Loaf A Roma Food

MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

CLASSIC MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped, almost to a puree. Place the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl, and mix in ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Add Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate vegetables and egg into the meat. Pour in bread crumbs. With your hand, gently mix in the crumbs with your fingertips just until combined, about 1 minute.
• Form the meatloaf into a ball. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and place the ball of meat into the dish. Shape the ball into a loaf, about 4 inches high by 6 inches across.
• Bake in the preheated oven just until the meatloaf is hot, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved.
• Remove the meatloaf from the oven. With the back of a spoon, smooth the glaze onto the top of the meatloaf, then pull a little bit of glaze down the sides of the meatloaf with the back of the spoon.
• Return meatloaf to oven, and bake until the loaf is no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked onto the loaf, 30 to 40 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Cooking time will depend on shape and thickness of the meatloaf.

BALSAMIC BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.

ROMAN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine beaten eggs, 1/4 cup creamy Italian dressing, bread crumbs, onion, herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Add ground beef, mix well.
• In a 12 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish, pat half the meat mixture to a 9 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 1/2 cheese and all parsley on top to within 1-inch of all edges.
• Peel and place hard-cooked eggs end to end down the center of the rectangle.
• On wax paper pat remaining meat mixture to a 9 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top to within one-inch on all edges, press cheese into meat.
• Invert on top of egg rectangle. Remove wax paper.
• Now shaping meat into a loaf about 10-inches long, seal ends and sides well.
• Make shallow diagonal cuts on top of loaf forming diamond shapes. Bake uncovered in 350 degrees oven for 1 hour.
• For Sauce Topping: Combine remaining 3 tablespoons salad dressing, mustard and sugar, drizzle over the loaf. Bake 15 minutes more or until done. Transfer to serving platter, let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

TONY ROMA'S ONION RING LOAF

Steps:

• Slice onions crosswise and separate into rings.
• Combine milk, eggs and salt to taste in mixing bowl. Soak onion rings in mixture 30 minutes.
• Place pancake mix in shallow bowl. Heat oil for frying in skillet to 375 degrees F. Remove onion rings from milk mixture, dip in pancake mix and place in hot oil. Fry rings until golden brown. Drain fried onion rings on paper towels. Pack fried onion rings solidly, but loosely, without pressing, into 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn onto serving plate. Garnish with parsley.

DAD'S MEATLOAF WITH TOMATO RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.
• Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.
• This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.
• Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.
• Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!

LEMONY TURMERIC TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 4-by-9-inch loaf pan (see Tip) with nonstick cooking spray or butter, and line it with parchment, leaving some overhang on both of the longer sides so you're able to easily lift the cake out after baking.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric in a large bowl.
• Grate 2 tablespoons zest from 1 lemon into a medium bowl. Halve the zested lemon and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into a small bowl. Cut half the remaining whole lemon into thin rounds, discarding seeds (save the other half for another use).
• Add 1 cup sugar to the lemon zest in the medium bowl; rub together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and tinted yellow. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and the 2 tablespoons lemon juice until well blended.
• Using a spatula, add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to blend. Fold in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Scatter the top with the lemon slices and 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown, the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. (If the lemons are getting too dark, lay a piece of foil on top to prevent burning.) Let cool before slicing. (Cake can be baked up to 5 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored at room temperature.) Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

ROASTED ROMA TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix together the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper in a bowl, working the seasonings into the cavities of the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes, cut sides up, on a baking sheet, and sprinkle each tomato with about 1 tablespoon of feta cheese.
• Bake the tomatoes in the preheated oven until cooked but still firm, about 15 minutes.

TONY ROMA'S ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Slice the onions crosswise and separate into rings.
• Combine milk, eggs and salt in mixing bowl.
• Soak the onions in the mixture about 30 minutes.
• Place pancake mix in a shallow bowl.
• Heat oil for frying in skillet to 375 degrees.
• Remove the onion rings from milk mixture, dip in pancake mix and place in hot oil. Fry rings until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Pack fried onion rings solidly, but loosely, without pressing, into an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
• Bake at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes. Turn onto serving plate.