Toward the end of March I started realizing that I was eating a lot of sweets. And french fries. And more pizza than usual. My carefully developed healthy habits had taken a nosedive, and I was feeling it. I decided to declare April Health Month. My intention wasn’t to embark on a month of strictness and deprivation, but to remind myself how much better I feel when I’m eating more vegetables, and being thoughtful and conscientious about the amount of sugar, meat, and fried things I’m putting in my body. I re-read Mark Bittman’s Food Matters
I can’t say I’ve been super vigilant. Last week involved a burger, after all, not to mention a fair amount of beer. I even ate a donut. But I’ve also been trying out some new recipes that emphasize whole grains and vegetables, when they don’t exclude meat completely. This meatloaf is a perfect example. It’s a recipe from Bittman’s book for a grain-heavy loaf that includes meat as a flavor component more than anything else. I modified the recipe just slightly to account for what we had on hand. And I really liked it. It’s dense and hearty. There are a variety of flavors and textures. And I felt satisfied without feeling like I needed a nap. Total Health Month winner.
I served the not-so-meaty meatloaf up with some roasted potatoes and asparagus, and it felt very 1950s up in this place.
This is a very dense loaf. If you like your meatloaf light and airy, this might not be for you. This one is solid. But I love how colorful it is! The flecks of carrot and spinach are so festive. Bittman’s recipe recommends using this mixture for loaves, burgers, or meatballs, and I think that’s not a bad idea at all. If you fry your meatballs, they might end up absorbing more oil than normal, thanks to the bulgur, but I think they’d be great baked. You can use any meat you like, even fish, but I loved the ground turkey here. And if you really want to exclude meat, Bittman recommends substituting beans for the meat. I suspect that would be delicious.
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