No Dairy Potato Stuffed Quinoa Chicken Meatloaf

Today I thought I’d come up with another kind of Chicken Meatloaf. This one is basically doughnut shaped and filled with potatoes. To make the meatloaf I used Quinoa instead of bread crumbs for the meatloaf. and made it with ground chicken 96% 4%fat that seems so much lighter than beef.  Since I didn’t have any dairy in the house I used flavorful chicken fat (schmaltz) that I saved in my freezer and used it like butter for the potatoes. I sautéed finely chopped onions in the chicken fat till the onions were clear and then mashed them into the potatoes….WOW FORKING INSANELY AMAZING FLAVORFUL POTATOES! These potatoes came out so good you just might want to do these potatoes for Thanksgiving. If you chop the onions as fine as I did the onions just melt into the potatoes and come out smooth. It’s a possibility that the potatoes are even lighter than mashed potatoes because I added only chicken fat with the cooked onions……no butter, cream or dairy. Even the cooking water from the potatoes is so good you need to save some for the meatloaf but the rest you should use for other things. Either make a soup or sauce with it. Reheat meats or vegetables in it. If you make it exactly the way I suggest it will come out surprisingly great! The Chicken Meatloaf also comes out very flavorful and MOIST. Even re-heated this meatloaf still comes out moist. I think this meatloaf doesn’t really even need a sauce but you can embellish slightly if desired with a suggested thyme butter, thin chicken gravy or a small amount of a traditional kind of meatloaf sauce. This is so tasty that just a small forkful of the potatoes with the meatloaf is enough.

Ingredients for 6 servings

2 lb russet type of potatoes – peeled and cut in halves and in a pot of cold water

1 Tablespoon kosher salt (to add to pot of potatoes)

1/2 large sweet onion – peeled (to boil with potatoes- discard after potatoes are cooked)

1 hot banana pepper – cut longways in half – to boil and flavor potatoes – discard after potatoes are cooked)

1 garlic clove – to boil with potatoes – after potatoes are boiled smash the garlic and fine chop it into the onions that get sautéed and added to the potatoes

1 cup sweet onion – VERY finely chopped or grate (for potatoes)

3 ounces schmaltz (chicken fat) (for potatoes)

1 egg beaten (for Potatoes)

2 teaspoons course sea salt (for potatoes)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (for potatoes)

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (for potatoes)

1 lb ground chicken (I used 96 lean with 4% fat)

1 cup quinoa (already cooked)

2 L eggs – lightly beaten

1/4 onion – finely chopped

2 garlic cloves – grated

1/2 celery rib – finely chopped

1 carrot – peeled and finely shredded

1/4  cup – fresh parsley – finely chopped

1 teaspoon – fresh thyme

1  teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chicken base – preferably reduced sodium Better Than Bouillon Brand (it’s like chicken flavored salt)

2 Tablespoons cooking water from potatoes

non stick cooking spray

Directions

Put the pot with water (water should cover the potatoes by between 1-2 inches) and the potatoes on to a medium boil with the kosher salt, 1/2 onion, garlic and banana pepper) You MUST purchase the banana peppers from Asiana Market…..They are too hot to eat but cooked with other things give off an amazing flavor. Cook the potatoes till they are soft (fork tender) about 15-20 minutes. DO NOT THROW OUT THE WATER! you need 2 Tablespoons for the meatloaf and you might want to save the rest for a soup or something else you might prepare. You can leave the potatoes in the water so they stay hot while you make the meatloaf mixture but take pot off the burner and place somewhere else on the stove. You can throw out the used banana pepper and the used 1/2 onion.

In a medium-large mixing bowl add the ground chicken, 2 eggs, quinoa, 1/4 c onion, 2 garlic, celery, carrot, parsley, thyme, black pepper, chicken base, 2 Tablespoons potato water and mix well and place to the side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray.

In a fry pan sauce the cup of finely chopped onions with the chicken fat till the onions are clear and soft with that one clove of mashed and finely chopped garlic that you saved from the potato water. Add the onion mixture to your just drained potatoes and mash. Add the remaining course sea salt, black pepper, white pepper and one egg and mash very well till smooth.

