Meat Loaf & Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

I haven't had red meat in probably about a year. And even in the year before that, I hadn't really been eating much red meat at all since my friend, Chris, and I had been on a 7 day detox fast and colon cleanse in Koh Samui.

So when I started craving beef in the past week, and specifically minced beef, I thought I should just do it and researched Meat Loaf recipes.

This is a really delicious recipe, and I added some bits and pieces of what else I wanted to throw into it. Instead of making the obligatory mashed potatoes that MUST go with meat loaf, I found another recipe trick off the net: mashed cauliflower (especially helpful if you're trying to keep low on the carbs). It is absolutely delicious! ...it tastes like mashed potatoes "Lite" - not quite the same heavy, starchy feel, but a very similar texture.


The recipe calls for pureeing the cauliflower, but since I don't have a food processor, I just boiled the cauliflower till it was falling apart, drained it, then mashed it with a potato masher (a recent acquisition - I'm getting closer to a proper food processor!) There were still little stringy cauliflower bits every now and again, but for the most part, it really was Cauliflower "Mashed Potato". Added butter, garlic powder and thyme to it too.



Kelly had never had meat loaf in his life, and thought it would be disgusting. Every time Marge makes meat loaf on The Simpsons, everyone groans, and that was his impression of this Great American Dish. (I'd had it one too many times while at university in Boston and never had it again since graduation).

It was delicious, and Kelly agreed! The dripping also made a good (thin) gravy for the mash.
(I suppose you could put flour or starch in the dripping to make it a thicker gravy)



The only problem I've got now is this morning, my tummy is in spasms. I don't think it's used to having red meat, for one, and secondly, I'd had chicken the night before as well (Thank you, Food Diary). So I think that's just too much meat in too short a space of time. I woke up this morning and felt nauseous, with my tummy churning in protest with indigestion. But that's just me and my digestive problems, Kelly's feeling perfectly fine. Still, it doesn't negate that this is a delicious recipe.

MEAT LOAF:
2lbs. ground beef (I used 500gm)
1 cup chopped celery
1 beaten egg
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup water (I used soy milk)
1 tsp sea salt (I used Tamari)

Additional ingredients I added:
1 cup Shredded Carrots
3 Crumbled Ryvita biscuits
1 tsp Chilli Flakes

Combine all ingredients. Shape into a loaf and bake in a 9x5 pan at 180C/ 350F for about an hour.
The beef should be browned all the way through the middle.
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CAULIFLOWER "MASHED POTATOES":
Cauliflower is a most versatile vegetable and can masquerade very well as various limit vegetables on a Candida Cleanse. Depending on how finely you chop/grate/puree it, you can get something very similar to potatoes, rice, couscous, or potato salad. You can also just make it as itself, of course.

Mashed “potatoes”
Steam lightly salted cauliflower florets until quite soft. Drain well. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add any of the following:
Butter
Mashed roasted garlic or garlic powder
*Sheep or goat cheese (if tolerated)
Caraway seeds

Adjust seasonings and serve.