Pork, Thyme and Crispy Bacon Meatloaves

Meatloaf is such a versatile recipe to keep handy.  These individual serves mean shorter cooking times and make great leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Chilled mini meatloaves could be included in your next picnic or you could slice the cooked meatloaves into 2cm rounds and serve on a platter with vegetables and salads.  

The Italian flavours in this recipe are enhanced by serving with a rich Tomato and onion salsa or Tomato sauce flavoured with more thyme or perhaps a little rosemary. The idea came from a wonderful Belinda Jeffery’s recipe that made one large meatloaf.  So, however you would like to prepare the meatloaf, the results will be flavoursome and nourishing.

Preparation   20 minutes

Cooking          35 – 40 minutes

Serves  6

Ingredients

500 gram combined Pork and Veal Mince

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

40 gram Salami, diced very finely

2 - 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Hot English mustard powder

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pepper to taste

Small amount finely chopped Red Chilli   (Optional)

40 ml milk – 2 tablespoons

1 egg – lightly beaten

1 cup Quick Oats Rolled Oats (or you could use fresh breadcrumbs)

1 handful of fresh mint leaves

4 slices of very finely shaved ham

40 - 60 gram of hard cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)  - shaved into fine slices

4 - 6 rashers of very thin bacon – lean and rindless. Leave whole or you can slice into slivers

Method

Preheat oven to 190° C

Using a large bowl, mix together very thoroughly the mince, onion, garlic, salami, mustards, pepper, herbs and parmesan

In a cup – measure out the milk and lightly beat in the egg

Pour into the meat mixture, combine well

Add the Quick Oats and mix through

Place a piece of Baking Paper (approx. 40cm long)  on the bench.

Pat the meat into a rectangle shape on top of the Baking Paper

Cover meat with the mint leaves.

Along one of the long edges, place the ham slices – should cover up about a 1/3 of the meat.

Lay the cheese slices on top of the ham slices.

Roll the meatloaf up like a swiss roll :

The longer edge is being rolled tightly.

Use the Baking Paper to help roll and remove the Paper whilst rolling.

TIP: you can leave this rolled up, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge up to 24 hours ready to cook later.

Slice the roll into 6 small meatloaf sizes.

Top each meatloaf with the bacon slices.

Place on a baking tray with a thin lipped edge, lined with baking paper.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.  Check at 30 minutes.

If necessary, pop under the grill for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bacon topping.

Serve with a thick tomato salsa style sauce and delicious steamed vegetables or salad.

                                                              Enjoy!   Colleen

GOLDEN CRUSTED CHICKEN AND BACON POT PIES

Aunty Fifi, this is for you.  When my Adorable Aunty visited a while ago I whipped up these little individual pies  -  in between lots of gossiping and laughing  -  which is just how a family visit should be. I have added a few extra ingredients to Valli Little’s (Delicious) recipe, making a satisfying comfort food for these cooler nights.

The pies can be served in any size ramekin or pie dish you prefer. Cooking times will then depend on the volume to be heated. Sometimes I top them with puff pastry but recently I seem to prefer a sourdough bread crust – both are easy and equally tasty.  

This is a very flexible recipe – no leeks? Onions or shallots are fine.  No chorizo – bacon or salami works well too.  The lemon juice is one ingredient I do recommend adding right at the end – it adds a zing and brightness to the dish – so if you like lemons as much as I do, be sure to add a squeeze.

HINT: I like making a large quantity and saving some to reheat another day. Instructions are at the end of this recipe.

