Meat Loaf Florentine

One might think this recipe would be found in a cookbook for parents who were trying to sneak vegetables into their children's diets. A parent could still try this, I suppose, but even I was picking out the vegetables and pushing them to the side. Let's just say this was not Ina's meatloaf.

Why would I post a recipe that I did not particularly like? Because you might like it. It is not for me to say but to share.

Meat Loaf Florentine

Recipe, Thyme for Cooking, the Blog...and Life in France

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or beef/sausage mixed

1 medium onion, 1/2 cup finely chopped

3 oz mushrooms, about 3/4 cup finely chopped

1 carrot, about 1/3 cup finely chopped

1-2 stalks celery, about 1/3 cup finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz frozen spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons parsley

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

Finely chop onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and mince garlic. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute until they start to get tender, about 8 minutes or until onion becomes transparent. Add mushrooms and spinach, and stir until combined. Remove and spread vegetables on a plate to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add bread crumbs, wine, ketchup and herbs and mix well. Add meat and mix. Add about a third of the vegetables and mix. Add remaining vegetables and mix well (use clean hands to combine mixture well). Put mixture into baking pan and mold it into the shape of a loaf. Cover and bake at 400-degrees for 45 minutes. Remove and pour tomato sauce over the top. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or longer or until done. Remove and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

My cooking lesson: What is missing from the original recipe that might have improved my acceptance? Salt and pepper! The other notes I made were to very finely chop or mince the vegetables and to make sure the vegetables are better combined before transferring to cool. I also made a note to use cooked fresh spinach instead of frozen. 


Try this recipe as written or see what you can do. How would you tweak this recipe so that children (or an old aunt, like me) would eat it?