Monday, December 26, 2011

Ground meat treats: Zucchini and onion meatloaf

A cousin of the meatball (), the meatloaf is a traditional German dish. The recipe below is for a meal that feeds 4-8 people. The ground beef used has little fat, and thus a relatively low omega-6 content. Most of the fat comes from the 1 lb of ground grass-fed lamb in the recipe, which has a higher omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than the regular (i.e., non-grass-fed) ground beef. The egg acts as a binder. Leave the potato out if you want to decrease the carbohydrate content; it does not add much (nutrient numbers are provided at the end of the post).

- Prepare some dry seasoning powder by mixing salt, parsley flakes, garlic powder, chili powder, and a small amount of cayenne pepper.
- Grate one zucchini squash and one peeled potato. Cut half an onion into small pieces of similar size.
- Mix 2 lb of very lean ground beef (96/4) with 1 lb of ground grass-fed lamb.
- Add the dry seasoning, zucchini, potato, onion and a whole egg to the ground meat mix.
- Vigorously mix by hand until you get a homogeneous look.
- Place the mix into a buttered casserole dish with the shape of a loaf.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake the meatloaf for about 1 hour and a half.


It is a good idea to place the casserole dish within a tray, as in the photo above. The meatloaf will give off some of its juices as it bakes, which may overflow from the casserole dish and make a mess in your oven. Below is a slice of meatloaf served with a side of vegetables. The green spots in the meatloaf are the baked zucchini squash pieces.


A thick slice like the one on the photo above will have about 52 g of protein, 15 g of fat, and 6 g of carbohydrates (mostly from the potato). That'll be about 1/5 of the whole meatloaf; the slice will weigh a little less then 1/2 lb (approximately 200 g). The fat will be primairly saturated and monounsaturated (both healthy), with a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The slice of meatloaf will also be a good source of vitamins B12 and B6, niacin, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus.

18 comments:

annlee said...

I tend to add finely shredded carrots and cabbage, plus the onion and spices. And I like to bake the meatloaf uncovered, bumping up the temp to the broil setting the last 5 minutes. Meatloaf is "good stuff."

Ned Kock said...

Thanks for commenting annlee. Adding cabbage is a good idea.

Ned Kock said...

Another thing I often do is to add grated aged cheese to the mix. Not only does it add a nice flavor, it also makes the meatloaf more “solid”. This is cheese that I grate myself, not the ones with “anti-caking” and other chemicals added.

Nick said...

Ned,do you know how much omega 6 would be added if one were to use 15% fat grass fed beef? I'm sure I already get too much from a handful of almonds, but wouldn't it be less than the amount from, say 1/4 cup of almonds?

Nick said...

Wow, I just looked around to answer my own question above, Ned. If I have it right, 1/2 lb of 13% fat grass fed beef has .43gm of omega 6. I think the total calories is about 450.

Half a cup of almonds is about 410 calories and has 8.63gms of omega 6!

So, if we are supposed to get only 4% of our calories from omega fats, then about 14 almonds at 80 calories about maxes us out on a 2000 calorie diet, and that is with virtually no omega 3.

I hope I have this wrong. I eat almonds almost everyday, and a lot more than 14. Sometimes they are a staple when I fly...no wonder i ache.

Nick said...

Sorry, Ned, I hope this doesn't feel like spam. Evelyn Tribole states on her website that about 5-6 gms per day of omega 6 in our diet is acceptable.

Ned Kock said...

Hi Nick. Have you seen the post below?

http://bit.ly/fu4xRe

Nick said...

Ned, are you sure that is the proper link?

spughy said...

You know what would make it even better? Liver!!! Put grass-fed beef liver or lamb liver (about 1/2 lb) in your blender and whiz it up, then mix that in with the meatloaf. Makes for a heartier, "meatier" dish, with more nutrition. I have a liver-hating husband and a liver-hating child and both PREFER meatloaf that has liver in it.

Ned Kock said...

That’s the link Nick.

Ned Kock said...

Spughy, thanks. I’ll definitely try it next time.

Jim Sutton said...

Zowie! I re-read the nuts article that you linked to, Ned. I'm glad I rarely eat them. Thanks to you and Nick for the reminder.

Exceptionally Brash said...

Looks good!, especially for this time of the year.

Nick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ned Kock said...

I’m not sure what the problem is Nick. The post is titled “Nuts by numbers: Should you eat them, and how much?” You can get it directly by searching for it, using the search field at the top-left part of the blog; browsing it by date, on “Monday, December 20, 2010”; or by clicking on the “nuts” label at the bottom-right part of the blog.

Stipetic said...

No biggie, Ned, but have a look at: http://grassbasedhealth.blogspot.com/

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It is a good idea to place the casserole dish within a tray, as in the photo above.

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