Don’t be scared when you see a meatloaf recipe. Chances are, it’s not like the meatloaf you shuddered at in the cafeteria line. There are so many variations to this classic dish that you’d be surprised to find a modern-day recipe that’s anything like what those hairnet-donning women were serving you in grade school. Did you just shudder? I did.
Southwest Meatloaf
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. angus ground beef, 96/4 extra lean
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 4 oz. can fire-roasted diced green chiles
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing lightly. Add meat mixture to a greased loaf pan and press down to smooth top. Crumble goat cheese atop loaf. Bake for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165*. Let rest for 20 minutes until slicing. Makes 4 servings.
Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients:
- 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 1 15.5 oz. can of no salt added black beans, drained
- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- chopped cilantro, if desired
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well. Serve along with meatloaf.
Hot damn, that did not photograph well. But let me tell you, it was delicious! If you make this, be sure to let it rest before slicing or else you will make a huge mess. I wonder who did that? Hmmmm.
…
In my very first post of the year, I mentioned that 2012 is the year I complete a half marathon. My grandfather immediately suggested that he and I run the Clemson Easter Bunny Run in April. Racing around Clemson in bunny ears? Sure! The course starts at the South Carolina Botanical gardens and goes around the University with views of Lake Hartwell and the surrounding community.
With that said, I looked up some training courses and found a 12-week schedule. This meant I had to start, like, today. I took one look at the schedule and found it extremely boring. Instead of following the schedule, I set out to run in the gorgeous 70 degree weather to see what I could handle.
10 miles later it was dark and I had to stop. Apparently I can run almost a half without training. Who knew?
It may not have been my smartest move to run that far, but as I do run on a regular basis, my body wasn’t going to go in complete shock, right? Or maybe I am just Superwoman.
Needless to say, when I got home, I wanted to eat everything in sight. I refueled with coconut water, almonds, walnuts, cranberries, Greek yogurt, and a big bowl of vegetables. Honest to goodness, I don’t even know what I’m doing, so if you have any tips, let me know. Just please don’t tell me that I’m going to break my body or something because that will make me sad.
I know I have to be smart, so I will follow the rest of the “schedule”, but the competitive side of me took over during that 10-mile run. I couldn’t help it.
Tips on running your first half marathon – give them to me! Seriously, tell me everything you know. Write me a book in the comment section, send me an email, sing me a song. Goooooooooo!
