Meat loaf that is better microwaved

Press, 1 March 1989, Page 16

Meat loaf that is better microwaved

Alison Hoist’s

Food Facts 4

Mrs Lyndie Pillar, of Wellington, won a recipe competition with this recipe last year.

I am sure that she will save a lot of time with the microwave oven she won as a prize. This recipe, for example, microwaves in a third of the time it takes to cook in a conventionl oven — and this does not take into account the time it takes to heat up the oven.

When I prepared this loaf for a photograph, I cooked two. We sliced, looked at, then tasted them both. Although there was really little to choose between the two, we decided that we liked the microwaved version best. This is the note that Mrs Pillar included with her recipe. “One day I thought that I would try to make a meat loaf with a difference, and this was what I came up with. It has been very popular at luncheons where 1 have had to take a

plate. It is good hot, or cold with a salad. I have given this recipe to a number of good esses who liked the flavour and wanted something different.”

I think that this is a good, economical loaf which will appeal to many cooks, and to their families. For 4 to 6 servings you need:

1 onion 1 small carrot 1 tart apple (Sturmer or Granny Smith) 2 cloves garlic (op-

tional) 1 egg y 2 cup milk 1 Tbsp soya sauce 1 -2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 sprigs parsley 500 g minced beef 1 cup rolled oats y 4 cup sultanas

If you have a food processor, cut the onion, carrot, and apple into quarters, then process them with the next eight ingredients until they are finely and , evenly chopped. Break the

minced beef into golf ball sized pieces and add to the food processor, then sprinkle with the rolled oasts. Process in short bursts, just enought to blend, then stir in the sultanas.

If mixing without a food processor, grate the onion, carrot and unpeeled apple into a large bowl. Add the finely chopped garlic, then the next six ingredients. Chop the parsley, and add with the minced beef, oats, and sultanas. Use your hands to mix together thoroughly. Press the mixture into a loaf tin lined with a strip of greaseproof paper which covers both the long sides, and the bottom. Bake at 190 C for 1 hour, or cover pan with a piece of cling film and microwave at MediumHigh (70 per cent power) for 20 minutes, or until loaf feels firm in the middle. Leave baked or microwaved loaf to stand for 10 minutes before slicing.