This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about meatloaf. It is on track to edge out fried chicken as my favorite comfort food. I know…this is shocking, because I also really love fried chicken. But fried chicken is such a process to make at home. Hot oil is involved, and I really have to have mashed potatoes and homemade gravy alongside the chicken (because otherwise, what’s the point?). Meatloaf, on the other hand, is easy to throw together and does not bring the potential for death or dismemberment by sizzling oil. And while I do enjoy mashed potatoes and gravy with my meatloaf, I’m equally happy with simple roasted vegetables and a healthy dollop of nature’s gravy ketchup.

I’ve tried dozens of meatloaf recipes – all beef, beef + pork + veal, turkey, tofu, made in a loaf pan, free-formed, mini. But until I purchased Slow Cooker Revolution, I never thought a tasty meatloaf could come out of my Crock Pot. Leave it to America’s Test Kitchen to completely change my mind on that. This was easy to throw together, and came out perfectly moist and flavorful. Was it any easier than throwing a meatloaf in the oven? Not really. In fact, many of the recipes in Slow Cooker Revolution require prep work or extra steps that take away from the perceived convenience of Crock Pot cuisine. But after sampling several of these recipes (and being impressed by all of them),  I’m hooked on this book. The novelty alone is enough to keep me coming back for more.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution, America’s Test Kitchen

Cooking spray

1 medium onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters

1/2 c whole milk (or in my case, 1/4 c skim milk and 1/4 c half and half)

2 lb 85% lean ground beef

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp hot sauce

Salt and pepper

1/2 c ketchup

1/4 c brown sugar

4 tsp cider vinegar

First, prep your slow cooker by making a foil collar and foil sling. (This process not only helps you remove the finished meatloaf in one piece, it also creates a nice layer of insulation for even cooking.)  For the collar, tear off 3 – 4 long sheets of aluminum foil. Stack them and fold the edges until you have a thick rectangle measuring 16″ long and 4″ wide. Press this collar along the back side of your slow cooker; it will look like a half moon. Next, make a foil sling by taking two additional sheets of foil and laying them perpendicular to one another in the slow cooker. Press the two sheets of foil against the inside of the slow cooker, covering the foil collar and leaving enough of an overhang at the top that you will be able to lift the finished product out of the slow cooker. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Next, prep the meatloaf. Place the chopped onion, garlic, thyme and canola oil in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high power for 2 1/2 minutes. Stir, then microwave an additional 2/12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bread and milk with a fork until a thick paste forms. Add the ground beef, onion/garlic mixture, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Use your hands to gently combine, then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and form a loaf.

Combine the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar and brush half of the mixture on to the meatloaf; save the rest for later. Cover the slow cooker and cook the meatloaf for four hours on low. When it’s done, use the foil sling to carefully lift the finished loaf from the slow cooker. Gently tilt the loaf and allow any juice or fat to drain back into the slow cooker, or into a separate bowl. Place the loaf and foil on a rimmed baking sheet and flatten the foil. Brush the loaf with the remaining ketchup mixture and, for a bit of extra color and flavor, broil the meatloaf in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Allow the loaf to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into wedges for serving.

I have always been easily influenced by cooking and food-related shows. This started when I was in graduate school and my flexible schedule allowed me to watch Food Network when I should have been working on my master’s thesis. I’d see a recipe prepared on air and immediately decide to amend that night’s dinner plan, rushing to the store for any missing ingredients (and further delaying the aforementioned thesis). This practice subsided when I returned to the workforce; I still watched my favorite shows, but limited myself to weekly grocery trips and a somewhat structured menu plan that made much more sense for someone with a full-time job.

Then I got pregnant and entered a whole new level of monkey see, monkey do. Food-related programming is like a drug for pregnant women. You see delicious food. You start thinking about it. You can practically smell it through the TV. You find yourself unable to concentrate on anything until you find, purchase and/or prepare the particular food that’s wormed its way into your brain. Takeout is the easiest and fastest way to get a fix, but cooking at home is a great way to burn off some of that third trimester nesting energy. And that is how an episode of  Throwdown with Bobby Flay prompted me to spend a couple of hours making meatballs and tomato sauce from scratch.

