Barefoot Contessa meatloaf

[dsignpeach]

I got the Barefoot Contessa cookbook for Christmas and last night I made the turkey meatloaf from the book. It's one she says that customers get cranky if they run out of it, and her hubby loves it. In search of comfort food, I made it for dinner. I was so disappointed! It was bland, flavorless. This is the first recipe I've tried from the book, does anyone have any favorites that they've tried?

[MISSINDI]

I haven't tried that one myself, but know that there are many favorable reviews for it here.

As far as other good BC recipes, I tend to blur which recipes are in which book of hers, and they're at home so I can't doublecheck, but a few winners that we've had off the top of my head (most are posted here as well) are:

Roasted Carrots
Outrageous Brownies
Red Leaf Lettuce with Balsamic Red Onions
Spinach Gratin
Chicken Satay (was in an older issue of Oprah Magazine - excellent stuff)
Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
Coconut Macaroons
Jam Thumbprints
Pan-Fried Onion Dip
Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
Salmon Frittata

Hope this helps!

[dsignpeach]

Thanks! I'm copying your list down and I'll look for those.

[lonetree1353]

You can also check out the Contessa's kitchen website which is the old foodnetwork community board for Ian Garten here:
http://barefoot.proboards35.com/

[kimmer99]

Hmmm...I liked the meatloaf but then again, I wouldn't say it blew my normal lipton onion soup recipe away ;) .

Other recipes I love:

Chicken Noodle Soup (w/ homemade stock)
Kitchen Clambake
Roasted Brussel Sprouts (do these all the time)
Grilled Leg of Lamb
Hummus
Fresh Lemonade
Oven Roasted Fruit
Apple Crostata
Orzo w/ Roasted Vegetables

Other recipes that were good:
Lobster Pot Pie (I used shrimp and a prepared crust) - I'd make it again
Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Other recipes that were just okay:
Caviar Dip
Indonesian Chicken

Then I have a whole bunch of ones I still want to try.

[greatcook]

sorry the meatloaf was a bummer-I love most of her recipes though-from the food network. Made her spinach gratinee over the weekend, fantastic!

This is my recipe-and it's pretty yummy:)

1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
2 dashes of worshestire sauce
salt and pepper
1 pd of ground beef

*Mix and place in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes. Sometimes I drizzle A1 or Heinz 57 on top to give it a nice color and extra flavor on top!

PS-Gals this recipe works great for meatballs (sauteed and then placed in the oven in either a tomato sauce of cream of mushroom soup mixture) and burgers.

[dsignpeach]

MMM. That recipe sounds more flavorful for meatloaf. Thanx. Thanx to all of you for your input too.

[greatcook]

you bet-it's a ol' Norwegian we've had in our family for years-for good old meat and potatoes type of men and the ladies like us, who like a little flavor;)

[ellen6242]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MISSINDI
[B]I haven't tried that one myself, but know that there are many favorable reviews for it here.

As far as other good BC recipes, I tend to blur which recipes are in which book of hers, and they're at home so I can't doublecheck, but a few winners that we've had off the top of my head (most are posted here as well) are:

Roasted Carrots
Outrageous Brownies
Red Leaf Lettuce with Balsamic Red Onions
Spinach Gratin
Chicken Satay (was in an older issue of Oprah Magazine - excellent stuff)
Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
Coconut Macaroons
Jam Thumbprints
Pan-Fried Onion Dip
Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
Salmon Frittata

Have you got the recipe for Chicken Satay? I've got all 4 of her cookbooks, but I don't remember seeing that recipe. Thanks!

Ellen

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by ellen6242
[QUOTE]Originally posted by MISSINDI
[B]Have you got the recipe for Chicken Satay? I've got all 4 of her cookbooks, but I don't remember seeing that recipe. Thanks!

