Meatloaf

I have been trying to master meatloaf for sometime now. Every time I made it it always fell apart! Well last week I nailed this MOFO!!!! It stayed together...nice and firm and it wasn't dry either! I'm so proud of myself! ;) I wanted to serve mashed potatoes with it but I was out of potatoes so we had mixed veggies and seasoned rice! Since I chopped up too much onions and peppers I added the rest to my rice.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 Italian seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 bread crumbs
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
About 2 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
EVOO

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small nonstick sauce pot or pan, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add onion and green peppers and saute for about 5 minutes. Set vegetable mixture aside and allow to cool.


Combine ground pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine seasoning blend, eggs, milk, half of ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce. Beat mixture well using a whisk or fork.

Next form meat mixture by adding together all ingredients to the ground beef. Now using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients together until uniform. Form meat mixture into a loaf by lightly packing into the loaf pan. Slightly round off the top of your loaf for presentation purposes. pour the remaining ketchup over the top of the loaf. Evenly spread the ketchup over the top using a spatula or spoon.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Don't allow meat to dry out. Let meatloaf stand for about 12 minutes before slicing. This was truly delish!!!!



See....still in tact!  Love it!!!!  Go Jill!  Go Jill!  LOL


Enjoy!


Jill's Comfort Zone

Herb Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

So last night I had no choice but to cook what I had left in my freezer! LOL! I'm so serious...my freezer is so empty right now. I'm heading to the market in a few minutes. I just haven't been in the mood to go food shopping but enough is enough. I don't usually by dark meat but I saw a recipe months ago that I wanted to try which me me buy these quarter legs a few weeks ago. And can you believe I forgot what recipe I was going to use for these? SMH! Well I saw this recipe on this food blog, http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/ and thought I'd give it a try! It was quick and simple. I truly enjoyed it and so did the girls. You can find the recipe at the link listed above. And I did more than rinse my chicken...I CLEANED it! I hope that's what the blogger meant. :/ I added some cayenne...you know I love my food spicy! ;)

I served this with some Great Northern Beans and Jasmine rice. This is what we're having for dinner tonight along with some salad and strawberry muffins.

Enjoy!

Jill's Comfort Zone

Fish Tacos

I just love me some fish tacos! I need to make a trip to Wilkinsburg one of these weekends so I can go to this Asian shop to buy some more Mahi Mahi! It is perfect for fish tacos! The first time I made fish tacos I used Mahi Mahi...they were delish! Every time I make these I try to jaz it up a bit or do something different. This time I finally used the red cabbage. I never brought red cabbage before because I didn't know what to do with the rest of it after I used it for the fish tacos. I've been looking at quite a few red cabbage recipes that I want to try but that's another blog adventure coming up! ;) Anyway, we truly enjoyed the fish tacos a few weeks ago. I used Tilaopia this time.

It's me!!!  Loving my new home!  I think once I get all the decorations out the way I'll blog more frequently!  Just so much to do and so little time!  ;)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup EVOO (add more if needed)
3/4 lime juice
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
Pinch or two cayenne pepper
Salt
8 large tortillas Salsa (Your choice)
Sour cream
Sauteed onions, sliced
1 small head red cabbage
A cap full apple cider vinegar
5 fillets tilapia or the fish of your choice
 
In a bowl, mix together the EVOO, lime juice, chillie powder, cayenne and garlic. Place fish in a dish, pour mixture in and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but not longer than 2 hours.



Thinly slice cabbage. Put in a small bowl. Sprinkle with vinegar and some salt. Mix together and set aside.


Pour a little EVOO in a pan and saute the onions. In the same pan, add more EVOO. Once heated, fry the tilapia (make sure you patted it dry) on both sides for about 5 minutes each side. Place fish on a plate cover with paper towel to soak up the grease. Break up the fish using a fork into chunks or you can cut them into strips and transfer to a warm plate.

Heat the tortillas in a pan on both sides. I set up a little try with all the toppings and it's just that simple! Everyone add what the like with the remaining ingredients and dig in! Delish!!!!

Enjoy!


Jill's Comfort Zone

Jill's Famous Summer Yogurt Fruit Salad

Now this right here is the bomb!!! I truly love this fruit salad. Especially on those hot Summer days! The first time I made this was about at my Housewarming Party in NYC...about 5 years ago and I've been making it ever since! I switch the fruit flavor yogurt and the fruits from time to time depending on the season. I make this all year around! Truly delicious my friends!

