I so often get complimented on how good my food looks and tastes, and I always appreciate that, however it is not always a success story in the kitchen despite what you see! And that is the fun and beauty of cooking - you never know how a recipe will turn out because accidents and mistakes can happen, but as I always tell my students, the best way to grow is to make mistakes and learn from them!
Last spring, I made a Caprese Meatloaf and while it tasted wonderful, it did not look very appetizing because it fell apart after it cooked. My mistake - I did not use a loaf pan. This weekend, I wanted to try it again but at the same time, I did not want to use a loaf pan because I wanted something more "fun" so I thought - "How about using a muffin tin?" Hence, Caprese Meatloaf Muffins and let me tell you, THIS time it was a COMPLETE SUCCESS!
I started by making a homemade barbeque sauce using one cup each of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, one half cup of ketchup, one quarter cup each of and teriyaki sauce and honey, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes of hot sauce, one seeded/rough chopped jalapeño pepper, salt, and pepper. I brought it to a boil, reduced the heat, and let it simmer until thickened.
Next, I got started on the meatloaf with two pounds of ground turkey (dark meat) and one half of a diced small red onion.
You cannot have caprese without tomato, basil, mozzarella, and balsamic so I combined roughly one half cup of sundried tomatoes with one half cup of basil leaves, lightly packed in a food processor. I added two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and blitzed until thoroughly combined before adding it to the meatloaf mixture along with one quarter cup of the barbeque sauce.
The final ingredients were the binders - three quarters of a cup of bread crumbs and one egg. I used my clean hands and mixed well, being careful not to overmix which can make the meat tough.
This recipe makes twelve muffins. I filled the muffin tins with one half of the meat mixture, added three mozzarella pearls, and then topped with the rest of the meat mixture.
Lastly, I added another tablespoon of barbeque sauce onto the top of each meatloaf muffin, put the tin on a sheet pan to catch any potential spills, and popped it into a 400 degree oven for approximately thirty minutes. I removed the pan from the oven, let them rest in the tins for ten minutes, popped them onto a platter, garnished with more fresh basil and a drizzle of bottled balsamic glaze.
This is how I plan to make them from this day forward!
As I mentioned in my last post, I made a Fresh Corn Salad earlier in the day for my Mexican Street Corn Hot Dogs (click for details) and I had quite a bit leftover which I used as a side dish. The only ingredient I added was a chiffonade of fresh basil. This was a nice nod to the upcoming summer!
My other side dish was a celebration of spring - Saffron Risotto Verde. I blanched fresh asparagus and frozen string beans (leftover from my garden last year), and then plunged them into ice water before cutting into bite-size pieces.
I began my risotto by sautéing one small onion in six tablespoons of melted butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once softened, I added one and a half cups of arborio rice and cooked for several minutes. I sprinkled on a teaspoon of saffron threads, poured in one half cup of white wine and cooked until reduced. I had a pot with four cups of chicken stock, two cups of water, and three chicken bouillon cubes simmering next to my risotto. I added two ladles of stock and stirred constantly until the liquid was absorbed. I repeated this step for approximately thirty minutes until the risotto was creamy and cooked, but still slightly al dente.
The saffron adds such beautiful color and a slight floral taste.
I stirred in the string bean and asparagus, plus I added a cup of frozen peas and one half cup of grated Parmesan cheese. I tasted for seasoning and finished with fresh chives and more Parmesan.
A meal this good and comforting certainly deserved a fitting dessert and since it was quite chilly Saturday night, I decided to make Hot Chocolate Ice Cream Floats. I made a homemade hot chocolate using two cups of milk which I brought to a simmer with one quarter cup of sugar and two tablespoons of cocoa powder, stirring until combined and the sugar dissolved. I then added one half up of milk chocolate chips and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I rimmed my glasses in hot fudge, filled with hot chocolate, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and more hot fudge, and finished with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Heaven in a glass! And for more fun, you could certainly add a splash (or more?) of your favorite spirit!
Before the fun even started at the dinner table, I made a fun new cocktail based on a Bourbon Alexander (bourbon, creme de cacao, coconut liqueur, and heavy cream) except I substituted the coconut liqueur for biscotti liqueur which tastes like a liquid cookie. One and a half ounces bourbon, two thirds ounce of creme de cacao, one half ounce of biscotti liqueur, and one ounce of heavy cream shaken with ice and strained into a coupe glass. Some freshly grated nutmeg to finish and done! All that was left to do was to come up with a name for it.....I decided on Alexander's Cookie! Proceed with caution, they are as delicious as they are dangerous!
More on the way!
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