Food: Meatloaf Muffins

The holidays have come and gone and I'm sure many of our cravings now exclude ham and turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, and (sadly) even sugar cookies. I must admit, I've become quite sluggish due to the season of eating and celebrating and staying up too late and sleeping in. So I apologize for not updating this site as often as I had intended. Even though I don't like to make resolutions in the new year, maybe that is one I should have for 2010...to be prompt and regular in my writing -and- sharing :)

Since it's pretty cold here in Detroit right now and we just had some more snow over night, I decided to post a meal that's warm and hearty with all the comforts of home. You may recall how I raved about the meatballs at a restaurant called Sugo outside of Atlanta. Well I used their dish as an inspiration when making meatloaf muffins the other weekend. They turned out quite well and I'm already looking forward to making them again sometime very soon...as well as some sweet and juicy caramelized onions to go along with them.

Meatloaf Muffins

MM

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs meatloaf mix (combination beef and pork)
• 1/4 c chopped carmelized onions
• 1 t fennel seeds
• 1 dozen dried, pitted dates, finely chopped
• 1 c breadcrumbs (MM Tip: Place two slices of bread in the food processor and pulse until you get a nice fine texture)
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• A splash of milk
• 6 whole peeled tomatoes (canned)
• 3/4 c of liquid from canned tomatoes (if mixture seems too dry, add more in small amounts)
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 T Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread - MM Comment: I've now used this ingredient in at least 3 recipes on this site...has it become a staple in your pantry yet? ;)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450
• Spray a standard-sized muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside
• Combine all ingredients (EXCEPT TJ PEPPER/EGGPLANT SPREAD) into a large bowl, mixing to combine (MM comment: Don't be afraid to get a little messy and use your hands)
• Pack mixture into palm-sized balls and press into muffin tin cups
• Place a spoonful of the TJ Pepper/Eggplant spread on top of each of the uncooked "muffins"
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through (depending on the accuracy of your oven, you may want to start checking them at 25 minutes)
• Remove from muffin pan and serve with caramelized onions and oven-roasted potatoes

Dining Out: Sugo Restaurant and Tapas

I had an incredible food experience last week while on business to Duluth, GA...and I just had to share it with you. First of all, this restaurant serves delicious, lovingly prepared food. Second, great prices are accompanied by huge portions (I was happily able to box and bring home about half of my meal to enjoy for lunch the next day). Third, and perhaps most importantly, most menu items had an unusual but stunning combination of Greek and Italian ingredients.

My co-worker and I started off the evening trying their "famous" Meatball al Sugo (one meatball is plenty for two people). It was an fantastic combination of sausage stuffed with roasted tomatoes, dates and caramelized onions topped with a touch of tomato basil sauce. I enjoyed them so much it inspired me to come up with a meatloaf recipe using the same ingredients (to be posted here soon!). Then, for dinner I enjoyed a dish called Pernice’s Chicken described as "dressed with a touch of tomato basil sauce, Prosciutto di Parma ham, caramelized onions, dates, spinach, pecorino romano, and provolone cheese. Served atop basil and black pepper papparadelle pasta tossed with roasted parsnips, caramelized radishes, figs, cherry tomatoes, cremini, portabello, and oyster mushrooms." It was soooo good and had some distinctive ingredients - I can't say I've ever had tomato sauce with figs, roasted parsnips and caramelized radishes. Who knew that combo would be so fabulous?

Amongst all of the deliciousness of the evening I have to admit my favorite thing was the caramelized onions. In both the meatballs and the chicken dish, it took me a while to figure out the secret flavor even though I knew it was something warm, translucent and soft with a hint of tangy sweetness. After Google searching Sugo recipes on the web, I soon discovered what I enjoyed were some very special caramelized onions...super slowly roasted with honey and balsamic vinegar. I think it will forever change the way I cook onions.



MM Comments: These onions are incredible. Since it takes a long time and some patience to make them, I recommend doubling the recipe and freezing the leftovers. I made this with 3 large, sweet onions this past weekend and ended up using them all weekend long - in meatloaf, on top of a sausage sandwich, and tossed in a pesto pasta dish. Soooo good!

Sugo's Caramelized Onions
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Ingredients:

• 1 head garlic
• 3 T plus 1 t olive oil divided
• 2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t cracked black malabar pepper
• 1/2 t chicken stock base
• 1/4 t smoked Spanish paprika

Directions

To roast the garlic: Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off a head of garlic. Place in a garlic troaster, clay pot or baking dish and drizzle with 1 t olive oil. Cover tightly and roast until the garlic cloves are soft but still white about 30-45 minutes. Set aside 1/2 of the garlic for the onions, reserve the rest for another use

To carmelize the onions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pour the remaining olive oil into a baking pan and top with the onions. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and honey. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from 1/2 head over tehe onions and stir to combine. Sprinkle with salt , pepper, chicken stock base, and paprika. Cover with heavy alyuminum foil and roast for 4-6 hours until onions are very soft and gently caramezlied (medium brown).