11/22/15

Basically Best Meat Loaf

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 c milk
½ c onion, finely chopped
¼ c parsley, finely chopped
1½ tsp salt (I don’t put that much, just a good sprinkling of it)
1½ c rolled oats OR 2 c soft breadcrumbs
¼ tsp oregano (or thyme)
½ tsp chopped garlic

Beat egg and add milk.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Form into loaf and place in shallow baking pan.
Place a few cloves and bay leaf on top.
Bake at 350F for 1½ hours.


From Eat, Drink and Be Healthy, by Agnes Toms

11/16/15

Cheese Roast

2 cups cooked navy beans
1 tsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp finely diced celery
2 c grated cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 c soft bread crumbs
2 tb butter

Drain and mash beans and combine with parsley, celery, cheese and seasonings. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Brown crumbs in butter and add to cheese mixture until it is thick enough to shape into a loaf. Roll in remaining crumbs and bake in moderate oven (350F) until nicely browned, 25-30 minutes.

Serve with any desired sauce.

***
I didn't have enough bread crumbs (and what are "soft" bread crumbs? I didn't even know there is such a thing) so I tore two slices of fresh bread into tiny pieces. It worked like the dickens because when browned they were nice and crunchy.
I packed the mixture into a loaf pan and we ate it without any sauce.

11/10/15

Chocolate Fudge


½ c butter or margarine (melted)
1½ c brown sugar
1/3 c milk
½ c cocoa
1-1/3 c icing sugar
¼ c chopped walnuts

Bring first four ingredients to boil over low heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add last two ingredients, put into greased pan, voila.


I usually double the amount of nuts, and if there’s a teaspoon of brewed coffee left from the morning, add it when you add the nuts. Make sure the nuts are at room temperature; I once put them in shortly after taking them from the freezer, and the moment I added them to the hot fudge, it got so hard it wasn't pourable or spreadable. 

If you can, make fudge on a clear blue sky day. This recipe works out (i.e. hardens) most every time, but still ... why not hedge your bets.