Ellen

Sure thing. I managed to find it on Oprah's magazine site (didn't think I would). Let me know if you try it. The peanutty dipping sauce that goes with it and is so, so good.

http://images.oprah.com/images/foodhome/food/200307/food_200307_chicken_125.jpg

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Satay Dip
Created by Ina Garten
From the July, 2003 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Makes 8 servings (1 1/2 cups dip)

Indoors or out, these skewered chunks of chicken are fun for everyone!
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved (8 breasts)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2/3 cup diced red onion (1 small onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and marinate, turning occasionally, in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, cook olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, gingerroot and red pepper flakes 10 minutes, or until onion is softened. Whisk in vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry and lime juice, and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Heat a charcoal grill and cook chicken 10 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Put each slice on a 7-inch bamboo skewer.

Place the bowl of dip in the center of a platter, and arrange chicken around the bowl, or transfer dip to individual plastic cups with 1 skewer dipped in each.

[ellen6242]

Thank you very much!!

[aquinas_chris]

I didn't like her turkey meatloaf either- it was icky.

I have made the sundreid tomato dip from that cookbook and i LOVE LOVE LOVE her guacamole recipe.

My cousin made her pumpkin banana mousse tart for T-giving and it was fabulous as well.

Oh, and I've made parker's split pea soup- it was okay, i like my recipe better, but I did like the addition of frozen peas for a color contrast.

C<><

[memartha]

I am among the people who do like her turkey meatloaf. I think it's incredibly tasty, mainly due to the Worcestershire sauce and onions.

I always wonder, when people have disappointing results with ground turkey, if they have used turkey breast, which I find terrible. It is very white and has very little fat/flavor. I made the mistake of buying it once and I will NEVER buy it again. I know others like it, but I don't. I prefer the ground turkey that's a mixture of light and dark meat.

Her Chicken Satay with the peanut sauce is delicious. I also like the Roast Chicken from that cookbook, and many of the vegetable dishes. Don't give up on Barefoot Contessa!

[newtricks]

Well I wish I'd read this thread before I made two of these meatloafs! One is in the freezer - I'm trying to be efficient. This recipe looked really good with the onions and worstchestire sauce but, for me, it didn't add up.

[PamN]

memartha may be onto something. There's a Q and A on Ina Garten's website about the turkey meatloaf. She says that when she wrote BC, there was only 7% ground turkey available. If you use the lowfat 3% ground turkey, the meatloaf will be too dry. See: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/qna.html

Maybe those of you who didn't like the flavor were missing the fat-carried flavors you'd get from the 7% turkey.

[Blissful_in_TX]

If you're looking for some recommendations, I asked a similar question not long ago and a lot of kind people gave me their favorites :) :

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68525&highlight=contessa

[PAMMELA]

Originally posted by aquinas_chris
I have made the sundreid tomato dip from that cookbook and i LOVE LOVE LOVE her guacamole recipe.
C<><


I only have her party book and I don't think the guacamole is in that one. Would you mind posting this? TIA!!!

[lonetree1353]

Here you go:


* Exported from MasterCook *

GUACAMOLE

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove -- minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato -- seeded, and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl.

Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Makes 3 cups.


Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 37 Calories; trace Fat (9.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1915mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

[granolagirl]

This is my recipe-and it's pretty yummy:)

1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
2 dashes of worshestire sauce
salt and pepper
1 pd of ground beef

*Mix and place in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes. Sometimes I drizzle A1 or Heinz 57 on top to give it a nice color and extra flavor on top!

Thank you so much for posting your recipe! I have tried Ina's recipes, Ellie Kreiger's recipe and countless others and this is finally one that worked for me. I just added some oatmeal! Thank you! :)

[Leonard]

I feel your pain. That is so disappointing. I recently made "Brooke's Meatloaf" from the Deen Brothers Cookbook. I had absolutely no flavor at all. BUT the glaze is wonderful! So not a total loss. Now I have a flavorful glaze for my old standby meatloaf recipe. Hope the other recipes are a success!

[peachesncream]

We like Ina's turkey meatloaf. But the recipe's success may depend on using ground turkey with some fat (and not turkey breast).

