Market Street Meatloaf, From The Silver Palate
I’m not going to share the recipe here because you can find it online, but I can’t recommend the Market Street meatloaf (from one of the Silver Palate cookbooks) enough. To freeze leftovers, slice the meatloaf, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then seal in Ziploc baggies. Make some sweet and russet mashed potatoes as well. Portion these out with an ice cream scoop to freeze individual portions, or press into a flat layer in a freezer bag for easy defrosting and reheating.
Baked Fusilli With Roasted Vegetables
This recipe is from an old issue of Food and Wine magazine, 1996. I always add more vegetables to it. This will keep well, will freeze well, and would be a nice thing to take to a neighbor!
Serves four to six.
2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 red pepper, diced small
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
3/4 lb. fusilli
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I use less)
1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes (I use more)
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
6 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 450. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Toss onions, carrots, zucchini, and red pepper with oil and spread on two large baking sheets. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring several times, until caramelized and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, add garlic, and toss. Reduce oven to 425.
Cook fusilli until al dente (approximately 11 minutes) in salted water. Drain.
Add pasta to roasted vegetables along with the cream, tomatoes, parsley, fontina, and a quarter cup of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 1-by-9-inch baking pan and top with remaining Parmesan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
Sweet Pea Soup
Here is another easy freezy recipe:
Serves eight.
5 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white parts only
5 Tbsp. flour
6 cups chicken broth
5 cups frozen peas
3/4 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sautÇ until soft, four to five minutes. Add flour, stirring until dissolved. Add broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Stir in peas, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, purÇe (or transfer to blender and purÇe in batches). Stir in cream, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Garnish with croutons.
Roasted Peppers
These roasted peppers are good to have on hand for serving with crackers and goat cheese, for putting into an omelette, adding to pasta, serving alongside grilled sausages . . . and my favorite open-face sandwich: toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic, and topped with caramelized onions, sautéed spinach, roasted peppers, and thin slices of ricotta salata.
2-3 sweet red peppers
3-4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, even better with a fig balsamic
Salt and pepper
Toasted pine nuts (optional)
You can blister the peppers either on a gas range or under the broiler. Once most of the skin has blackened, wrap them in foil for about 10 minutes. Then rinse off scorched skin, seed, core, and cut red peppers into small strips. Layer them in a shallow bowl or serving dish, top with coarsely chopped garlic, olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper. Serve with crackers, with goat cheese, put in sandwiches, add to pastas, etc.