Preparation      15 – 20 minutes (some can be done during the cooking time)

Cooking            15 – 30 minutes

Baking               20 minutes for ramekin about 200 ml size

Using                 Large frypan to cook filling

                           Oven heated to 200°  Celsius

                           Ramekins or pie dishes

Serves               6 – 7 depending on size       (good to make extra to freeze for later)

Ingredients      

20 g butter

½ tablespoon Olive Oil

3 leeks (pale part only) – washed well and thinly sliced – could use white onions instead

4 rindless bacon rashers – diced

½ chorizo sausage – diced. Or Few slices salami –sliced finely (leave out or add more –depends on you)

800 gram chicken thigh fillets – fat removed, cut into 3cm pieces- approx bite size

2 Tablespoons plain flour

Good pinch of nutmeg and of smoked paprika (a little more if you like)

200 ml salt reduced chicken stock

200 ml light sour cream    OR     you could try Greek style Low Fat Yoghurt – be sure it is thick, not watery

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaved parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice  AND  the Zest     (you may need to juice a ½ lemon)

Salt and Pepper  to taste

TOPPING

1- 2 sheets frozen Butter puff pastry – defrosted   (depends on size of ramekin tops)

Egg wash

  

OR

SOURDOUGH BREAD TOPPING

¼  stale sourdough bread loaf including crust

2 tablespoons butter

Teaspoon finely chopped herbs – eg thyme, rosemary and/or parsley

Couple of teaspoons Olive Oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200°  Celsius

Heat butter and oil in large pan over low heat on stovetop.

 Add leeks bacon, salami and fry gently.

Add chicken pieces and cook until chicken almost cooked through

Sprinkle in flour, nutmeg and paprika. Stir thoroughly – no heavy lumps

Stir in stock and increase heat to medium. Bring to gentle boil.

Reduce heat. Season

Remove from heat.  Cool slightly (warm –not hot) and stir in sour cream

Stir again then add parsley and lemon juice.

Set aside and prepare ramekins

Lightly grease inside of ramekins

Fill with chicken mix.

For pastry topping:

Place ramekins on defrosted pastry – cut out circles approx 1 cm wider than top

Egg wash lip of ramekin. Gently place pastry on top

Press to seal. Make a couple of cuts in top to allow steam to escape

Brush with some egg wash

For Sourdough topping 

Blitz the bread, butter, herbs and oil in a food processor to get crumbs, allow some of the bread as 4cm cubes size. Do not overprocess.

Pile on top of the chicken mixture and press in slightly.

Then for both topping methods

Place on strong oven tray (one with a slight lipped edge to retain spills)

Bake for 15 -20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

HINT: making a large quantity and saving some to reheat another day.

Find freezer-proof ramekins / pie tins that are also suitable for ovens.

Place a small freezer bag into the ramekin.

Spoon some of the cooked chicken filling into the freezer bag so the ramekin is almost full.

Tie or knot the freezer bag excluding as much air as possible.

Leave the filled bag in the ramekin, then place them into the freezer – preferably overnight.

Next day or 6 hours later:

Remove the freezer bags from the individual ramekins. Leave contents in the freezer bags.  No need to keep the ramekins in the freezer at this stage. They will now be set in the quantity to refill those ramekins when you want to use them to reheat later.

Place the small frozen parcels into a larger zip bag or freezer plastic box, named and dated.

They are now ready to use within a month.

To re-heat.

Remove the individual freezer bags from freezer. Defrost in fridge – preferably. 2 – 3 hours.

Lightly grease the ramekins

Spoon the chicken mixture (stir to break up any frozen chunks)  into the ramekins and spread with either of the topping lids desired.

Bake in oven per above instructions.

                                 Enjoy!   Colleen

Luscious Lemon Pudding and Blueberry Compote

Cooler Autumn evenings sometimes need a little spoonful of dessert to complete the meal. Well, that's what Wilbur tells me.  So to preserve marital harmony I have a few warming pudding recipes set aside for the occasional indulgence  – easy ingredients that deliver on flavour and simplicity.  This recipe is my variation of Katie Quinn Davies (“What Katie Ate”).

I confess I have an addiction to these sweet tart, purple blue little balls with their pert crown and crave that burst of juicy flavour when you bite into them.  So I recommend making the Blueberry Compote the day before if possible.  It is great to keep a little pot in the fridge ready to spoon over a Bircher muesli or yoghurt. It never goes astray, certainly not in my home.

Preparation and Cooking Times      

Compote:     5 minutes preparation.  15 – 30 minutes simmering.   Requires slight cooldown.