I don't care for Ina's guacamole. It's more like "diced avocado dip". Guacamole should have jalapenos or serrano peppers, and no tomato, at least in these parts (Texas). The avocado should be mostly mashed.

Back to meatloaf, our current favorite is Paula Deen's. I use Laura's Extra-Lean Ground Beef (4% fat) in this recipe, and it still tastes moist. My only change is to use 1-1/3 to 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef- it makes a larger loaf and more leftovers!

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf
Paula Deen

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 lb. ground beef (or ground chuck or round) * I use more!
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice (1 cup)
1/2 cup Quick Quaker Oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow “ballpark” mustard (scant)

Mix meat loaf ingredients gently together. Mix topping ingredients, then spread over meatloaf. Shape into loaf in baking pan sprayed with PAM (or lined with foil).
Bake one hour (instant thermometer should read 160 degrees). Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

[JackieO]

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts


Is this the roasted rosemary cashew recipe? (Sorry to hi-jack the meatloaf thread!) I LOVE those cashews....

[Litehouse9]

Here is Ina's Tzatziki dip/sauce that we love: Our family favorite is grilled Lamb Burgers served in Chewy Rolls with this sauce over. I also use this as a dip for raw veggies and chips.

Ina Garten's Tzatziki Dip/Sauce
1 pound (1 pint) plain yogurt (whole milk or low fat) =We use Greek yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill (*I use dried Dill)
(**Sometimes I put minced fresh Mint in this)
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
** Smoked Paprika- We love to dust the top of the dip with this!
Directions
Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.

Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve

[gabbyh]

I LOVE when old threads re-surface! Anyone have any recommendations from her new books?

~Gail

[foodfly]

I made her Banana Sour Cream Pancakes from her website yesterday morning. I imagine the same recipe must appear in one of her cookbooks.

While they weren't horrible, they weren't special either. Thought the taste of banana did not come through enough when the recipe was made as written.

The only thing I did differently was to cut the recipe in half which yielded two 4-5" pancakes a piece for 2 people.

[vabelle35]

I have all of the BC cookbooks and the original BC is my favorite of them all. Hers are so easy to adapt for WW-friendly calories because they are still rich and flavorful.

Her soups, vegetables and eggs recipes are my go-tos. She just rocks these every time.

I have not made the Turkey Meatloaf though just because I prefer the CL herbed meatloaf with sundried tomatoes made with real beef. It's one of those recipes where once you have found your meatloaf recipe, you don't need to try any others.

Here are the ones I've made from the BC Cookbook and just love (and make again and again):

Hummus
Smokes Salmon Tea Sandwiches
Turkey Tea Sandwiches
Cheddar Corn Chowder
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Rosemary White Bean Soup
Fresh Corn Salad
Lemon Capellini with Caviar
Roasted Carrots
Hot Chocolate

BC Back to Basics (my second favorite of her books)

Mustard Sauce (for the gravlax recipe)
Chilled Cucumber Soup
Cape Code Chopped Salad
Tuscan Lemon Chicken
Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash
Confetti Corn
Creamy Cheddar Grits
Baked Potatoes with Yogurt & Sour Cream
Roasted Parsnips & Carrots
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Country French Omelet
Easy Strawberry Jam

.

[vabelle35]

Still working through these, I haven't had them all that long.

From BC At Home. My faves are:

California BLT's
Smoked Salmon & Egg Salad Tartines
Fresh Pea Soup
Zucchini Pancakes
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Ultimate Ginger Cookies (these are spicy not sweet cookies, FYI)
Omelet for 2

From BC Family Style:

Endive Stilton & Walnuts
Chicken with Tabbouleh
Wheatberry Salad
Chicken Stew with Biscuits
Roasted Winter Vegetables
Slow Cooked Scrambled Eggs

From BC Parties:

Roasted Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs


From Barefoot in Paris:

Haven't made anything yet.


.