Yams To the Rescue!

"What's cookin'?" Jack asked as he came into the kitchen, "What ever it is, sure smells great!"

"An experiment..." I paused to look up at his face, "an experiment in pork chops."   My favorite guinea pig nodded and smiled.  His faith in me a restorative to my sagging spirits.  See, things had been going horribly wrong up to that point.

True, the pork chops, garlic, onions, apples and green peppers were filling the apartment with a wonderful fragrance....but the rice had already gone awry turning into a starchy ball of yuck before my eyes. Neither of us was in the mood for grits, again.  Noodles? Spuds?  Hmmmm. 

I was on the verge of giving up when he stopped by. 

I looked up from my handiwork, hoping I could live up to Jack's confidence in me.  "Well, the pork should be good at any rate. But I'm thinking of a  couple of alternates for side dishes.  Sorry. I know you wanted rice."

"Anything you do will be fine," he said, patting me on the head. "just no potatoes. Okay?"   Well, I thought, scratch that idea!  I looked around the kitchen.  What to do? What to do?

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My eyes fell apologetically on the basket of potatoes...
"Sorry guys," I quipped, "he's just not that into you."

But....there in that same basket lay the meal's salvation.  Yams!  Beautiful, flavorful, colorful Yams!  They would be a perfect compliment to the Pork Chops and Apples!

Suddenly my sinking heart was soaring skyward!  Those wonderful red gems, so often relegated to holiday side dishes or hidden in pies, these humble beauties would bring this meal home!  I grabbed a couple out of the basket, looked at the clock and commenced with the preparations.
There wasn't time for anything fancy, and at this point I wasn't in the mood.   There wasn't a lot of time, so what ever did would have to be, as we say in the computer geek world, "quick and dirty."

A simple thing, really....made even easier by the invention of the microwave.    
MICROWAVE?!!?  Yes.  Considering how long it would take to cook 'em via the more traditional route, the microwave was the only way to have everything finish at the same time. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

So after a good scrub, I scored each tuber with an "X" on two sides, set them on a paper towel in the microwave to cook on high for five minutes. After that, I flipped them so the underside was on top and let them cook for another five minutes on the same high setting.  The flipping is important.  It insures everything is done evenly, and keeps the texture from getting what I call "microwave weird."

While they were being zapped,  I finished the chops then got everything ready for service by putting some of the apples, onions, garlic and green peppers around them. Of course a few stray bits made their way on top of the chops too, Made for a better presentation. Then I buttered the yams, added some lettuce and tomato slices to the plate called Jack in for dinner.  Boy, was he happy!

From disaster to dinner in ten minutes flat!   Whew!
I'll be blogging the pork chop recipe soon, just wanted to get this yam thing out right away.
If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments feel free to submit them!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Meatloaf Pan and Meatloaf Recipe

 As if there are not enough kitchen gadgets around already.....!  But then again, are there ever enough?

Some are horrible, wastes of time and money....making one wonder if the inventor ever beat an egg or boiled a kettle of water!

The Perfect Meatloaf Pan in use

Then again, there are those gizmos that make you wonder how you ever survived without them.

Such is the case with this meatloaf pan I ordered through a t.v. add recently.  Called the "Perfect Meatloaf" pan, it comes with instructions for use and care along with a handy little recipe guide. It looked simple, even logical.  A loaf pan with an insert that lifted the food away from accumulating grease.
 How many of us have had to suffer through greasy, soggy, falling apart, stuck to the pan meatloaf?

Putting the meat onto the insert

Well, not with this handy tool!  It really does perform as promised.
As you can see from the photos, the loaf sits on the insert within the pan, cooks the normal amount of time, and comes out solid, maintaining its shape. We like our meatloaf with a tomato or ketchup top (see below), but that's not necessary.  

Also, you can use it for other things....they suggest stuffed peppers....I'll try that some time
Some product use hints: Of course don't use it in the microwave-metal and microwaves don't mix! The manufacturer also recommends to not use it under the broiler.

Placing insert w/ meat in pan

As in all new kitchen gadget purchases, clean the pan and insert with warm, soapy water before the first use and dry it completely before putting on your non-sticking agent (release spray like Pam, margarine or oil).

For now, here's a Meatloaf Recipe.
Please note that you can use beef, ground chicken or turkey, or anything that has the same sort of consistency.   Some folk like to make a nut/tofu loaf....they can be pretty tasty.  I don't know how they'd work with this pan, but if anybody gets one and wants to try it out, let me know!

MEATLOAF BECAUSE....

2 lb ground meat (beef, chicken, etc.)     
salt/low salt
pepper to your liking         
garlic diced
1 egg                                                      
onion diced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or                         
1/4 to 1/2  rolled oats                            
ketchup  or tomato sauce for top
release spray or oil for pan

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees   Prepare pan and pan insert by spraying all surfaces with release spray or greasing it all with margarine or olive oil

Pretty much combine all ingredients except for the release spray/grease  and ketchup in a large bowl.

Completed meatloaf before removing from pan

You may wish to add more seasonings, it's up to you.   Shape the whole thing into a loaf  and pop it into the pan.  I like to put the ketchup on top of the meatloaf so it cooks into kind of a crust, but it's optional.
 Bake in the oven 45 minutes to 1 hour.   Test by inserting a knife in the center.  There should be some resistance, it should feel firm and the knife should be fairly clean and hot-feeling when you withdraw it.
Enjoy!

Great side-dishes - steamed broccoli, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese....think comfort food!


And don't forget-Meatloaf means Meatloaf Sandwiches for lunch!  YUM! 

In short, I was pleased with the product's ease of use and the fact that it worked as promised.

PRODUCT RATING:
On a scale of one to five mixing bowls, one being YUCK!  five being YUM!
We'll see how it lasts the test of time, but as a new gadget, 
I give the Perfect Meatloaf Pan a rating of five, for performance, quality and truth in advertising.