Either pipe or scoop 6 piles of potatoes with lots of room around them on a sprayed baking sheet(s)

The meat gets piped around each mound of potatoes. (or you can spoon)

Put them in the oven and remove when done. (In my oven they took 25 minutes).

Then I hit it with a small amount of meatloaf sauce I made from slow cooked tomatoes, spiked with pickapeppa sauce.

No Dairy Potato Quinoa Chicken Meatloaf

Even when you re-heat leftovers the potatoes are creamy and flavorful. The chicken meatloaf is delicious, well seasoned and also stays moist.

No Dairy Potato stuffed Quinoa Chicken Meatloaf

These meatloaves would also be good with a splash of thyme butter,some thin chicken gravy or a small amount of a traditional type of meatloaf sauce.

The Forking Truth

Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe

Sometimes you just have to think up another way to serve up Cauliflower. This is a not too heavy but easy way to prepare flavorful Cauliflower. All you need for serving is some grilled meat, some bread and your set for a meal.

Ingredients for around 4 servings.

1 medium cauliflower – broken down in bite sized florets

2 Calabrian Chili peppers – fine chopped

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves – shredded

4 Tablespoons marinara sauce -preferably  fresh made and flavorful

1 cup parmesan cheese – grated

black pepper – fresh ground to taste

non stick spray

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

pinch dried oregano – for finishing

pinch dried basil – for finishing

1 teaspoon fresh marjoram – chopped – for finishing

1 teaspoon fresh celery leaves – chopped – for finishing

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cauliflower, peppers, garlic, marinara, parmesan and black pepper. toss ingredients till they look mixed.

Pour the cauliflower mixture on to the sprayed baking sheets. The florets should be separate but not too far apart because some of the cheese mixture will stay in the bowl and you have to scrape it out and redistribute the cheese over the cauliflower.

Sprinkle the olive oil over the cauliflower and put in oven till cauliflower is cooked. (About 35 minutes……. but it could be more like 30 minutes up to 45 minutes depending on your oven and how you cut the cauliflower.) I know when I have many pans in oven it takes even longer like an hour.

When the cauliflower is done sprinkle it with the remaining dry herbs and the fresh herbs to serve.

Parmesan Cauliflower

Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe

Most people will enjoy this.

The Forking Truth

Pad Kra Pao Style Jackfruit

This is a very easy recipe that anyone can do. This recipe is similar to dishes you see on Thai Restaurant menus called Sweet Basil. My recipe is NOT authentic because I used anchovy oil and anchovies instead of fish sauce or oyster sauce. In my home I don’t use enough fish sauce for it to stay fresh in my house. I use a bottle and then the next time I go to use it the bottle is always spoiled. Anchovy is what not all but what the better fish sauces are made from. I don’t mean to brag but this version of Pad Kra Pow does taste better than from many of the restaurants I order it from. I had some Jackfruit and somehow I thought it would be good this way and it was! For this recipe you boil a piece of Jackfruit for 45 minutes. Cleaning it up is easy. put the sweet yummy bulbs from the jackfruit and the delicious edible peeled seeds to the side. The meat of the Jackfruit (parts between the bulbs) you only use when the Jackfruit isn’t ripe or it doesn’t taste good and it will be hard to take out……So do a taste test and figure out if it’s good…Use it if it’s good. It’s easy to peel the membrane off the seeds. The seeds are the best as soon as they are cooked because under the membrane the seeds sort of have an edible shell that is difficult to peel…..it’s not so hard as soon as it’s cooked. The seed is like a mix between a bean and a chestnut. The next day the outside of the seed gets crunchy but keep in mind it’s edible with a delicious center. Get a pan on high with anchovy oil and fry the bell pepper, than add the rest and it’s just yum! Of course if you don’t want to mess with Jackfruit you can use the recipe with whatever chopped protein you like.

Ingredients for about two servings.

