November 9, 2008
The Best Meatloaf He’s Ever Had
I don’t know what’s come over me. I’ve been obsessed with cooking lately. I know you’re laughing at me. I would be laughing, too, if I didn’t find it so strange.
You see, I’ve been very spoiled for many years. My husband does 98% of the cooking in our family. When we were dating, he loved to impress me with his cooking. I mean, he had the experience. He was a line chef many, many years ago (think senior year of high school). He worked at the old Hot Fish Shoppe restaurant in downtown Stevens Point, and learned to make some pretty delish dishes.
When we got married, I began cooking. What can I say, I wanted to impress my husband with my domestic skills. I would slave in the kitchen for what felt like hours, and every meal I made resulted in the same response.
“It was good…but we could really doctor it up and add this….or that….and it’d be better.”
After hearing that for so long I relinquished my apron and told him to mark a spot in front of the stove because that’s where he’d be for the next fifty years — or until I killed him.
So, Doug has been the primary cook for the last five years. And I’m fine with this, except when it comes to eating healthy, because the man doesn’t have the slightest idea what low-fat cooking is. He makes things so rich and flavorful without making the effort to lighten them up.
I know I shouldn’t complain, because really, I haven’t had a bad meal yet (haha Doug, your words are coming back to haunt you!); it’s just that with my new conscious effort to slim down, be healthy and get pregnant, I have to eat better.
Which is why I’ve been digging through my “low-fat” and “healthy” cookbooks, searching for delicious dinners without an oven load of calories and fat.
Friday night I decided to try a low-fat meat loaf recipe:
Mom’s Meat Loaf
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red and/or yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
- 2 slightly beaten egg whites
- 1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 14 crackers)
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano, crushed (or finely chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Fresh herb sprigs (optional)
1. Coat an unheated small skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add the green onions, sweet pepper, and carrot. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl stir together the egg whites, crushed crackers, milk, 2 tablespoons of the chili sauce, the basil or oregano, and black pepper. Add the cooked vegetables and the ground beef; mix well.
3. Firmly pat the meet mixture into a greased 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2-inch loaf pan. Invert pan with meat mixture into a shallow baking pan; remove loaf pan. Bake the meat loaf in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine remaining chili sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar; spoon over meat loaf. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F on and instant-read thermometer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer meat loaf to a platter. To serve cut into slices. If desired garnish with herb sprigs.
(189 calories, 8g total fat (3g sat. fat), 48 mg chol., 319mg sodium, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 16g protein. Exchages: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 starch, 2 meat)
I served this meatloaf with cheddar mashed potatoes and sauteed (in olive oil) green beans with bacon bits and onions (and a minced garlic clove). It was delicious. In fact, Doug loved it so much he told me it was the best meatloaf he’s ever had. Pressing my luck, I asked, “Is it better than your mom’s recipe?” To which he replied, “Yes. I’m going to give her this one, it’s that good. So flavorful.”
Wow. He didn’t even try to doctor it up! Impressive!
Posted by Dana @ 12:45 am • Cooking Mama, NaBloPoMo
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URI
November 9th, 2008 at 11:20 am, The Redheaded Lefty Says:
That sounds good! And good for you for cooking. I’m spoiled, too. B cooks all the time—sometimes I think it is like a vacation for him, because, while I am doing cartwheels and making pigs out of Play-Doh, he is drinking wine and chopping veggies. Which job sounds better, hmm?
Thanks for the recipe!
The Redheaded Leftys last blog post..Okay, now we have to move.
November 9th, 2008 at 11:08 pm, Mrs. Wilson Says:
That’s amazing! I’d love it if my husband would cook more. But, he hasn’t the slightest clue. He can make frozen pizza and Kraft Dinner and sometimes Sidekicks.
I may have to try your recipe!
November 10th, 2008 at 10:54 am, Headless Mom Says:
Good for you! Sounds good, I may have to try it.
Headless Moms last blog post..Random Christmas Memory