a zip drive in a word document format and save them into pre-established folders. The folder names I use to organize the recipes are the main ingredient or type of food, for example chicken, beef, soup, salad, etc. I also have one folder that is titled To Try, which I add to anytime I find a new recipe.  Lastly, since I like to cook without recipes, anytime I see a technique, idea or eat something that I want to try to re-create, I jot that down as well on an ongoing list. 

Even though I prefer electronic recipes, I do own quite a few cookbooks. Anytime I buy or receive a cookbook as a gift, I go through it and either write down different items I know I would like to try out of it or simply flag them. Yes, I love organization and am a bit type A, but these steps really do help. When I am ready to start planning my meals for the week, I can reference these items. I am not going to pretend this won't be time consuming the first time you sit down to do this, so if you would prefer, gradually start your recipe catalog. Do what works for you, if you don't want to do it electronically, get a folder or binder and organize them that way - the key is finding something you can and will maintain, because it really will save you time in the long run!

A well stocked pantry, refrigerator and freezer are also vital and should consist of items you always have and can use in meals. A well stocked pantry should consist of various grains, pastas and rice; beans - all varieties; stocks - chicken, beef, vegetable; and various condiments, sauces, oils, vinegars, etc. You should find eggs, dairy products like cheese, milk and butter in a well stocked refrigerator. A well stocked freezer should consist of a variety of proteins, which I buy in bulk and freeze. Buying in bulk not only drives the cost down, but will help ensure you always have some proteins on hand. I also make sure I always have a variety of frozen veggies.

Better Bonus Tip: I love my Seal a Meal food storage kitchen appliance. It allows me to freeze food in quantities that can be thawed appropriately for Zach and I, in twos or fours. When freezing the food, air and oxygen are removed, which prevents oxidation and freezer burn keeping the nutritional value of food high. Plus, if you are freezing your meat and also planning your meals, you will know the night before what meat needs to be thawed for the next day's meal.

So now that we have talked about the tools that can assist with successful meal planning, lets move onto some tips to keep in mind when sitting down to actually plan the meals. Keep reading for my top ten tips for Meal Planning 101.

Tip #1 - Think about how many days you want to plan meals for. I think most people will automatically think everyday. I do not do that because things can come up and we do like to eat out. I typically plan dinners for Sunday thru Thursday, that way if we don’t feel like eating what we had planned one night, we still have Friday and Saturday to eat that dinner and won’t end up wasting the ingredients. Whatever the number days you want to plan meals for, use a notebook and write out the days and the specific meal you need to cook for. We don't ever include breakfast, but do so if you would like.

For example:
 
Sunday
    Lunch
    Dinner
 
Monday
    Lunch
    Dinner                                                              and so on....

Tip #2 - Think about what is going on during that week. Are there nights you need meals that don’t take as long to get ready because you have a sporting event to get to? Are there nights you are going to be eating later, so you want a lighter meal? Is lunch provided at work one day? Are there certain days you definitely want left overs for lunch - what meals would allow for that?

Tip #3 - Look at what is on sale that week or any coupons you have and try to plan meals using those ingredients.

Tip #4 - Plan meals using the same ingredients so you will have less waste. For example, if you need romaine lettuce and tomatoes for a taco salad, make sure you have bacon and bread so you can make a BLT for lunch one day to use up the rest of the romaine and tomatoes.

Tip #5 - Alternate protein each day for variety. Do a beef entree one night, vegetarian one night, chicken one night, seafood and salad the remaining two nights.

Tip #6 - Always have enough items in your pantry to make at least one easy unplanned meal. This can be accomplished by always making sure you have a well stocked pantry (and refrigerator and freezer). I think one of the biggest questions I get is, “What if we don’t feel like eating what we have planned?”  If you have enough items in your pantry to put together a few meals, you now have options. If you don't want to make the planned meal, make one of your pantry meals.  

Tip #7 - Plan a meal that includes mostly pantry items, with maybe one or two additional fresh ingredients. If something comes up and you want to go eat BBQ at the local restaurant instead, there will only be a couple of ingredients that will need to be used later in the week to avoid going bad and being wasted, instead of all of the ingredients for the entire meal. Pasta is usually this for us - add a protein, some fresh ingredients and top it with some cheese and either an oil/vinegar or tomato sauce.

Tip #8 -  Keep in mind meals that take the same time to make 2 or 10 servings. I always make a lot and freeze what is left so it allows for a quick meal later on in the month - soup, hamburgers, ground meat for pasta/mexican, cooked chicken breasts, etc.