One piece of cut jackfruit from the Asian Market….(I didn’t weigh but they are always the same size…..and look like this.

Water to boil jackfruit

1 Tablespoon kosher salt (to boil jackfruit)

1 2oz can anchovies (just the oil and 3-4 anchovies***amount might differ depending on anchovies)

5 cloves garlic – ground to paste

5 Thai Chilies – fine chopped – then ground to paste with garlic

1 red bell pepper – seeds and stem removed – thin slices

big splash soy sauce – (I used Lee Kum Kee Brand)

big splash Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

big handful thai basil leaves – (would be better with holy basil leaves…but impossible to find mostly all the time)

Directions

Put Jackfruit in a pot of water with salt and boil 45 minutes. Remove from pot and when cool enough to handle remove the jackfruit bulbs and the seeds. The seeds must be peeled….(please use them as they are DELICIOUS….taste like a cross between a chestnut and a bean) If the meat is unripe you can scrap out the meat too……but do a taste test first…..on ripe fruits the meat part usually isn’t good.

Orange are the bulbs to the side. Meat is still in fruit

Remove skin on seed

Get the fry pan on high heat with anchovy oil and about 3-4 anchovies (maybe less if you have really nice plump ones) Stir them around about a minute and they will break down.

Add bell pepper next. Let them go till they look almost cooked.

Turn down to medium add the garlic/chili mixture.

Give it a splash of soy sauce and golden mountain sauce. Stir it a little. This should smell very appetizing now.

Stir and then you can toss in the jackfruit and seeds

Shut off heat and stir in the basil and serve.

You can serve with rice or noodles and if you want to go authentic style you can top with a crispy fried egg.

Pad Kra Pao Style Jackfruit…

My husband was afraid to try this one….but he couldn’t believe how delicious it was…..He said I really nailed it. This really came out better than many Pad Kra Pows we had out………….Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

I had a pound of black beans in my pantry so this is what I came up with today. This is a very flavorful and EASY recipe to prepare. The one ingredient you need that is harder to find is Epazote. You can find epazote at any Mexican Supermarket and I do come across Epazote at Whole Foods every now and then. You should purchase Epazote and keep it in your freezer because it is a very strong herb and a little goes a long way. I do have one jalapeño in the recipe but one jalapeño doesn’t add much heat here. If you want to kick up the heat a little I HIGHLY RECOMMEND sending away for Chitepin Peppers……(many different spellings). They are expensive and difficult to find but are worth it! They are tiny peppers only the size of peppercorns but are so darn delicious and flavorful…you only need 2 or 3 of these peppers to make a world of difference. You might have noticed that I didn’t sauté the majority of the vegetables first. That is because I wanted the flavors of the vegetables to go into the beans..when you sauté the vegetables the vegetables are tasty but I want to flavors to go into the beans……It’s easy and it works.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 lb dried black beans – rinsed and inspected and then soaked over night in twice as much water as beans. Refrigerate.

2 teaspoons course sea salt

1 carrot – peeled and well chopped

3 garlic cloves – chopped fine

1 celery rib – well chopped

1/4 cup onion – well chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon epazote – fine chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 cup green bell pepper – roasted or sautéed – cut in strips

1 jalapeno pepper – roasted or sautéed – chopped fine

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin – to finish

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped – to finish

optional – if you like spicy 2-3 chiletepin peppers

Directions

The black beans get rinsed well and go in a pot and get covered with JUST WATER an inch over the beans. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for an hour. Put a loose cover on the pot after the beans are simmering.

After an hour add the salt, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves, epazote, cumin, chili powder, oregano, green bell pepper and  jalapeño.

let the pot continue to simmer 30 minutes. You might need another cup or two of water here.

Taste and adjust seasonings and add fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Decide if you want to add Chitepin peppers.

Decide if the beans need another 1/2 hour….Undercooked beans can be harmful or TOXIC…….you want the beans cooked all the way but only fresh dried beans will get creamy. You might need a little more water again.

