Comfort Food

 

Mom’s Meatloaf and Tomato Sauce

Yield: 4-6 servings

2 lbs. ground beef

1 minced medium onion

2 eggs

1/2 cup ketchup

1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tsp mustard

2 Tsp salt

2 Tsp pepper

2 slices rye bread, crusts removed

1/2 cup milk

With your hands, mix the ground beef, onion, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Soak the rye bread in milk and crumble soaked bread into meat mixture. Form into a rough loaf and bake on a sheet pan, in a 6-cup casserole dish or in a 9” x 5” loaf pan in a 375° preheated oven for 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Tomato Sauce

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 cup wine

3 cups chopped canned tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato paste

Crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper

1 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce to a third of its volume. Add tomatoes; cook until tomatoes begin to release their liquid, and then add tomato paste. Season to taste with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and heat one minute more. Serve with meatloaf.

 

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

Yield: 4 servings

3 lbs. russet potatoes

1 large head of garlic

1 cup sour cream, half and half or plain yogurt

2-4 Tblsp butter

Salt and pepper

Bake potatoes and garlic head in a preheated 400° oven for 40 minutes; remove garlic and continue cooking potatoes for 20 more minutes until tender. While the potatoes are still cooking, cut off the pointed end of the garlic head and squeeze the roasted flesh from the skin. Split the cooked potatoes, scoop out the flesh into a large heavy saucepan, and beat in sour cream, half and half or plain yogurt until light and fluffy. Beat in butter and garlic, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reheat in pan or microwave.

 

Honey-Glazed Pea Pods and Carrots

Yield: 6 servings

2 cups sliced carrots

1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed

3 Tblsp butter

1/2 Tsp cornstarch

2 Tsp honey

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add pea pods and cook until tender crisp; drain and set aside.

Melt butter in the same pan and stir in cornstarch. Return carrots and peas to pan and stir in honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until heated through.