Tip #9 - Plan your grocery list and items needed, in the flow of the store. This is a huge time saver when you are actually shopping.

Tip #10 - Anything that can be done ahead of time, when time allows, do that. When you get home from the grocery store on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, go ahead and wash and chop up your veggies for the week.

There are many benefits in my opinion to planning meals. At the end of a work day, the last thing I want to do is think about what I need to make for dinner and go to the grocery store to pick up any last minute ingredients. If you plan your meals in advance, you only have to do it once a week instead of every single day. You also are more proactive and efficient at the grocery store because you know what you need for that week. My favorite benefits are saving money and less waste - you won't need to eat out as much, and will probably end up not over buying (and eventually wasting).

For the meal planners out there already - do you have any other tips that work for you and your family?

For those of you who want to give it a try - let me know how it goes. I don't think you will regret it.

 

~Ashley

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Homemade Three Course Valentine's Day Dinner

One of my goals of this blog is to get people to not dread being in the kitchen. Cooking can be fun, especially if your significant other, friends or family cook with you. This particular entry is dedicated to sharing a three course meal you can make at home, along side your special someone to celebrate Valentine's Day. Light some candles, turn on some music, open a bottle of wine and have fun!

First up is an appetizer! Zach and I have a friend that went to Culinary School and lives in Cape Cod during the Spring, Summer and Fall. Every winter when he comes home to KC for the off season, he comes over and cooks for us. I love it!! He is my own personal cooking instructor. This appetizer takes a couple of techniques I learned from him.  

Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp and a Beef Gastrique

Ingredients:

Shrimp, 3-4 per person (I like a large variety, the smaller the count number the larger the shrimp)

Spaghetti squash (smallest one you can get - you will have left overs) 

White wine vinegar, 1/4 cup

Sugar, 1/4 cup

Beef broth, 1/2 cup

Chives 2-4 T 
Oil
Salt and Pepper

Spaghetti squash has a firm shell, just like other squashes, but the primary difference is the consistency of the inside. When cooked the inside can be shredded into stings similar to spaghetti pasta - hints the name. To cook the squash, place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Similar to a baked potato, you should use a fork or knife to make slits or holes to release air and pressure to avoid bursting. Once done cooking, let cool.

 

Better Bonus Tip: This step can be done the day before to save time, but the squash will need to be stored in the fridge. 

Next up, we need to make the gastrique. A gastrique is equal parts of vinegar and sugar warmed and reduced. I decided to use white wine vinegar for my gastrique. Place 1/4 cup sugar into a small sauce pan and add 1/4 cup vinegar. Turn on heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil, making sure to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, turn down heat to medium low and let simmer until starts to reduce (decrease quantity and slightly thicken). At this point the gastrique is a bit of a sweet and sour sauce, so add 1/2 cup beef broth to balance out the flavors. After the beef broth is added and the mixture cooks for a few more minutes, taste (don't burn your tongue!) and adjust flavors to fit your liking. Turn the heat down to low to keep warm until the rest of the dish is ready. 

While the sauce is cooking, turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees. We are going to cook the shrimp in the oven. Before baking, make sure the shell is off and they are deveined (you can buy them this way). Toss shrimp in oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

Lastly, we need to prepare the squash. Slice open the slightly cooled squash and remove the seeds. Then use the prongs on a fork and scrap the insides of the squash and it will be begin to shred into thin strips.

To assemble, place a couple of spoon fulls of the gastrique onto a plate. Then place a mound of the squash in the center of the liquid and place shrimp around the edges. Sprinkle with chives for color. 

Better Bonus Tips:  The squash is best at room temperature to slightly warm, so if you made the squash the night before, after shredding it, you may want to warm a bit.

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Now that the appetizer is done, lets move onto the main course. When I first decided to do my blog I decided I was going to really focus on food that I made on my own, without following a recipe step by step - my own creations if you will.  Well this particular main dish is not my own creation. I thought, is there a way I can modify this to make it my own, but honestly, just couldn't bring myself to do it. There is nothing I can do to make it better or different in a good way. It is so delicious and an elegant dish, that it fit in perfectly to the 'line up'. Plus, I figured you will get a lot of recipes with this particular blog entry, so one that isn't mine is okay - right? 

I have made this for my neighbors and some friends, in addition shared it with a friend to make for her husband on his birthday - continues to be highly approved! I think the proscuitto and sauce make this dish. For those of you that have never used proscuitto before, it is an Italian ham. It can be purchased at most deli counters, but can be a bit more pricy than other deli meats. The good thing is you want them to make paper thin slices, so it won't end up weighing that much, but feel free to use regular ham if you need to cut costs. Just remember to have them shave the slices very thin! Crispy, salty deliciousness!

