I'm eating leftovers for lunch

[fancytalk]

And because I am doing that, I thought that I would post a semi-recipe.

A while back someone suggested creamed cauliflower as a replacement for mash potatoes. So I attempted this using cauliflower as my potato replacement in the way I would normally make mashed potatoes. Yeah, no. This did not work. So, the entire deal was scrapped as a we-tried-it-and-did-not-like-it. Fast forward to an episode of Top Chef where one of the chefs makes creamed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. And the judging chef even comments that they don't taste like cauliflower. Cream instead of milk is the secret she says.

Wednesday night I decide to test this out. The recipe on the website calls for simmering the cauliflower and 2 potatoes (yukon golds) in 2 cups of cream for 35 minutes. OK, 2 cups of cream is not going to work for me and I didn't have potatoes. Besides, it's a mashed potato substitute. I ended up simmering my cauliflower in vegetable stock and splash of milk. Put it in the food processor and added a splash of cream. They were a bit runny, I needed to add more salt but they tasted like mashed potatoes. Note to self for future reference - drain cauliflower well, simmer in less stock, test consistency before adding cream.

We decided that the ultimate test would be creamed cauliflower with meatloaf. Don't knock meatloaf because I make damn good meatloaf. I bought more cauliflower, simmered it as before with less stock and draining well. I tossed in the few leftovers from the night before with the new cauliflower. Voila! Perfect consistency and doggone tasty too. And my meatloaf was heavenly as well with homemade ketchup coating the top.

I'm going to go finish my lunch now.

Comments

[thunder-pants.livejournal.com]

How do you make your meatloaf? Joe LOVES meatloaf and I hate how it turns out when I make it. Never enough flavor or something.

[yesimthegirl.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you really want to know, because my meatloaf is vegetable scary?

You might want to cover your eyes and read this through your fingers.

Start with about 1 pound of ground beef. Buy at least the 85/15, doing it with the 90/10 or the 93/7 doesn't have enough fat to keep it moist. You can also do half turkey/half ground beef - that's what I do.

Now, pull out your blender or food processor. This is where I start to clean out the fridge. Usually my base is 1 medium onion, 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk and 1/2 - 1 whole bag of spinach. (if you use frozen spinach, cook it first so that it will puree better). Blitz it with about a half small can of tomatoes - chopped, stewed, pureed whatever you have on hand. Fresh tomatoes work too. You can also add parsley, cilantro, bell peppers, zucchini, more onion etc. Get the picture? If it's a veggie that cooks well and you can puree it to nothing, throw it in.

I blitz up 3 pieces of ezekial bread, but really any bread/bread crumbs will do. It works our to about 1 cup. Crackers work in a pinch. Now balancing the liquid and the meat - You want the mixture to be a bit loose, but not so loose that it doesn't hold together. If it's too loose after you mix everything up, add another piece of bread or an egg (or use fake eggs which is what I did last night)

Pepper to taste and be liberal with the salt. Put in what you think works then add a pinch more. I think it works out to about 1 1/2 teaspoons. I have a salt bin that I take 2 big pinches and then 1 little pinch and call it good. The good thing is that you can always add salt after it cooks. And if you want to add any other seasonings - garlic, all purpose, curry - seriously, you can make it any flavor concoction you want. Mexican meatloaf add salsa, curry transforms it to Indian meatloaf. All purpose American meatloaf is a bit of garlic and some of the all purpose seasoning.

Oven heated to 350. You can put it in a loaf pan or on a cookie sheet. I do the cookie sheet and just shape it however I want it. I'm going to try doing it on the broiler pan next time so that the fat drips through. Glaze the top with ketchup, bbq sauce, tomatoes, whatever floats your boat. Bake for 45- 1 hour.

Does that help? Did I miss anything?

[thunder-pants.livejournal.com]

Ooh, it actually sounds good. I like the puree veggies idea. I shall try that next time I am attempting meatloaf. Thanks for that - I am adding it to memories - like I did your crepes. :D

[yesimthegirl.livejournal.com]

What's funny is that the pureed vegges started because Ronette doesn't like onions - flavor yes, but not eating them. So I started blitzing them to liquid and adding them. And then it got worse because our friend Carol doesn't like vegetables. She'll eat them if she can't see them. Oh, and I should mention that if you use too much spinach, you might have slightly green tinted loaf. But yeah, anything that I make with ground beef or turkey ends up with vegetables pureed and mixed in now. It helps the turkey stay moist and I get a serving of veggies.

[thunder-pants.livejournal.com]

I love it! Joe doesn't like seeing veggies in things either - then he will say it tastes too veggie like. hha! But if he can't see them... maybe that will work. I'll try it. And when we have kids, we can do that to them and they'll be tricked into eating veggies. haha!

[carush-girl.livejournal.com]

hmmmm I never thought of zucchini's - hmmm..
I make it different from you.. Nothing is puree'd uhhh I use a whole sleeve of crackers and chopped onions ummmm some bbq sauce - and some chopped celery, couple of eggs. I dont add salt because I figure the crackers have enough salt. I do add some abit of garlic - but just a bit. So my meatloaf is not really on the moist side but it works for us..


Ohhh and I was thinking about the Mexican meatloaf - maybe a few minutes before ya take it out of the oven - you can throw some shredded quesadilla cheese to melt on top..

[yesimthegirl.livejournal.com]

I've never done the mexican meatloaf but was thinking that you could put in some jalapenos or green chilis, black olives, onion, bell peppers and salsa; Cover it with salsa and then right at the end throw some cheese on top. Server with sour cream and guacamole. Nummy, Nummy!

[carush-girl.livejournal.com]

Seeing we're all hispanic here - you would think we go for thee hot stuff but nope - if I did do (and I do plan on it) make a Mexican meatloaf - it would have to be mild or medium in the 'hot factor'..

(ohhh and I do love sour cream..)