My mom usually made meatloaf on Mondays. It was one of the best parts of the week! So it just seems fitting somehow to post this today, especially as we lead up to Mothers' Day. One of my favorite things to do as a mom is to give my kids a reason to want to spend time around the dinner table with me. As a parent, after being needed for so long, it's strange when they're not around as much as they used to be! (Not a bad thing...just different!) Call it food blackmail, if you want, but mealtime is my favorite part of the day and the best way I know how to keep my family close, especially when we spend so much of the day away from each other. As we're eating, we play a game of "Hi/Lo", where we each describe the best and worst parts of our day. I'd love to hear from you about what your family dinners are like...just on a regular weekday.
The star of this dish is the Ras El Hanout seasoning. That's an exotic Moroccan spice blend of cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, red pepper and turmeric (although some special blends can contain up to 50 different spices). You can get it at almost any grocery store. The Arabic translation means "head of the shop." I love to cook with it because it really helps you develop another level of flavor but it's not overwhelming.
This recipe is only 221 calories for one big slice of meatloaf! Here are some of the tips and tricks for the recipe that will be helpful: I first sautéed the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil with salt/pepper before adding to meatloaf mix. Also, you may have to play with the amount of almond meal and/or bread crumbs you use so that you get the right consistency for it to hold together and not be too dry. If it gets too dry, add water, vegetable stock or another egg. (Then add more coconut aminos too.) Spinach usually keeps ground turkey nice and moist. I also sautée the mushrooms first before I chop and add them. Or I use the frozen mushroom medley from Trader Joe's. I'll microwave those and then chop them to add. (You can simplify this by not sautéing anything first and just mixing it all up. Kind of like a dump, mix and bake!)
Ingredients-
• 1 lb ground turkey (or chicken)
• 2 Tbs almond meal
• 2 slices toasted Ezekiel bread, crumbed/pulsed in blender
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp adobo seasoning
• 1 tsp ras el hanout seasoning
• 2 Tbs coconut aminos or braggs liquid aminos
• 2 tsp each salt and pepper (to taste)
• Vegetable stock (by the tbsp if necessary)
Directions-
Mix together all ingredients, shape into a loaf on a cookie sheet or mold into a loaf pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes.
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