Sunday Night Remix

I'm going to warn you, this blog is probably going to continue to be pretty slow for another couple months. I'm finally starting to adjust to to my new job (is it still new 4 months later?), so I have replaced some of my late nights at work with visits to the gym. I've always loved working out, but for the last four months the last place you would find me was the gym. We were trying to save money, and also I needed to invent the 26 hour day in order to find the extra time. Things are falling back into their usual place, though, and I'm thankful to be able to add gym visits back into my schedule. Obviously, though, this leaves less time for cooking.

In addition, I am finally stopping the "holiday eating"... 2 months after the holidays! It has been rough at home, with my job and Joe's lack of job (until about 2 weeks ago!), so I started eating crap around Thanksgiving and never stopped. There has been an abundance of heavy food, sweet treats, and extra booze around my house lately, which combined with the lack of gym visits to make me feel like a lazy pig! So healthy food in reasonable portions is the new expectation around here, and for the last two weeks I feel like I've already made some progress. My goal isn't necessarily to lose weight, but to make myself feel good about my body again.

I still love having a nice satisfying dinner on Sunday nights, and this week's Sunday dinner was a great middle ground. Turkey Meatloaf and Mashed Root Vegetables was a great combination, and Joe and I were really happy with the meal. The root vegetables were mixed with thyme infused cream, which had fantastic flavor! I thought the meatloaf was satisfying without being too heavy. I'm not going to tell you this was the most low-fat, low cal, skinny food ever... but it was a perfect compromise when you're craving winter comfort food.

Turkey Meatloaf
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten

** This recipe makes a TON. I did two pounds of ground turkey, and half of everything else**

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Savory Mashed Root Vegetables
by Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com

3 pounds assorted root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, and rutabaga, coarsely
chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream (or fat free 1/2 and 1/2)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (I used about 1/2 the recommended amount)
1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
1 handful fresh rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil

Place all the vegetables and garlic in a large pot and fill with cool water to cover; season with a teaspoon of salt. Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, combine the heavy cream, butter, and herbs in a pot and heat over low flame to melt the butter and infuse the herb flavor into the cream – do not allow to boil. Shut off the heat, cover, and let steep until needed. When ready to use, remove the herb stems and the bay leaves.

Drain vegetables and put them into a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Stir in the warm cream mixture and mix until the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables are smooth; season with salt and pepper. Put the mashed root vegetables in a serving bowl, garnish with chopped chives and drizzle with a healthy dose of olive oil... or skip the olive oil if you're trying to eat healthy :)

** I did think the root vegetables ended up being a little to soupy, so I think next time I'll try a tip I saw on another recipe. After the vegetables are cooked, drain them and return to the pot. Mash the veggies, then stir on the heat for a few minutes to dry them out. I think this would have helped eliminate some of the watery taste I experienced.