I sat through that episode staring at those meatballs and cursing my refrigerator for its lack of ground beef, basil and grated cheese. I contemplated sending Corey on a late-night grocery run but ultimately decided midnight meatball-making wasn’t the best idea for someone accustomed to a 9 p.m. bedtime. I held out until the next day and finally received my fix.

As far as meatballs and sauce go, these recipes from Maroni Cuisine in Northport, NY are surprisingly easy. The meatballs are baked in the oven (rather than pan fried) and the ingredient list is fairly simple. The sauce simmers for a mere 20 minutes, though you’ll need a bit more time to ensure the onions and garlic cook to a nice golden brown. I didn’t change a thing in either recipe*, so I encourage you to visit the original listings on Food Network’s web site and whip up your own bowl of carby, meaty comfort food.

*The only alteration I might make next time is to add a little heat (perhaps some crushed red pepper?) and a bit more salt to the sauce, and to make the sauce a day in advance. I found that the flavors were much more complex on the second day.

This weekend I returned to Wayfare Tavern for a wonderful dinner with Corey, our friend Chava and my sister-in-law, Michelle. Unlike my previous visit, I didn’t share an intimate moment with Tyler Florence – but the food was almost as delicious as the chef himself, and that’s really what matters, right?

Our dining companions are both vegetarians, so they shared two meat-free options from the Wayfare menu. The one featured at the top of this post was almost too beautiful to eat…but somehow, they found a way. Homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and surrounded by a roasted summer squash puree, jack cheese and crispy “blossoms,” which we assumed were squash blossoms. Aren’t the colors fantastic?

Alongside their pasta, Chava and Michelle shared this tomato salad with heirloom tomatoes, black-eyed peas, feta cheese and a delectable aioli. I had a bit of salad envy when I saw this combination.

Corey and I took a decidedly non-vegetarian route, agreeing to share two meaty entrees that caught my eye the last time I dined at Wayfare Tavern. First up: this smoked pork chop, adorned with a grilled peach (yum) and marcona almond butter (double yum). The combination sounded so intriguing, I had to try it. The peach was a perfect complement to the juicy pork, and the almond butter was so unexpectedly good. The pretty stuff on top is shaved fennel, which doesn’t really do anything for me. But the brown stuff on the bottom is some sort of honey/brown sugar glaze, which does quite a bit for me.

Our second entree was the reason I specifically booked a table on a Sunday evening. Sunday’s blue plate special is chicken pot pie filled with yummy vegetables and encased in a wonderful buttermilk crust. I almost changed my mind about this dish when the woman seated next to us started babbling about it being too dry and too heavy on the tarragon…but Corey convinced me we should try it and form our own opinion.

And that opinion is that it is both delicious and beautiful. Love the pea pod served on top.

The filling was not overly seasoned, as our neighbor implied. It was delicious, as was the crust.

Dessert seemed necessary since our tablemates ordered such light entrees. I mean, we pretty much had to get a few desserts to share…right?

You may remember the pineapple upside down cake from my previous visit.

I let Chava and Michelle enjoy that one so I could try a few bites of banana pudding (which was good, but not nearly Southern enough for my tastes – only one vanilla wafer, Tyler?! really?!).

And then…this appeared in front of me.

It was simply described as peach pie with vanilla goat’s milk ice cream and rosemary sugar. I was expecting a nice piece of pie for the four of us to share. Instead, we had enough pie for four or more to share. Can we talk about how beautiful this rosemary sugar looks? I love rosemary, but admit it can be a bit harsh. Rolling it in sugar certainly makes it more palatable.

Once we broke into this bad boy, it was all over. Oh. Em. Gee. Perfect filling. Perfect (and I do mean perfect) pie crust. I could not ask for a more delicious dessert.

Pie for dinner and pie for dessert. It really doesn’t get any better than that. Well, unless those pies are hand-delivered by Tyler Florence himself. Can someone make that happen?

