Asian Meatloaf with sweet/spicy glaze

Brianna posts some of the most delicious Asian dishes on her blog, Oishi. I saw this Asian Meatloaf and knew I had to make it. We served it with Ramen & Edamame for a very tasty, flavorful meal.

Asian Meatloaf with sweet/spicy glaze

For the Meatloaf:
2 TBS. red miso, dissolved in a little water to form a paste, divided
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
4 green onions, white & green parts chopped
1/2 cup chopped shitake mushrooms
a thumbnail-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
a squeeze of honey
1 1/2 tsp. mirin
1 tsp. brown sugar

For the Glaze:
1 TBS. chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek)
squeeze of honey
squeeze of hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
1/2 tsp. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a little bowl, combine the red miso and a little water to form a paste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, breadcrumbs, egg, green onion, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and 1 TBS. of the miso paste. Mix with your hands until combined.

In the same little bowl as the remaining miso paste, add the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, honey, mirin, and brown sugar. Mix well. Spoon this mixture a little at a time into the meat mixture, and use your hands to incorporate it in. Reserve about a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of the bowl to make the glaze.

Shape the meat-mixture into a loaf-shape on a greased baking sheet.

To the bowl with the reserved spoonful of sauce, add the chili paste, honey, hot chili sauce, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Spoon on top of the meatloaf.
Bake the meatloaf for about 45 minutes or until done. If making a side of roasted asparagus, toss the asparagus on another baking sheet with a drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkling of chili flakes, and some salt & pepper. Put in the oven for the last 10-12 minutes of baking time.

Jalapeno Chicken

I came across this recipe on Linday’s blog. Yum! I baked mine as she did and decided that this is one of the easiest, yummiest, weeknight ways to do chicken. We served this with sliced avocado’s to help cool down from the jalapeno's heat. :)

Jalapeno Chicken

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Appx 5 oz Italian dressing (I used Fat Free Italian)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded (I used sliced from the jar)
Appx 3 oz cream cheese, softened (I used Fat Free)
2 slices bacon (I used bacon crumbles)
Toothpicks

Place chicken breasts in a dish with the dressing. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Preheat the grill for high heat.

Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Roll chicken breasts around jalapeno peppers. Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

(If using sliced jalapenos and bacon crumbles like I did, just spread the cream cheese inside each chicken breast and add in jalapenos and bacon bits.)

Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange wrapped chicken breasts on the prepared grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning frequently, or until bacon is browned and the chicken juices run clear.
(I baked in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.)

Hoisin Pork Roast

I found this recipe on Katie’s Kitchen. We had everything on hand and a day off from anything today so I figured I would give it a shot. We served this with Jasmine Rice and an Asian Vegetable blend. We were stuffed & had a bunch leftover. This is a great way to cook pork loin and has a great flavor to it. Enjoy!!


Hoisin Pork Roast
cooking spray
1 boneless pork loin (3 lbs.), tied
1   10oz. jar of hoisin or duck sauce
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 T. fresh grated ginger
1 T. chili paste
1 T. rice wine or rice wine vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
4 tsp. cornstarch
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and add pork roast.  In a small bowl combine hoisin, garlic, ginger, chili paste, rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Whisk in corn starch.  Pour sauce over the pork.

Cover the slow cooker and the roast until fork tender or 160 degrees.  Which is about 3 1/2 hours on high heat and 8 hours on low.  Transfer the pork to a platter, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes.  Pour the cooking liquid in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes, then skim any fat from surface. ** I cooked mine for 6 hours on low and it was perfect.

Slice the pork and arrange on a platter.  Sprinkle the scallions and cilantro on top.  Serve the Asian sauce on the side.

Chili-Lime Steak Salad

I was in the mood for taco salad and ended up coming across this recipe. I’m so glad I did too. It looks like a lot of steps but really, it comes together super easy. Make your dressing at least an hour before you start the rest of it. Take care of the steak and while the steak is grilling & resting, prep the rest of your veggies. In this link, you’ll find the main recipe with links to the dressing and steak rub.

Cancy & I both really liked this. It’s definitely going to be put on the menu again soon.

Chili-Lime Steak Salad

1 1/2 lb flank steak, cooked with lime-chile rub and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 recipe Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed in cold water
1-2 avocados, sliced
cilantro for garnish

Start with a nice bed of cold, crunchy lettuce, top with steak, tomatoes, onion, black beans, and avocado.  Top with cilantro and fried tortilla strips if desired.  Serve with lime-cilantro dressing

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (ignore directions on the packet)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender.   Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice.  Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa.  Blend 'er up.  Sample it and add hot sauce to taste.  Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Lime-Chili Steak Rub

1 t chili powder
1 t granulated garlic
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t oregano
1/8- 1/4 t cayenne pepper*
3/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
*If you have chipotle chili powder, you can substitute it for the cayenne or just add a little in addition
1 lime (about 2 T lime juice)
1-2 lbs flank steak, or other good grilling cut

Juice the lime into a small bowl. Add spices and stir to combine. Some limes have more juice than others, so sometimes the mixture will be more liquid-y and sometimes it will be more pasty. If you find you're a little short on lime juice, just add a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil to stretch it out.

Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the spice mixture on top. Use your hands to massage it in there.

Let it sit for 15 minutes. During that time preheat your grill.

Place meat on hot grill. If you're using flank steak it should take about 5-7 minutes on each side.

When steak is finished, remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it.  Slice in strips against the grain.

Italian Chicken & Marinara

This something I’ve been making for awhile. It’s super easy for those nights when you don’t feel like spending forever in the kitchen. If you can find the fat free croutons, it’s also a fairly healthy italian dish. I hope you like it.

Italian Chicken & Marinara

Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts
1 egg, whisked
1 pkg of croutons, I used fat free seasoned croutons, crushed

Marinara
1 16oz can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp each basil & oregeno
4 Tbsp of fat free 1/2 & 1/2

Prepare chicken breasts by dipping in whisked egg, then dredging in crushed croutons.
heat abut 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium pan and use this to pan fry breaded chicken.

Saute garlic in the butter until the edges of the garlic begin to brown. Add tomato sauce, salt & herbs. Simmer until ready to serve. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 and heat through just before serving.

Boil 2 servings of pasta until al dente

Lay pasta on plate, set chicken breast on top and pour marinara over top.

A Manly Meal...

Every so often, Cancy grows tired of experimenting and longs for some simple man food. He's a good taste tester for my experiments more often than not, so when he requests simple, I've got to give in.



Steak & Loaded Baked Potato

For our steak marinade, we tend to use a random combination of the following:

Worcestershire, Soy Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Beer, salt & pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Grill it up and you have a man pleasing meal.

Jalapeno Grilled Lamb Tortas

Every once in awhile, I find a really interesting recipe at my grocery store. This was in the April magazine put out by HEB. I’m a huge fan of ground lamb and all things avocado so this seemed like a great fit. Cancy & I both really liked it and it’s perfect for the many spring/summer grilling evenings that we get in Texas.

Jalapeno Grilled Lamb Tortas


1 pound ground lamb
1 cup Diced Sweet Onion
1/2 cup cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 whole wheat bolillos (I used small loaves of Ciabatta Bread)
1 cup Grated Cotija Cheese
1 Avocado, thin sliced

Combine lamb, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Do not over mix or it will be tough. Shape into 4 patties 1 inch thick.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium 375°F to 400°F. Grill for 6 minutes, turning once and cooking to desired degree of doneness (145°F to 155°F internal temperature).

Place patty on half of bread, top with cheese, 3 to 4 slices of avocado, and the top of the bun.

Roasted Red Pepper, Beef & Goat Cheese tossed with Pasta

Yeah pretty original on the name, right? Couldn’t come up with anything creative so here you have it. I was inspired by a flank steak roll that Elly made, but not a fan of sundried tomatoes and not enough patience last night to make the actual rolls. So why not just toss it all together. :)

Roasted Red Pepper, Beef & Goat Cheese tossed with pasta

1/2 lb flank steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 8 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained, diced
1 4 oz log of goat cheese (we used 4 pepper goat cheese)
a splash of red wine
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
2 servings of cooked and drained pasta.

In a large pan, brown beef and add red peppers about 1/2 way through. Cook until beef is medium. deglaze the pan by adding about 1/8 - 1/4 Cup of red wine. Let that cooke down. Add the beef broth, let that reduce by about 1/2.

Add the goat cheese by breaking into small pieces and adding a little at a time, stirring to combine as it melts. Add your seasonings at this point. We just used a little garlic salt and some fresh ground black pepper.

Toss with cooked pasta. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake

I’ve always loved the flavors used in Greek cooking. This is a really simple casserole that goes together quickly and has a nice flavor to it. You could very easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by sticking with the 2 zucchini and adding the tomatoes. All in all, it was a tasty dish. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake


1  10 3/4-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices (I just used 1 zucchini)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2  cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
3  6-inch pita bread rounds, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (I omitted the tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, cooked chicken, zucchini, broth, red onion, garlic and Greek seasoning; mix well. Spoon into an un-greased 9×13 baking pan or dish. (I used an 8*8)

Bake, covered, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. Uncover and stir.
In a medium bowl, toss together pita bread pieces, feta, olives and oil. Sprinkle pita mixture and tomatoes over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes more or until top is golden brown.

Baja Chicken Soup

It turned out to be a dark & rainy Saturday so soup sounded pretty good. I found this recipe last week and I had everything on hand so I thought I’d give it a try. I added just a few ingredients to the original and it turned out pretty good. I hope you like it.

Baja Chicken Soup

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces
1 tbl olive oil
1 can cheddar cheese soup
3 cups chicken broth
1 can ro-tel
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 small can of chopped black olives (not in the original)
1 packed taco seasoning
1/2 C Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2 (not in the original)

Place olive oil in stock pan, heat over medium heat, throw in chicken. Cook until it's white on outside. (It will cook more so make sure and don't cook all the way through). Place can of soup and chicken broth in pot and bring to boil.

Then place rotel, beans, corn, and black olives in pot. Season to your taste with seasoning packet. When you are about 5 minutes from serving, add Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2 just to help cool down the spiciness. Simmer until heated through and ready to eat.