There are many attributes worthy of preparing and enjoying meatloaf. My favorite is the aroma that wafts throughout the house. When you serve meatloaf to family or guests, you will not only receive accolades for your home-cooking efforts, you will be remembered for serving comfort food at its finest.
This recipe is an unusual twist on the traditional “glazed” meatloaf; the ginger complements the beef with delicious results. Both the loaf and the glaze can be prepared in advance, an advantage if you are challenged with a busy schedule. Like the meatloaf, the brandied carrots with peas can be prepared in advance. With just five ingredients, the recipe is incredibly simple to prepare. The combination is a colorful and complementing accompaniment; all you need to round out the meal is mashed potatoes.
Meatloaf
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
3/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Freshground pepper to taste
Ginger Glaze
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine ground beef with carrots, zucchini, parsley and onion. In a small bowl, combine eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Combine with meat mixture and mix until ingredients are evenly distributed. Place meat in a 13×9-inch baking dish, shape into a rectangular loaf. Spoon ginger glaze over loaf and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serves eight.
Nutritional analysis: 368 calories, 24 grams total fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 1 gram trans fat, 132 mgs cholesterol, 764 mgs sodium, 16 grams total carbohydrate, 1 gram dietary fiber, 22 grams protein, 12 grams sugar
BRANDIED CARROTS WITH PEAS
8 large carrots peeled and cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brandy
1 cup thawed green peas
Preheat oven to 350. Place the carrots in a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, add sugar, salt and brandy, pour over carrots and bake covered for 45 minutes or until carrots are tender. Toss peas with carrots just before serving. Serves eight.
Nutritional analysis: 96 calories, 6 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 15 mgs cholesterol, 122 mgs sodium, 10 grams total carbohydrate, 3 grams dietary fiber, 2 grams protein, 5 grams sugar
Kerry Dunnington, food columnist and author of “This Book Cooks,” is passionate about food that reflects the season, nutrition, color, balance, texture and variety.
Catch her column biweekly in Healthy Life.
She can be reached at [email protected].