By the way, you will notice the ingredients and directions are much more descriptive than when I write a recipe - I am working on that! 

Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Cubes with Mustard Pan Sauce

From the kitchen of Cooking for a Better Tomorrow, courtesy of Food Network 

Ingredients:

1 pound tender cut beef, cut into roughly 2-inch cubes to make 12 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound prosciutto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small shallot, diced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves 

Sprinkle beef on all sides with black pepper. Wrap beef cubes with enough prosciutto to cover entirely. Be sure that prosciutto doesn't overlap more than once. Place wrapped cubes seam side down on a plate. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter has melted add beef cubes, seam-side down to seal, then saute until crisp on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare. Remove beef and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Add shallots to pan and saute 1 minute to soften. Add chicken stock and scrape up brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Whisk in mustard and heavy cream and cook 1 minute more to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. 

Better Bonus Tip: Make sure to use a plastic cutting board when working with the beef. 

Better Bonus Tip: This recipe serves four, so either cut it in half or leave as is and you will have left overs.

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So what should you have with the beef? Try these delicious crispy potatoes!  

 

Smashed Roasted Potatoes

Adapted by Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes

Ingredients:

Small potatoes, yukon gold or new potatoes (2-3 per person)

Garlic, 2 cloves chopped

Chives, 4 T chopped 

Lemon, 1

Sour Cream, 1 cup

Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Place potatoes in cool water and bring the water to a boil. Salt water and boil until fork tender (fork can be inserted into the potato and easily removed), approx 10 minutes. 

Better Bonus Tip: Adding the potatoes to cool water allows for equal cooking time and consistency of the potatoes' skin and flesh. 

 

Once potatoes are fork tender, remove from water and place on greased baking sheet and let them cool slightly.  Next, use a potato masher and gently smash the potatoes. I have found if you don't press the masher all the way down, the potato will not fall apart. 

Better Bonus Tip: Spray some cooking oil onto the masher to help the potatoes not stick.

 

Once all potatoes are smashed, sprinkle with salt, pepper, chopped garlic, half of the chopped chive and then a drizzle of oil and lemon juice. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.

Mix remaining chopped chives with sour cream and drizzle over warm potatoes once out of the oven. 

Better Bonus Tip: For an elegant look, place the sour cream mixture in a plastic bag and cut off the tip. Gently squeeze the plastic bag over the potatoes.  

Serve the beef and potatoes with your favorite side salad and you have a five star meal made by you!

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Okay, last but not least - DESSERT! I have to have dessert, but like it to be easy and not really heavy.

Fruit Trifle

Ingredients:

Angel food cake (could also substitute pound cake)

Packaged whipped cream

Favorite berries (fresh and frozen)

Mint

Chop angel food cake into bite size pieces. Blend frozen fruit in a blender or food processor. Add some fresh mint if you would like.

Serve in a nice glass and layer ingredients as you would like until the glass is almost full.

My trifle layers consisted of: 
angel food cake, whipped topping, fresh strawberries, 
angel food cake, whipped topping, frozen raspberry/mint puree, fresh blueberries, 
angel food cake whipped topping, all of the fruit for the final layer (fresh strawberries, frozen raspberry/mint puree dollop, fresh blueberries and a mint leaf).

Better Bonus Tip:  Make one and use two spoons - more romantic! 

  

Happy Valentines Day!

~Ashley

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Super Bowl Sunday - Yummy Avocado Dips

So this is my twentieth blog entry. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much for continuing to follow me! My promise with this blog from day one was to post once a week and to focus on educating, sharing tips, sharing cooking techniques, and of course recipes. When I sit down to think about ideas of what to write about, each month I make it a goal to have incorporated all of those things. This is where I do feel I am a little different than other food blogs. You may not get a recipe every single week, but hopefully this difference is a positive one. My vow is to continue to share what I know to help you make the best choice in the kitchen for you and your family - help you cook for a better tomorrow! I truly think if you learn as you go instead of just ‘doing’,  you will be able to maintain being a successful cook.

I would love to hear from you, whether by email (cookingforabettertomorrow@gmail.com) or simply commenting on the blog directly. Do you have ideas on things you would like me to make or blog about? I have an ongoing list of ideas, but I want to know what you want to read about.

So onto today’s entry. Today is devoted to the creamy avocado and how you can use it to make two different delicious dips for your Super Bowl Party this weekend!