Pudding:    15 minutes preparation.  30 – 35 minutes baking.           

Ingredients         (you will need 3 lemons in total)

Blueberry Compote  

450 gram frozen blueberries.  

       TIP:  I find frozen ones are fine for compote.  Save the fresh berries to serve on the plate to enjoy later.

1 lemon – juice and the fine zest

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

¼ cup water

Lemon Pudding

3 eggs – separated

¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar  (available in supermarkets near baking powder etc)

2 tablespoons Caster Sugar

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

1 cup (250 ml) Milk

2 tablespoons Thickened Cream

2 Lemons -  Juice and the fine zest

½ cup Self Raising Flour – sifted

Option:  a few fresh blueberries to add when serving.

Method – Blueberry Compote 

 I like to make this the day before but can also be made whilst the pudding is baking in the oven

Place compote ingredients in saucepan and slowly bring to boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 15 minutes until mixture slightly thickens. Mash some berries but try to keep at least a third as whole berries.

Allow to cool slightly before pouring over dessert.

Can be stored in clean lidded jar in fridge.  Use within 1 week.

Method – Lemon Pudding

Preheat oven 180 o C.      Prepare and grease a 22 – 24 cm  pie dish that is about 5 cm deep.

Egg Whites:

Using a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. 

Add the Cream of Tartar and 2 tablespoons Caster Sugar and whisk again until smooth and glossy.

Egg Yolks:

Using a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup Caster Sugar until thick and pale.

Beat in the milk, cream, lemon juice and zest.

Fold in the sifted flour gently starting with a few tablespoons then add the rest.

Gently fold one-third of the egg white meringue into the egg yolk batter.

When incorporated, add the remaining meringue and gently fold together.

Pour into a greased pie dish.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden and set.

Serve warm with the Blueberry Compote and your choice of ice-cream or cream.

                          Enjoy!    Colleen

Wilbur’s Famous Apple Pie

Wilbur believes I do not make dessert often enough.  Sometimes he feels so neglected he takes matters into his own hands and whips up his favourite apple pie (my cunning plan is working). He has shared this pie many times with family and friends.  It is always mouth-watering, satisfying and delicious. This recipe is Wilbur’s version of Collein Avery’s contribution to the cookbook fundraiser  compiled by Madonna King and Alison Alexander following the 2011 floods. 

The Brisbane Floods reminded us that if special recipes are never shared, a lifetime of cooking memories can be torn away by natural disasters. Our local radio station, 612ABC, organised contributors to share favourite recipes and form the inspirational recipe book “A Generous Helping” - to help replenish those family treasures swept away from so many Queensland family kitchens.  So share those recipes - and when you have been gifted a recipe jewel include their name - I am certain it always tastes better when you do! Thank you Collein Avery, Madonna King,  Alison Alexander   and of course,   Wilbur.

Preparation:    10 minutes

Cooking:          50 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup (I use 100 gram not 125 gram) butter – melted.  

TIP AND HINTS: Do this first so it is not boiling hot when added to flour later

1 ½ cups Plain Flour – sifted

Tiny pinch of salt

Pinch each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg – lightly beaten prior to adding

800 gram tin of Pie Apples. 

Topping

1 – 2 teaspoons Sugar

½ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves

Method

Preheat oven to 190 o C

Melt the butter and allow to cool just a little. 

Grease a large pie dish.

In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt, sugar, spices and vanilla.

Mix in the melted butter and then the lightly beaten egg to form a soft dough.

Gently spread three-quarters of the dough across the base and sides of the pie dish.

Spoon the tinned apples over the pastry base.

Using the remaining quarter of pastry, roughly make balls (walnut sized) and dot over the top of the pie.  No need to be exact –  will look ‘rustic’

Sprinkle with the sugar and spice topping

Bake for 50 minutes approx. until crisp and golden.  Check after 40 minutes.

Serve with your preference of cream, custard or ice-cream.

Wilbur assures me it is equally delicious hot or cold.

                       Enjoy!   Colleen