Remember when I was relaxed? That feeling lasted for approximately 12 hours after my last blog post. We continued to enjoy ourselves…

(Yes, this is how you entertain yourselves when you’ve been married for 10+ years. Am I the only former wannabe-cheerleader marveling at Corey’s toe touch?!)

But on the final day of our vacation, we learned our dog had been skunked and we’d be returning to a fairly stinky house. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a catastrophe – our dog sitter did an excellent job and handled the situation as well as she could – but when you’re 7+ months pregnant, fairly hormonal and sensitive to strong smells, it sure feels like one. We spent the next several days cleaning and deodorizing everything in our house. Furniture and rugs were steam cleaned. Massive amounts of laundry were done. And the source of all of this trouble received both a new haircut…

…and a new collar. His dad felt he needed something tough to ward off future skunk predators.

While the skunk drama and odor are starting to fade, we’re still not completely free of household problems. Our washing machine is acting up, and in a clumsy pregnant moment I managed to do this to our laptop.

The screen is now permanently damaged, and we have to decide whether to fix it or get a new computer. Fixing the screen is cheaper than buying something new, but before this happened we were considering a few software upgrades…and now it may be more economical to just buy a new one.

I’ve shed more than a few tears over the past few days. Really, it’s all minor stuff, but it was a lot to deal with in a short amount of time. To combat this negative energy, I’ve spent a lot of time in my kitchen, which truly is my happy place. I made a delicious pork roast on Sunday, and while Corey would be content to eat straight-up pork for days on end, I wanted to do something different and delicious with the leftover meat. Roast pork enchiladas fit the bill.

If you are having a bad week, might I humbly suggest you increase your consumption of cheese, salsa and sour cream? This was so comforting and delicious. I’ve always loved Mexican food, but pregnancy has elevated that love to a much higher level. I have intense cravings for spicy salsa and tangy, pickled jalapenos; this recipe took care of both of those cravings, while fulfilling the more important task of using the leftover roast pork. I chopped the meat and mixed it with some caramelized onions, diced green chilies and a splash of chicken stock. It was a nice twist on the typical enchilada.

You’ll notice that the enchilada sauce is neither red nor green, which was something different for me. When searching for potential recipes, I found this one and was intrigued by the sauce ingredients: sour cream, salsa verde and chicken stock. Those who tested and reviewed the recipe said it was much too watery for their tastes, so I made a few tweaks and came up with something creamy, light and tasty. The pork was a great complement to these flavors, though I think leftover chicken or beans would be equally delicious.

Let’s hope this dish is a sign that things are looking up in our household. Mexican food certainly smells a lot better than skunky dog.

Roasted Pork Enchiladas

inspired by Emeril Lagasse

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked pork*

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp canola oil

salt and pepper, to taste

7 oz can diced green chilies

1 c chicken stock

1 c lowfat sour cream

1 c salsa verde

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 c shredded monterey jack or Mexican blend cheese

8 to 10 small corn or flour tortillas (I really like these because they have the texture of flour, but a corn-like taste)

2 – 3 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish, if desired

pickled jalapenos, for garnish, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400.

Heat the oil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and allow to slowly cook and caramelize, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (You want them brown, but not burnt). Add the cubed pork, diced green chilies, cilantro and a few splashes of chicken stock – just enough to give the mixture a slightly moist texture. Warm the mixture for a minute or two, then remove from heat and set aside. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Whisk the sour cream, cumin and salsa verde together in a mixing bowl. When combined, add the chicken stock, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more until desired consistency is reached. You want it to be saucy, but not too thin; I added about 3/4 cup total. When the sauce is fully combined and the consistency is to your liking, use 1/2 cup to evenly coat the bottom of a glass baking dish. Scoop a generous amount of filling into each tortilla, add a sprinkle of cheese and roll them up, placing them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Cover the tortillas with the remaining sauce, shredded cheese and jalapenos, if using.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil that’s been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Broil for 1 – 2 additional minutes if you like a brown, crusty topping. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and garnish with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

* I used leftovers from a pork shoulder roast that had been simply seasoned with salt, pepper and brown sugar. You can use any leftover pork, or even leftover roast chicken or beans.

