Mini Meat Loaves

I made another kid-friendly dinner last week. It went over well with my family. I liked the idea of these little meat loaves because they are loaded with spinach. I don't know about your family, but my son doesn't ever request spinach (or any vegetable for that matter) for dinner, so any way that I can get him to eat it without complaints, I'm gonna do it! I also like the serving suggestion of a side-dish of broccoli. The recipe came from the May 6, 2008 issue of Woman's Day. Yes, I had it sitting around for quite a while but I'm glad I finally tried it. The magazine says that they cut the calories from 376 for regular meat loaf down to 257 for this new version. I say, try it you might like it.

Mini Meat Loaves
Serves 6

3 slices whole-grain bread
1lb ground turkey
1/2 lb lean ground beef
Whites from 2 large eggs
2 Tbsp minced dried onion flakes
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp each garlic powder and salt
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
6 Tsp ketchup, divided

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. You'll need a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick foil.

2. Tear bread into food processor. Pulse to make course crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and 2 Tbsp of the ketchup. Pulse just until blended. Form into 6 loaves (5 x 2-1/2 in. each, about 1 scant cup per loaf) on a lined pan.

3. Evenly spread tops with remaining 4 Tbsp ketchup. Bake 20 minutes until cooked through and instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Per serving: 257 cal. 27 g. pro, 13 g car, 2 g fiber, 11 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 78 mg chol, 473 mg sod.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Mexican Pork & Sweet Potato Stew

I made this yummy stew last week. I got the recipe from Woman's Day Magazine's heart-healthy recipes. I used Yukon Gold potatoes instead of sweet potatoes by mistake. I think it would have tasted really good with the sweet potatoes. I will definitely make it again the right way. D was really upset and didn't want to try it with the Yukon Gold potatoes. He relented and tried it. He and B really enjoyed it. It had some heat but not too much.

Mexican Pork & Sweet Potato Stew
Serves 6

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/4 lbs pork tenderloin, cut bite-size
1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can (14 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1-1/2 cups salsa (Old El Paso Fresh Mexican Style Smooth Chipoltle is a good choice)
Garnish: chopped cilantro, tortilla strips

1. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a deep nonstick skillet. Add pork; cook over medium-high heat 7 minutes or until browned. Transfer pork to a plate.

2. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in skillet. Add potatoes, peppers and onion. Cover; cook 5 minutes, stirring, until peppers and onion soften slightly.

3. Stir in garlic, cumin and cinnamon; cook a few seconds until fragrant. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Add corn; cover and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.

4. Stir in salsa and pork; heat through. Sprinkle servings with cilantro and tortilla strips if desired.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook