Bison Meatloaf and Squashed Potatoes

Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. I had been making my meatloaf pretty much the same way for years (1 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage), but with Tommy's allergies we usually stay clear of prepared sausages and their mystery spices. So last night's meatloaf was a combination of ground bison and pork. I made a pork and turkey meatloaf a while back, and while it tasted good, the color was way too light for my preference. It just didn't seem right to me. To me, it's not meatloaf unless there's some red meat in there.

My secret to a gluten, egg and dairy free meatloaf is to use dry minced onions in place of the breadcrumbs. I like having onion in there anyway, and this way I don't have to sacrifice homemade bread to make breadcrumbs. And the tablespoon of coconut flour really helps with the binding too. Trust me, you won't end up with coconut flavored meat. This was our favorite Tommy safe meatloaf so far.

I guess I should be glad that my toddler hasn't become addicted to french fries, but at the same time, it's a little annoying sometimes that he won't eat white potatoes. He only likes orange sweet potatoes. It's great for the nutritional value, but I do miss making a big pot of traditional mashed potatoes to go with meatloaf. Last night I made Squashed Potatoes. It's a mixture of boiled russet potatoes and roasted acorn squash. That was a good blend of squash and white potatoes. The mixture was colorful enough for Tommy but still had some of that regular mashed potato flavor. Win-win! 

Bison and Pork Meatloaf

1.25 lb ground bison
1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup dry minced onion
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup apple juice
3 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dry rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the minced onion and coconut milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In another small bowl, combine the tomato paste and apple juice
4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add in the onion mixture and 2/3rds of the tomato mixture. Mix thoroughly with your hands. 
5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or foil. Form the meat into a loaf. 
6. Spread the remaining tomato mixture over the top of the meatloaf.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is at least 160°F.
8. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Squashed Potatoes

2 acorn squash
2 russet potatoes
1 Tbsp refined coconut oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Slice the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. 
3. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash are soft. Let cool.
5. Remove the squash flesh from the skins and set aside. Note: The squash can be prepared up to this point earlier in the day.
6. Peel and cut the potatoes into big chunks. Place the potatoes in a dutch oven pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until the potatoes can be broken apart by a fork.
7. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. 
8. Mash the potatoes and add in the squash and remaining ingredients. 
9. Heat mixture over medium low until warmed. 

If You Like Bacon, You Need to Make This (Loaded Roasted Squash)

We took a long weekend and went to Moab with several friends and their families. It was such a wonderful trip. Plenty of time outdoors, good food and great laughs. But now it's back to real life. 

Corona Arch

We loved the soup I made last week so much, that we're having hot dogs again tonight just so we'll have leftovers. And this time I won't be using lentils. The soup's on the menu for Friday, so keep an eye out for the recipe.

So tonight we're having turkey hot dogs, Loaded Roasted Squash and salad. A nice healthy meal after a weekend of overindulgence. This squash recipe is so good. It's like having loaded mashed potatoes, but with less calories and a lot more nutrients. 

I like to make all of our own salad dressings. I love the flavor of fresh dressings so much better than the ones I've had from the shelf. I like salad dressings that are more on the sweet side and light on the oil. So today I'll share my recipe for my Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is my usual go to salad dressing. I like to chop up an apple and have it soak in the dressing for about 10 minutes while I finish the rest of dinner before I add the lettuce. 

Loaded Roasted Squash

2 medium acorn squash

1 medium butternut squash

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 Tbps coconut oil

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 

2. Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Place squash cut side down on baking sheet sprayed with oil.

3. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash is tender.

4. Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Scoop out the pulp and discard skins. 

5. In a dutch oven pan, combine squash and the rest of the ingredients. Heat until warmed.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp whole seed mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 small apple (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients at the bottom of a large bowl. Stir together to combine.

2. Optional: Core and dice an apple. Toss it with the dressing. Let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Add lettuce and toss gently. 

It's Finally Fall! (Roasted Squash Soup)

Summertime is nice and all, but I don't tolerate heat well. If I get too hot I get crabby and feel ill. It's not a pretty sight. 

I LOVE fall. I love the crisp cool days and not having to worry about driving in the snow. And there is pumpkin spice everywhere! It was a chilly day, but it's supposed to warm up this weekend so I really didn't want to fire up the furnace and then need the AC two days later. So as I hung out in my house in a sweatshirt today, I decided it was the perfect day for making soup. 

This soup Roasted Squash Soup is so tasty and filling. It's like eating liquid pumpkin pie. Even Tommy loved it and asked for seconds. I served it with homemade Rosemary Bagel Chips. And Wasatch Pumpkin Ale. Yum. 

There is snow on the mountaintops and warm soup in my belly. That's a pretty great fall evening in my book. 

Stay tuned....Tomorrow I'll share the secret to my Pumpkin Spice Latte hack. 

Roasted Squash Soup

2 medium acorn squash
2 cups onion, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup lite coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Pour oil on a baking sheet and spread, leaving most in the middle.
3. Toss the onions with the oil in the middle of the baking sheet.
4. Cut squash in half and scrap out seeds. Place squash on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash and onion are tender.
6. Let squash sit for a few minutes to cool. Scoop out pulp and discard skins. 
7. In a dutch oven, add the stock, water, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, onions and squash pulp. 
8. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Puree the soup in a blender or use a stick blender. Return to pan and stir in coconut milk. 

Rosemary Bagel Chips

4 smallish plain bagels or 2 large ones
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Slice bagels into thin slices.
3. Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet and then spread the bagel slices out flat.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bagel slices turn brown. Let sit before serving.