Okazuya Meat Loaf

One of the local okazuya's (now closed) would have meat loaf on their line.  I don't remember meat loaf being on okazuya offerings as a kid.

Panko Meat Loaf

click on recipe title for printable recipe

 

     1 1/2 lbs ground beef

     1/2 c panko

     1 egg

     1/3 c onion, finely chopped

     1 tbsp brown sugar

     1 tsp salt

     black pepper

     1/4 c water

     1 can condensed tomato soup, divided

Grease a 9" loaf pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients with 1/2 can of undiluted tomato soup.  Reserve remainder for later.  Place mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread remaining soup evenly over top of loaf.  Bake additional 10 minutes.

Beryl's Meatloaf

For most people here, this will be the first full week of work since returning from Spring Break.  The next break will be Good Friday, in 3 weeks.

I was looking forward to warmer weather, but Hilo has been a little nippy.  It's definitely not swimming weather yet, although the Ds went for a swim last week.  My thoughts of making salads (or even cold somen) for dinner have been put on hold...gonna wait a week or so and hope the weather warms up.

I went for my check-up last week, and the hammer dropped.  It was Dougie's turn to deliver the message...don't eat so much cholesterol.  When the weather is this cold, I can't help it!  Nobody in their right mind would pick a salad over something warm and hearty.  But Dougie is right, and I do need to eat fatty foods in moderation.  Leung's will likely suffer economic depression without my regular patronage.  Gosh, I could surely go for a kau yuk and egg foo young plate.  Maybe I could convince 3M to go pick up Chinese for lunch.  Why am I jonesing for a plate of cholesterol?!?

. . .especially since I had a mound of cholesterol last night.  I made meat loaf, buttery mashed potatoes, and cole slaw.  Sometime during the first decade of the 21st century, I learned that meatloaf and coleslaw go great together.  My former coworker Beryl told me so, and after trying it out, I had to agree.  I like the taste of the packaged broccoli slaw with Marie's poppyseed dressing. The markets here don't always carry that dressing, but I've come across a few copycat recipes that I'd like to try out.  Luckily, I had some Marie's dressing in my fridge for the cole slaw this time.

The meatloaf I made was a recipe shared by Beryl.  It is easy to throw together, and for someone like myself (non-pea eater), I can do things to easily get rid of the peas:  pick the peas out of the soup before adding the soup in with the rest of the ingredients.  Best of all, Beryl's meatloaf contains none of the Devil's condiment.  I actually spat out my lunch once...someone slathered the top of a meatloaf with mustard.  D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G!

 
click on recipe title for printable recipe

Beryl's Meatloaf

     1 lb ground beef
     1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
     1 can Campbells condensed alphabet vegetable soup
     2 eggs
     1/2 c dry breadcrumbs, e.g. Progresso
     1/4 c ketchup
     additional ketchup for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 1 3/4 quart baking dish.  Combine all ingredients.  Press mixture into prepared pan.  Dot top with ketchup and spread evenly over entire surface (thin layer).  Bake for 50 minutes.

My bestie LAMN came home to Hilo this weekend, and we were able to get together for lunch yesterday.  Alas, the circumstances of her visit home were not the best, but it was still nice to catch up with her.  In spite of not seeing her for years, we just picked up the talk from where we left off.  It shouldn't come as a surprise...we went to the same elementary school, intermediate school, high school and college (after she got her head screwed on correctly).  LAMN was with us in the car when UGeo burned out the clutch on the return from Expo86.  She will be home again next weekend, but I don't think we'll be able to get together, as she'll have her hands full with family obligations.

This pic was taken back in the summer of 1995.  The baby in the picture is me.  Ok, ok, just kidding.  The baby is now a sophomore at the University of Washington.  LAMN still looks the same.  I wish I could give some of my wrinkles and ass fat to her!

Oyster Sauce Burgers

Conversation of the week:
The Help, "Do you want to go to Ross?"
Kikukat, "No, I told you. . .I gave up Ross for Lent."
The Help, "You're not even Catholic!"

I may not be a regular at Christmas mass, but I am observing Lent beyond the reaches of the Catholic church.  I have decided to give up my weekly cruise through Ross, and so far, I've been managing okay.  It was an easier decision to give up Ross than to give up pork or cake or ideeli shopping.

This past week was a bummer altogether.  GP had a family emergency so he bailed, leaving me and Sensei to cover for him.  He couldn't have picked a shittier time to leave because the doodoo hit the fan from all angles while he was gone.  The phone rang constantly, and we even entertained office visitors for him.  I also came "this close" to yelling at someone (the same someone I yelled at last May and the ONLY someone I ever yelled at in my current job).  The one sliver of sunlight from my work week was checking out my friend NK's Mini Clubman.  Cool!  Maybe I can get one when I grow up, although I think I'd prefer the Countryman.

The commencement of my spring break was delayed because I inadvertently volunteered to attend a work-related function in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  This took 10+ hours(spread over two days) out of my Spring Break, but it was actually a breeze of fresh air after the nasty week I had.  I got to see my pal CR, which made the entire time worth it.  I miss her.

It was also nice that Sensei was there for the first leg(4 hours) so I had company for part of the drive and someone to bitch with while there.  In spite of being only on-time (and not early), Sensei and I arrived significantly before Uncle.  By the time Uncle arrived, everyone was seated.  Shame!  I had to brave it alone for the second leg, but it worked out okay because I got to spend time with CR.  I also got to walk through the Jaggar Museum.  The last time I was there was when I was in elementary school!

This week I'm sharing a recipe which has never let me down.  It makes the tastiest hamburger patty which can be served all kinds of different ways. . .with rice and a fried egg in a loco moco (scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see an unflattering picture of a loco moco), or in a bun.  I normally make a single recipe, which will yield about 8 good-sized patties (for placing in a bun).

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Oyster Sauce Hamburger Patties

     1 lb ground beef

     2 slices bread, torn into bits

     1 egg

     2 tbsp chopped onion

     2 tbsp mayonnaise

     2 tbsp oyster sauce

     1 tbsp shoyu

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.  Form into patties and pan-fry.  Make gravy with drippings if necessary.

loco moco

I already told you this is an unflattering pic.