The Secret to My Meatloaf

I never liked meatloaf when I was a child. It always seemed rather boring to me. Once I started cooking I decided to spice it up and make it interesting. After several tries I decided to try using my grandmother's spicy chili sauce recipe as the topping and I loved it. Give this meatloaf recipe a try and see what you think. Leftover chili sauce is great on hamburgers!

Grandmother's Spicy Chili Sauce

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix dry ingredients in sauce pan. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered until reduced by half. Set aside to cool. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Spicy Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
2 slices of bread torn into crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together. Form into loaf in baking pan. Top generously with chili sauce. Bake, uncovered, until done, 45 minutes to 1 hr.

If you don't like heat, you can cut down on the cayenne pepper or leave it out of the meatloaf itself. There is enough in the sauce for a little kick. My husband says this meatloaf is so good he needs an appetite suppressant to keep from eating the whole thing. :)

Loving Induction Cooking

I promised to tell you how it is going with my induction cooking trial. I can honestly say I am loving it. Things heat up quickly. Even my husband commented that the tea kettle comes to a boil quicker.

It is an absolute breeze to keep clean, a quick wipe and it's done. Nothing has cooked onto the surface. This was my number one reason for wanting to try induction, I hate cleaning cook tops.

The only draw back was having to buy some new cook ware, mostly pots, as my old ones did not work. I knew this going in. However, I was surprised by a few of the things that did work. An inexpensive wok I had works, as well as a cheap skillet that was in the back of the cabinet.

I would not hesitate to install an induction cook top in my kitchen. If you didn't read the previous post, I purchased the Viking portable cook top to see if I liked it before installing a complete top. Now that I have cooked on it for a couple of week, it is a winner in my book!

Simple Spinach Salad Recipe

My husband loves salads and this spinach salad recipe is a favorite. It is very simple to make so that's another plus. We're having it tonight with some simple grilled chicken. Dinner needs to be quick, we're going out to try and find some glass tile for the kitchen remodel we are planning.

Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

1 bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 (11 oz) can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup diced tomatoes or grape tomatoes
approximately 1/4 cup of raspberry vinaigrette (there's lots of good bottled ones)

Place all ingredients into chilled salad bowl and toss well. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Braised Steak with Chipolte Sauce Recipe

There will be a lot of grilling happening this weekend so here's an easy recipe to cook inside for something different. I plan on letting it simmer this afternoon while I read nuphedra reviews.

We like things spicy around here so I prepare a lot of Mexican inspired dishes. I came up with this recipe a few years ago. It is great served over rice with a side of guacamole and fresh tortillas from the Mexican market.

Braised Steak with Chipolte Sauce

1 to 2 pounds round steak, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 15oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 small can tomato sauce
3 canned chipolte chilies, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic
salt and pepper
dash ground cumin
2 T. olive oil

Place oil in preheated skillet. Brown meat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer until meat is tender stirring occasionally, approximately 1 1/2 hrs. You may add a little water if necessary.

Induction Cooking

I have been dying to try induction cooking. If you are not familiar with it, the heat is generated by magnetics. The surface of the appliance does not heat up and you have to use pans that will hold a magnet. It heats up faster than traditional methods. What I like is that you don't have the cooked on foods you get on gas or traditional electric tops.

Now that you know what it is, I bought one! Not a whole cook top, but the Viking portable unit. So far I love it. It is amazing how quickly a pot of water comes to a boil. After almost a week of cooking it is still shiny clean with only a quick wipe. Nothing cooked on to scrub. I will keep you informed as I cook more with it.

Green Chili Stew, a Mexican Recipe

This recipe for green chili stew is simple to make. But if you have been reading this blog for a while you know I like simple. :) I tend to cook it on the stove, but it would be perfect for the crock pot or slow cooker. Once you brown the meat put everything in the slow cooker and cook all day on low.

Green Chili Stew Recipe

2 lbs. lean pork, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
flour for dredging
2 T. oil
3 cans chopped green chilies
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can hominy, drained OR 2 or 3 cubed red potatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
water to cover
salt and pepper

Dredge pork in flour, shaking off excess. Heat a dutch oven, add the oil and brown the pork. Add the rest of the ingredients except water. Add just enough water to cover everything. Bring to boil, cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the pork is tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Cook approx 1 and 1/2 to 2 hrs. Garnish with cheese. Also good served over rice.

I'm off to Westgate for a little shopping. I've got to get going so I don't miss happy hour with my hubby later!

It's Eat What You Want Day!

It is national Eat What You Want Day. So go for it! You have got to love a day that tells you to eat anything you want. We all need permission to do that occasionally. Most of us spend a lot of time obsessing about our weight and looking for the best weight loss pills. Occasionally we should relax and not worry about it so much. So enjoy the day and forget about diets for a day.

Hope Your Day Was Great

I hope you had a great Mother's Day. My mom is a long way away, so I didn't get to spend it with her. I had to settle for a phone call. Hopefully we will be going for a visit soon. The only kids I have are of the furry variety, so I am not officially a mother. But I enjoyed my day. I made a point of staying away from the computer and spent the day with my husband doing things around the house. We got a lot accomplished. The day was topped off with chicken and asparagus on the grill and sunset mojitos. Life is good.