Recipe: "Mediterranean Meatloaf"
Sep. 22nd, 2021 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithWe made this today, somewhat inspired by a magazine recipe.
"Mediterranean Meatloaf"
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup mozzarella pearls
1 cup quick oats, dry
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. If the sun-dried tomatoes include oil, use that to grease a loaf pan. Otherwise use olive oil or cooking spray.
Chop sun-dried tomatoes to make 1/4 cup. Set aside.
Chop the onion. Put 2 tablespoons light olive oil into a skillet, then saute the onion until it starts to become tender and translucent. Add 1 cup chopped spinach and stir until it wilts. Stir in 1/4 cup mozzarella pearls. Remove from heat and set aside the filling.
In a large bowl, put 1 cup quick oats, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 cup half and half. Add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey. Mix together until it forms a thick, cohesive mass.
Break off 2/3 of the turkey mixture and shape it into an oblong. Press it into the bottom of the loaf pan. Make a deep hollow in the middle of the loaf.
Carefully spoon the filling into the hollow. Try to keep it from touching the upper edges of the meat, as this will impair the seal.
Shape the remaining 1/3 of the turkey mixture into a long flat lid. Place it over the loaf and filling. Press firmly all around the edges to seal it in place.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the meat juices run clear. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
We didn't have sun-dried tomatoes, so I substituted about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste instead. I think next time I would add the sun-dried tomatoes but keep the tomato paste too.
Mozzarella pearls are little balls of cheese. They make excellent filling for meatloaf because they turn into gooey blobs instead of just blending in the way shredded cheese does.
The flavor is good but could use more Mediterranean spices, like basil, and maybe some full-flavor olive oil in the turkey mixture.
"Mediterranean Meatloaf"
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup mozzarella pearls
1 cup quick oats, dry
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. If the sun-dried tomatoes include oil, use that to grease a loaf pan. Otherwise use olive oil or cooking spray.
Chop sun-dried tomatoes to make 1/4 cup. Set aside.
Chop the onion. Put 2 tablespoons light olive oil into a skillet, then saute the onion until it starts to become tender and translucent. Add 1 cup chopped spinach and stir until it wilts. Stir in 1/4 cup mozzarella pearls. Remove from heat and set aside the filling.
In a large bowl, put 1 cup quick oats, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 cup half and half. Add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey. Mix together until it forms a thick, cohesive mass.
Break off 2/3 of the turkey mixture and shape it into an oblong. Press it into the bottom of the loaf pan. Make a deep hollow in the middle of the loaf.
Carefully spoon the filling into the hollow. Try to keep it from touching the upper edges of the meat, as this will impair the seal.
Shape the remaining 1/3 of the turkey mixture into a long flat lid. Place it over the loaf and filling. Press firmly all around the edges to seal it in place.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the meat juices run clear. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
We didn't have sun-dried tomatoes, so I substituted about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste instead. I think next time I would add the sun-dried tomatoes but keep the tomato paste too.
Mozzarella pearls are little balls of cheese. They make excellent filling for meatloaf because they turn into gooey blobs instead of just blending in the way shredded cheese does.
The flavor is good but could use more Mediterranean spices, like basil, and maybe some full-flavor olive oil in the turkey mixture.
did the seal hold?
Date: 2021-09-23 02:21 pm (UTC)So, how well did the lid stay put?
Re: did the seal hold?
Date: 2021-09-23 07:55 pm (UTC)That would probably be closer to the feta (which we don't care for) used in the original recipe.
>> So, how well did the lid stay put? <<
Completely. It didn't leak at all. I'm not sure I've ever had one hold this well. When I make meat muffins, usually at least half of them rupture. This could be a fluke, but could also be the use of a filling that is not prone to exploding.
Doug liked the flavor. I thought it could use more spices in the meat part, which is easy to do, but the filling was quite good.
Re: did the seal hold?
Date: 2021-09-23 08:02 pm (UTC)Re: did the seal hold?
Date: 2021-09-23 08:28 pm (UTC)Thinking about it further, the difference may involve the texture of the meat.
Ground turkey has a very soft, homogenous, pasty texture. I would've thought it would hold less well, but perhaps instead this allows it to form a better seal and/or expand slightly if the filling grows.
Ground beef has a stiffer, more crumbly texture. I would've thought it would hold stronger, but it may not seal as well and/or have much give if the filling grows.