Shelly's Recipe

ITALIAN STYLE MEATLOAF

Category: Meatloaf

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound frozen spinach, cooked, squeezed and chopped fine
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, beaten
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup provolone cheese, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked ham, cut into dice
2 tablespoons oregano
1 tablespoon basil
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Saute the mushrooms in the oil until golden. Mix the remaining ingredients together, then place in two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour, covering with foil if needed the last 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, slice serve. Serves 4-6

NOTES: If desired, you can top this meatloaf with a spoonful of 5 Minute Tomato Sauce This meatloaf would be wonderful served with Balsamic Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Greens.

5 MINUTE TOMATO SAUCE
1 28 ounce can imported diced Italian tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low.

Season with salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes if you are using them, and add the basil. Cook for another minute of two and remove from the heat. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables. Makes 4 Cups

Note: If you want to make the low fat version, simply cut the amount of oil used in half. This makes a nice low fat sauce to top vegetables, grilled meats or to use to bake seafood for a healthy meal.

ROASTED BALSAMIC POTATOES
3 Pounds Potatoes
1 Pound Red Onions
1 Cup Butter
Salt & Pepper To Taste
6 Fresh Sage Leaves, Finely Chopped
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Parsley To Garnish

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice both the potatoes and onions thinly, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the potatoes and onions to it. Turn until everything is well coated. Cook, turning over occasionally until both the potatoes and onions have begun to take on a golden color, between 10 -15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and mix in the fresh sage leaves and half the vinegar.

Place in an ovenproof dish and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and add the remaining vinegar, and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serves 4 to 6

TAWNY PORT MARINADE for Seafood
1/2 cup tawny port wine
1 tsp garlic powder and thinly ground rosemary

Combine marinade ingredients and use to marinade desired seafood before grilling.

ZESTY HERB SEASONING MIX
Grated peel lemon of 1 lemon
1 tbsp each ground mace, crushed dried basil, thyme and rosemary leaves
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp each salt, pepper and ground cloves
1/2 tsp each ground nutmeg and ground allspice

Combine ingredients and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Makes about 1/2 cup

NOTE: This is good sprinkled on meats, poultry and fish before broiling or baking.

VENETIAN LIVER AND ONIONS
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 red onions, very thinly sliced
Salt
1 pound calves liver, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

To serve:
Aged Balsamic vinegar

Heat the olive oil with 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy saute pan over a medium flame. Add the onions and cook them over low heat until they are very soft and light golden brown.

Salt the onions and remove them to a warm platter. Beat the eggs and dip each slice of liver first into the eggs, and then into the breadcrumbs. Add the liver to the pan, salting and cooking for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Serve the liver with onions piled on top with a side serving of soft polenta or garlic mashed potatoes. Drizzle a little aged balsamic vinegar over the liver.

PEPPERONI AND ASIAGO PINWHEELS
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese*
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
2 tablespoons honey-Dijon mustard
2 ounces packaged sliced pepperoni (about twenty-four 1 1/2-inch-diameter slices)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Cut puff pastry crosswise in half to form 2 rectangles. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard over 1 puff pastry rectangle, leaving 1-inch plain border at 1 long edge. Place half of pepperoni in single layer atop mustard. Top pepperoni with half of cheese mixture. Brush plain border with egg. Starting at side opposite plain border, roll up pastry, sealing at egg-coated edge. Transfer pastry roll, seam side down, to medium baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry rectangle, mustard, pepperoni, cheese mixture, and egg. Chill rolls until firm, about 30 minutes, or wrap and chill up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Lightly spray cooking spray. Slice rolls across and place on baking sheets. Bake about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

BEEF ROLLS IN RED WINE TOMATO SAUCE
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin, cut into 12 small thin slices
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
6 thin slices of prosciutto, cut in half
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Pound each piece of the beef into thin slices. Spread a little bit of the minced garlic, chopped rosemary and grated cheese over each slice. Cover this with a slice of prosciutto, and roll up into a small bundle, securing each with toothpicks.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown all of the bundles well on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a separate dish, and add the onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the wine, and cook up until it is reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, until the sauce has begun to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the toothpicks from the bundles, and return them to the skillet. Add the fresh parsley, and cook until heated through, about 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with a side dish of your choice. Serves 6

FLUFFY PEANUT BUTTER CREAM PIE
1 chocolate graham cracker pie crust
1 1/2 cup cold whipping cream
1 (7 or 7 1/2 oz) jar marshmallow crème
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp brown sugar

Toppings
Chopped roasted peanuts
Additional whipped cream
Chocolate sauce

Whip the cream until stiff in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the marshmallow cream, peanut butter, milk and sugar until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream and spoon mixture into the crust. Chill until firm, about 4 hours. Garnish before slicing.

PESTO-CHEESE PASTRY WRAP
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (3 oz) log goat cheese, cut into pieces
1/2 cup basil pesto

Unroll crescent rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and separate into 2 squares, press perforation to seal. Top each square evenly with goat cheese and basil, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. Gather corners over mixture, pinching to seal. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each square into 6 servings. Serve warm or at room temperature.