 

Learning about an avocado:
Avocados (also know to some as Alligator Pears) are a oval shaped fruit that is grown on a tree. They come in many different varieties, but Hass is probably the most well known. Avocados have amazing health benefits, as I am sure you have heard. They are probably most well know for being a little higher in fat, but the good kind of fat your body needs for heart health - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are also low in sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber, potassium and vitamins B, C, E and K.

Better Bonus Tip: Read more about avocados here.

Fun Fact: You can grow your own avocados in your house. I have never done this, but my mother in law has a great green thumb and has. Give it a try if you are feeling adventurous.

So when you are at the grocery store, how do you know what avocado to buy? First off, you need to decide when you are going to want to eat it? If you are ready to eat your avocado in the next day or two you will want it to be a little more ripe; if you are not eating it until the end of the week, you don't want it to be as ripe, because it will continue to progress over the course of the week at your house. The darker the skin on Hass avocados, the more ripe they are. You also can gently press on the outer skin to see how soft they are. You should keep in mind what you are using your avocado for. For example, a really soft avocado would be great in guacamole, but if you are wanting small little cubes for a salad, a really soft avocado is going to be difficult to work with.


Working with an avocado:
Avocados have a large seed in the middle of them, so you will not be able to cut your knife all the way through the avocado. Rather, take a paring knife and slide your knife all the way around the avocado and the seed. To open the avocado, gently twist. 

To remove the seed, I have found using a sharp knife and piercing the seed and then gently twisting, will remove it from the avocado. Next, very carefully, use your hand to pull the seed off the knife blade and toss. This is obviously not kid friendly, so parents need to do this step. 

So now the seed is out and we are ready to work with the avocado flesh, you have a couple of options here. 

  
Option #1: 
Use your paring knife, make diagonal slits both directions in the avocado. Then use a spoon to gently scoop out the flesh.  

Option #2:
Start by scooping out the flesh with a spoon and then lay the avocado flat side down on the cutting board and cut into pieces, if needed. I tend to like this method better. I don’t always need to cut the avocado, so it eliminates a step. Even, if I do need little cubes, I find cutting them after the skin is removed works a little better to keep the consistency and form in place. You decide what you like best. 

 

 

 
Cooking with an avocado:
As promised, today I am going to share two quick, easy and delicious dips for your Super Bowl Parties this Sunday. Both of my dips are using just one avocado, but multiply as you feel fit, to feed the group you are serving. 

  
First up, is my traditional guacamole. I like a chunky dip, with lots of yummy flavors.

Guacamole 

Ingredients: 
Avocado, 1
Red onion, ¼ c chopped
Small tomato, 1, chopped
Cilantro, 2 T chopped
Lime, ½ juiced
Salt, 1 tsp
Jalapeno, pickled or fresh to desired level of heat, optional

 
Remove avocado from its skin and gently mash with the back of a fork. Then add all remaining chopped ingredients, lime juice and salt.  

Better Bonus Tip: Prior to chopping the tomato, I remove the top and gently squeeze out some of the juice and seeds.

Simple right?
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Next up is my avocado and corn salsa. This dip uses some of the same ingredients and flavors from my guacamole, but with some additions. I love corn, so that was an easy choice, but thought some red pepper and green onion would also compliment. In addition, a nice vinaigrette to give you more of the salsa feel. This dip is really good in the summer when you can grill corn on the cop and use that, but for today I just used frozen defrosted corn. For the tomatoes in this dip, I decided to use cherry tomatoes, because they hold their shape and structure a little better.

Avocado and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
Avocado, 1, diced small
Corn, ½ c
Cherry tomato, ½ c chopped
Red onion, ¼ c chopped
Green onion, ¼ c chopped
Red pepper, ¼ c chopped
Cilantro, 3 T chopped

Lime vinaigrette:
Lime, ½ jucied
Cumin, ½ tsp
Salt, ½ tsp
Rice vinegar, 1 T
Oil, 1 T

Chop and prepare all ingredients and set aside. With this dip, you are keeping the avocado in small pieces instead of mashing, so keep that in mind when you decide which method you want to try when removing the flesh from the skin.

Mix vinaigrette and then combine with rest of the chopped ingredients. 
  

Viola!

Better Bonus Tip: A lot of people fear the avocado will turn brown quickly, but because of the addition of the lime juice to both dips, they will maintain their green color longer.

What is your favorite way to eat an avocado? I hope you will enjoy these dips, but start to experiment with other ways to incorporate this heart healthy fruit into your diet.  I like to mash up avocados and blend with sour cream or mayo and a little citrus. Great for tacos or sandwiches. 

~Ashley

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