This kitchen has been turning out a plethora of pastries and desserts lately.  I attended culinary school to become a better chef, not a pastry chef.  I’ve always been more comfortable around flour and sugar recipes than meat, vegetable and starches.  My recipe books are chock full of recipe clippings that have languished for years without being tested.  I’ve decided for the next two months to make at least two new non-pastry dishes per week.  These aren’t necessarily ground-breaking meals – I won’t be testing  my sous vide skills in the near future, but my goal is to reduce the number of recipe clippings in the “to try” pocket of my recipe book while adding a few new staples to my repertoire.

Recipe #1

Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf
(adapted from Real Simple magazine)

½             onion, chopped fine
2              cloves garlic, chopped
½ c.        panko bread crumbs
1              egg, beaten
½ – ¾ c. grated parmesan
2 T.         Dijon mustard
7 oz.       jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
½ c.        flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 t.          dried basil
Salt and Pepper
1 ½ lbs. ground turkey

Heat oven to 400 F. Combine the first 10 ingredients in a bowl until well combined.  Add turkey.  Mix well but do not over-mix.  Shape into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish (do not use a loaf pan).  Bake until internal temp registers 165 F, about 45 minutes.  Sprinkle additional Parmesan across top and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

The result is a moist and flavorful meat loaf with less calories than the standard meatloaf.  I inhaled three slices for dinner and warmed up another two for lunch today.  It would also make a delightful sandwich.