Baconized Meatloaf

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 lb ground beef
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups marinara sauce (from a jar or homemade)
• 10 slices bacon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 F.

2.  Mix the ground meat with the almond flour, eggs and half the marinara sauce together in a bowl. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3.  Form two loafs in snug fitting baking dishes and cover the loafs with the bacon slices.

4.  Put in the oven to bake for about 45 minutes, until well cooked.

5.  Put the oven on broil for another 10 minutes to crisp up the bacon.

6.  Remove the loafs from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

7.  Heat remaining marinara sauce on the stove top.

8.  Slice the loafs, serve into plates and top with hot marinara sauce.

Meatzza

This is an almost Paleo pizza. If you leave out the cheese it is, but I like cheese.

 

INGREDIENTS
Crust
• 1 lb lean ground beef;
• 1 lb ground pork;
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped;
• 1 clove garlic, minced;
• 1 egg;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Topping
• 6 slices bacon, cut into pieces;
• ¾ lb button mushrooms, sliced;
• 1 cup bell peppers, thinly sliced;
• 1 cup sugar-free tomato sauce;
• 1 tsp dried oregano;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
• Shredded Cheese of your choosing, I prefer an Italian blend

PREPARATION
1. Preheat your oven to 450 F.

2. In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the egg,salt, pepper, onion and garlic.

3. Spread the mixture on a 16-inch pizza pan and bake for 10 minutes.

4. While the crust cooks, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the bacon for about 5 minutes so it’s still a bit soft.

5. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they are almost cooked.

6. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

7. Remove the crust from the oven and pour out the juices which can be reserved for other recipes. At this point the crust will have shrunk a bit.

8. Preheat your oven broiler.

9. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the crust and spread the bacon, mushrooms and bell peppers on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the oregano.

10. Put the Meatzza back under the broiler and broil until to top starts to brown.

11. Distribute cheese over the meatzza and return to oven until cheese is bubbling and starts to brown.

Jambalya

I’m a bit of a foodie. I love experimenting with food preperation, creating and tweaking recipes. To that end I present my spin on a New Orleans classic. This recipe has been used and found tasty by a few people.

I hope you like it.

Rob’s Jambalaya: feeds A Whole Mess Of People

3 bay leaves

5 pounds ham, diced

1 gallon water

Oil, for sautéing

3 pounds chicken breast, diced

2 pounds shrimp, deveined

1 pound crawdad tails

5 onions, chopped

2 pounds celery

5 green peppers, chopped

1 cup green onion, chopped

5 tomatoes, diced

2 cups tomato paste

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

4 ounces garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 pounds smoked (andoullie) sausage

3 pounds brown rice

Salt, to taste

Rob’s Spice Mix* to taste

1.       In a boiler, add bay leaves, diced ham and water. Let boil for 1 hour.

2.       In another boiler pan, heat oil.

3.       Add diced chicken, onions and celery. Saute until tender then add peppers, onions and diced tomatoes.

4.       Add tomato paste, chopped parsley, crushed garlic, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, shrimp and smoked sausage.

5.       Cook for 10  minutes.

6.       Add crawdad tails

7.       Cook for 5 minutes

8.       Add Rice to first boiler, and boil until tender

9.       Add cooked rice to jambalaya in second boiler.

10.   Salt and spice to taste

* Spice mix

2 tablespoons part fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons part cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

2 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

2 tablespoons garlic power

2 tablespoons onion powder

Hope you enjoy it.

Chicken Potpie

Ingredients:

Pie crust (see below)
1 (4ish-pound) frying chicken, cut into 8ths
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons chicken rub seasoning (recommended: Emeril’s Chicken Rub)
1 large russet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 cups sliced carrots or diced carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup lima beans (or baby butter beans)
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Directions:
Divide the piecrust dough into 4 separate portions and form into 4 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling 2 of the portions of dough out to fit into 2 (9-inch) deep dish pie pans. Trim the edges of the dough so that 1/2-inch dough hangs over the sides of the pans. Roll the remaining 2 portions of dough out and refrigerate (placed on a baking sheet with plastic or parchment between dough), along with the prepared pie pans, until the filling is chilled and you are ready to bake the potpies.

Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over high heat and brown the chicken pieces on both sides in the olive oil, working in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Drain all fat from the pan and add the chicken broth, bay leaf, poultry seasoning, and chicken rub seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, & simmer until the chicken is very tender and falls from the bone, about 1 hour. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and tear into bite-size pieces. Set aside, try not to eat it.

While the chicken is cooling, add the potatoes, carrots, onions, corn, mushrooms, lima beans and heavy cream to the pan and return to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Combine the flour and butter in a mixing bowl to form a thick paste-like mixture. Ladle some of the hot chicken broth into the mixing bowl and whisk to combine with the flour-butter mixture. When smooth, add this mixture to the pot and stir to combine well. Bring the sauce to a low boil and continue to cook until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken meat, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and position the oven rack on the lowest rung of the oven.

Divide the chilled filling between the 2 pastry-lined pie pans and, using a spatula, smooth the filling to the edges. Place the egg in a small bowl and beat with 1 tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the edges of the overhanging pastry with some of the egg mixture. Top each pie dish with one of the rolled out portions of dough and trim edges so that they match the edges of the dough lining the pie pans. Using your fingers, pinch edges of dough together and roll inward so that the edges sit inside of the edges of the pie pans. Crimp the edges using your fingers, a fork, or a crimping tool. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top of each pastry to allow steam to vent while cooking. Brush the top of each potpie with some of the eggwash.

Bake the potpies for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking the potpies until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is heated through, about 40 minutes longer.

Remove the potpies from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Cut the potpies into wedges and serve.

Pie Crust
8 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Incorporate the butter pieces and shortening by hand, working the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the dough starts to come together and form small pea shapes. Work the ice water into the dough with your fingers until it just comes together, being careful not to over-mix.

Form the crust into a disk shape, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out to fit into a pie pan.