Cucumber Salad

Photo from Home
Made Hooplah

I've been on a real cucumber kick lately. I find making these quick little salads makes getting veggies
easier. I've been making a lot of the Asian flavor salads, but for Book club tonight I figured I'd better tone it down a bit (we have a member who doesn't like spice). 

This is an old time recipe as I understand it. The Anti Spice girl in book club said they made this all the time back in the mid-West. I can see why...It's delicious.

The tang of the vinegar with just a little hint of the sweet really makes this a good vinegairette for these cucumbers. 

I used Persian cucs because those are the ones I'm addicted to now. They're like little individual cucumbers. I didn't slice them thin because I like my slices to be a bit thicker. I also didn't add all the dill. 2 tablespoons seems like WAY too much dill. 

I had vinaigrette leftover so I'll be adding some cucumbers into it for tomorrow's dinner too. 

Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Home Made Hooplah

Serves 6

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large English cucumbers, sliced thin
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

In a large bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, water, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix until sugar has dissolved.

Add cucumbers and red onion to bowl, then use a spatula to toss and mix until veggies are coated in dressing.

Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Serve as desired.

Sautéed Haricot Verts with Marmalade Vinaigrette (French Green Beans)

Photo from The
Suburban Soapbox

I'm always on the lookout for quick, delicious vegetable side dishes. As much as I enjoy green beans, I tend to cook them the same way over and over again, so I'm always happy to find a recipe that shakes things up a bit.

This one fit the bill perfectly. I happen to love French green beans—although for reasons I still can't explain, I insist on calling them "hairy armpits." Don't ask. It's just one of those weird things my brain does. The good news is they cook quickly and, if you're careful not to overcook them, they stay wonderfully crisp and tender.

The vinaigrette was light and fresh, but I did think it could have used a little more orange marmalade. The ladies from Vines & Spines mentioned they couldn't really taste the marmalade, and I had to agree. It added a touch of sweetness, but I was hoping for a more noticeable citrus flavor. Next time I'd probably bump up the marmalade just a bit to let it shine. 

Sautéed Haricot Verts with Marmalade Vinaigrette (French Green Beans)

Recipe from The Suburban Soapbox

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• ½ pound haricots verts, baby string beans, stem ends removed
• 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• ¼ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• For the marmalade vinaigrette:
• 1 lemon juiced and zested
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Set up a large bowl of well-salted ice water for shocking.

Add the beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Strain and immediately transfer the beans to the salted ice water. When cool, strain again and set aside.

Add the olive oil to a large pan. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute, until the garlic begins to blister and become golden. Remove the garlic and set aside.

Add the beans to the pan and sauté until hot and just beginning to blister.

Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, season with salt and serve with the marmalade vinaigrette.

Nel's Smothered Meatloaf

Photo from 12 tomatoes

I have no idea who Nel is, but if this is her meatloaf recipe, she definitely knows what she's doing. This was off-the-chart delicious.

I haven't made a lot of meatloaf over the years. Meatballs? That's a completely different story. I make those all the time. Growing up, meatloaf wasn't a regular dinner at our house. Mom made it every once in a while, but it was never one of those meals that showed up often. Since I love meatballs so much, I've always thought of meatloaf as one giant meatball.

What makes this recipe stand out is that it skips the traditional ketchup glaze and instead smothers the meatloaf in a rich tomato gravy. The gravy keeps the meat incredibly tender and adds so much savory flavor. 

Would I make it again? I think so. The only thing I'd do differently is make individual mini meatloaves instead of one large loaf. They'd be perfect for freezing, which makes for an easy homemade dinner whenever the craving strikes.

Tomorrow I'm going to have my first meatloaf sandwich with the leftovers.

Nel's Smothered Meatloaf

Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 2-qt baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

To a medium bowl, add the ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and mix until just combined, form mixture into a loaf shape and place in prepared pan.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining tomato sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper, and pour over and around meatloaf.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting meatloaf every 15 minutes.

Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!