You just peel and cut up some cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, seedless red and green grapes, watermelon, red and green apples, and peaches. Pour 1 juice or 2 of a lemon in the bowl; add 2 to 3 cups of fruit yogurt (here I used peach); and mix it all together! Yummy! I want some right now!  As you can see I got a little fruit happy besides myself with the fruit and had to transfer to another bowl.  LOL!  Oh well, it was worth it and not a drop was left over! 

Enjoy!


Jill's Comfort Zone

Grilled Corn with Chive Butter

 Rachael Ray Magazine

 I saw this recipe in one of Rachael Ray's magazines and just had to try it.  Sorry I didn't take a picture but I'm way over due with grilling so you'll have one to look at soon!  ;)

6 medium ears sweet corn, in husks
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsps snipped chives
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsps lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

Soak corn in cold water for 1 hour.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, chives, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 inch of bottom; remove silk.  Brush with butter mixture.  Rewrap corn in husks and secure with kitchen string.

Grill corn, uncovered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Enjoy!


Jill's Comfort Zone

Navy Beans and Turkey Necks

I love me some comfort food! This dish reminds me of my Grandma...the Carolina days! I truly miss this woman! Talking about cook!!! Oooooooooo...this lady use to cook her butt off! Mmmmmm...my she R.I.P.! I miss you so much!

When I first made this I was looking for something fulling and I didn't have much in the house at this time. I was being lazy and didn't feel like going food shopping! LOL! Who doesn't love beans and every southern family loves them some neck bones! Now you know you have to have some neck bones or turkey necks on hand at all times! Never know when you're ready to make some collard greens, corn bread stuffing, or whatever! It's hard to find fresh turkey necks here in Pittsburgh when it's not around Thanksgiving and Christmas. What a shame!

This is yet another recipe that I just eye ball the ingredients. The longest part to this dish is soaking the beans. I usually soak my beans over night. So I would start here first...soaking the beans so you don't have to cook them all day long! Each time I make these beans I add something different to it. So whatever you taste buds are calling for throw it in! ;) I think I'm going to make these beans in the crock pot next time!

Get you a bag of dried white or navy beans. A pack of fresh Turkey Necks or Neck bones. Chop up some onions, green peppers and garlic. Throw every thing in a pot. Add some EVOO, beef broth, salt, pepper, paprika and red crushed peppers to the pot and cook for about 2 and a 1/2 hours.

Enjoy!




Jill's Comfort Zone

Stewed Salmon Steaks

I just love this dish!!!  When me and my daughter, Jazzie's, father (Magic) was dating I started adoring stewed dishes.  Yes, they call him Magic...he got that name from playing Soccer he told me.  I gather he did magical things with the Soccer ball.  I don't know...I forgot the story.  LOL!  He's from Jamaica and their always eating stew fish, stewed chicken, stewed oxtails, beans...you name it they were stewing it!  Well it was always delish!  The spices, aroma, taste...I just love it all!  He was heavy handed on the plum tomatoes but since the girls and I don't really like tomatoes that much I use it lightly in my dishes.  Growing up from a family who always fried or baked most of their meats and seafood this was very different for me.  Don't get me wrong I've had stewed food before but more like stew beef, etc.  My Step dad, Pablo (R.I.P.) use to make stewed dishes as well.  He was from Honduras.  But he use to stew fish heads and stuff like that and I wasn't with that...at the time.  LOL!  I mean he use to leave the eye balls in and it freak me out!!!  As I got older and on my own I started testing the waters.  Not as much with stewed fish heads but fried!  Very tasty! 

Well there's nothing to this recipe.  I don't have measurements...you just go with the flow!  

I just season the steaks with salt, pepper, cayenne (if you like it spicy; you can also use red pepper flakes too instead of the cayenne) and paprika. Brown the in a sauce pan with olive oil. Remove to the side; draining on some paper towel.





Then I chop up some onions, green and red peppers, garlic and tomatoes season with salt and pepper. Sauté the onions, peppers first until soft then add the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Don't burn the garlic. You can use canned or fresh tomatoes. Then you add the tomatoes to the onion mixture (if you use the canned tomatoes, pour the juice in too) with some fresh lemon or lime juice.




Bring to simmer then return the salmon to the pan and cover. Cover for about 5 to 7 minutes more. I like a little crust on mines so I sometimes take the sauce pan and put it in a 350 degrees oven and bake uncovered for about 5 minutes or so.  And that's all to it! 

I served this with some french cut green beans, baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream and sprinkle of dried parsley and some salad.

Enjoy!

Jill's Comfort Zone