Everyone knows that pregnant ladies have cravings. Most assume those cravings are for strange combinations (i.e. pickles and ice cream), but honestly, it’s not been that way for me. My cravings arise when someone talks about a specific food, or I see a specific food in a TV commercial or Food Network show, and then I cannot. stop. thinking about that food. It consumes me, and it takes every ounce of self control not to leap off the couch (or out of my office chair) and immediately leave the house to find and consume said food. Most recent cravings have included donuts (I literally dreamt about the Maple Glazed Bacon Apple donut at Dynamo Donut and knew that had to happen this weekend), salami, chocolate milk, barbecue potato chips, Pretzel M&Ms and Trader Joe’s Dried Fruit Bars. None of these foods were part of my pre-pregnancy diet, so it’s pretty interesting to see how differently my hormones interact with my taste buds.

And as for today’s recipe, it, too was born from a craving that started more than a week ago when I joined my friend Melissa for a Saturday brunch. Melissa is a great source of information on SF restaurants, and we got to talking about Blue Plate, a place known for amped-up comfort food. When Melissa started to describe the restaurant’s signature macaroni and cheese, my craving was instantaneous. Apparently it’s made with Drunken Goat cheese (a semisoft Spanish variety that’s been soaked in red wine) and topped with buttery breadcrumbs. I’ve never dined at Blue Plate, and while this conversation was certainly enough to get my hiney over there, I thought it would be more satisfying to make a similar dish at home. A Google search found that the recipe is available online – but if you look closely at said recipe, it is most definitely NOT scaled down to make four portions. Fourteen cups of liquid to make a cheese sauce for 1 pound pf pasta?! Not only does that seem way too liquidy, it also appears that it would wash out the flavor of the cheese, which – after all – is the main reason we eat mac and cheese. I used the Blue Plate recipe as a general guide, but searched a few other mac and cheese recipes to find alternate proportions for my roux and cheese sauce. The end result:

Utterly fantastic, if I do say so myself. If you’ve never had Drunken Goat cheese, the flavor is so subtle and wonderful. Neither the wine nor the goat’s milk flavor is too overpowering; it’s lightly nutty and slightly sharp, providing a perfect contrast to the tangy white cheddar that’s also included here. Even those who think they hate goat cheese (ahem – Mom) might find that this variety is much more appealing than soft and creamy variations. I’ve seen Drunken Goat in a variety of supermarkets and cheese shops in San Francisco; it’s likely you’ll find it near you, but if you can’t, you could try to substitute any semisoft goat cheese.

Both Corey and I agreed that this was a near-perfect execution of “fancy” mac and cheese. High quality cheese made it luxurious, but it didn’t go over the top (as some restaurants tend to do) with the addition of lobster, truffle oil, or other fanciful ingredients. I have no idea how it compares to the real Blue Plate version, but I’m willing to bet it’s almost as delicious – if not more so!

Beth’s Drunken Goat Mac and Cheese – inspired by Blue Plate

serves 4 to 6

2 c elbow macaroni

1.5 c whole milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 shallot, diced

5 oz shredded drunken goat cheese

4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp dried mustard

dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce

dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c plain breadcrumbs

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt (to taste) and the macaroni. Cook 6 to 7 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, begin the cheese sauce. Heat the milk in a small saucepan set over low heat; you want it to be warm, but not bubbling or scalded. (Note: to save time, I heated mine in the microwave using a glass measuring cup. It was perfect in 2 minutes on 50 percent power, but you have to watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t scald.) As the milk heats, melt the butter in another saucepan set over medium low heat. Add the shallot and cook for a minute or two, then add the flour. Whisk the flour, butter and shallot for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden and smells slightly nutty. Slowly pour in the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk over medium low heat until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. When thick, remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, tabasco, worcestershire, and black pepper, followed by the cheddar and drunken goat cheeses. Continue to whisk until smooth. Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumb topping begins to brown. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes if you prefer a crunchy topping.