When the beans are done serve with fresh scallions, fresh and cilantro. You might also want  some sort of sour cream and  Mexican Crumbling Cheese.

Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

This dish is well seasoned and delicious! You will make people happy with this.

The Forking Truth

Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

We read that one of Costco’s most loved and high rated item is surprisingly the canned Wild Alaskan Salmon. I decided to try a pack of them to see what I thought. Honestly it is indeed better than not all but most of the fresh salmon I can get within 15 miles of my house. (with the exception of AJ’s Fine Foods but Fresh Salmon usually runs $29.00 to $39.00 a lb there so I’d never purchase that salmon to make into a cake.). I don’t even try to purchase fresh salmon near me because at least 50% of the time I have to return it because it’s too old to eat and sometimes I have settled for nearly passable. For canned salmon Costco’s is the best I’ve tried. Last time I made a Crispy Baked Potato Cake with this canned Wild Alaskan Salmon….This time I’m doing a fried Salmon Cake made in a similar way to the way Crab Cakes are prepared but with flavors that I think go with Salmon. I made the Salmon Cake mixture and let it sit in my refrigerator over night so everything settled together really well.

Ingredients for two servings

1 6oz. can Wild Pink Salmon – drained

1 L egg – slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons mayonaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard – (I only use Grey Poupon)

1 teaspoon sriracha – (I like Shark Brand for this)

1 Tablespoon ketchup

10 saltine crackers – I used whole grain – crumbled fine

Canola or vegetable oil – for frying (guessing 3-4 Tablespoons but it seemed like none absorbed…I still had all the oil leftover when I was done.

Directions

In a small bowl Mix everything but the oil and salmon together. Carefully and gently add the salmon and try to keep it chunky and don’t break it up too much. Set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to over night.

Set oven to 300 degrees F.

Before frying make the salmon mixture into two patties.

Put the fry pan on medium high heat with enough oil to cover the pan very well. When the oil is hot carefully add the Salmon Cakes. Fry about three minutes on each side.

When done put cakes on a pan in 300 degree F oven while you whip up an aioli or make your side dish.

I made an Orange Aioli. I didn’t get down on paper exactly what I did but it was something like.

2 heaping teaspoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon dijon

small dash prepared horse radish

small dash bomba (a spicy but delicious Italian Condiment made with Calabrian Peppers)

really small dash ketchup

zest of a small sweet orange

juice of 1/2 a small sweet orange

Serve and Enjoy!

Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

These Salmon Cakes came out very tasty. I have to add the Orange Aioli is a nice addition to these Salmon Cakes.

The Forking Truth

Tunisian Inspired Carrots

There are many different Moroccan and Tunisian Vegetable dishes out there you might not know about that are insanely delicious. I am trying to discover them. I taste them when I come across them and read all the recipes I can find on them. Then I sort of wing them. This recipe is based on the flavors of a Tunisian dish called Horia. I saw the ingredients from the back of a jar and then did research searching out Tunisian Dishes for carrots so I’d get a feel for it. This dish I have NOT found at any restaurant yet. The Jarred version of Horia is more of a spread. You are welcome to blend everything up so get something closer to the actual dish called Horia. You can serve these carrots with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna for a closer to a Tunisian feel. This dish is easy and comes out delicious.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 lb + 5oz carrots – peeled and cut on diagonal in about thumb sized pieces

1 Tablespoon kosher salt – to boil carrots

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on carrots

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro- chopped

1/2 cup harissa vinaigrette – (preferably my recipe)

optional – serve with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna

Directions

Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put a pot of water on to boil and add the kosher salt. When water is starting to boil add the carrots. Let them boil four minutes and remove from pot on to a baking sheet.

Drizzle the carrots with the olive oil.

In a small bowl mix together the sea salt, sugar, cumin, caraway,  coriander and garlic.

Sprinkle the dry spices all over the carrots.

Put baking sheet on the top rack of oven for about a half hour.

Drizzle with harissa and add fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve

Tunisian Inspired Carrots

The Forking Truth