Cubican Meatloaf

in my family it is always a struggle, what to make for dinner that my husband and I will both like. So tonight we are having a meatloaf (American) with Cuban flavors. Cuban + American= Cubican. If you look back at the recipe for my albondigas- that is pretty much my meatloaf ... but here it is again with a few additions.

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

1/2 lime

bread crumbs

egg

1 lb ground turkey

cumin

garlic

salt

anchiote powder

puree the bell peppers and onion (I always do this because I don't like to eat anything with chunks of onion and bell pepper). Add egg, lime juice, seasonings. Mix together with bread crumbs. Shape into a loaf and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

This was YUMMY!! I loved the flavors with the ground turkey. Served it with Garlic and cheese mashed potatoes and a tomato, cucumber salad.

Healthier Albondigas (Latin Meatballs)

I call these "Latin" meatballs because they have flavors of Cuba and Mexico so they could be from either place and I wanted them somewhat healthier than the standard meatball so I made them with ground turkey and brown rice.

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup brown rice (cooked)

2 eggs

juice of 1/2 lime

oregano

garlic

ground cumin

achiote powder

chili powder

onion powder

Knorr Chicken Bouillon powder

salt

Put meat in a bowl and sprinkle all the spices, add the lime juice, two eggs and cooked rice.

Mix all the ingredients together (don't over mix) and form into small meatballs. Bake them at 350 for 30 minutes.

Use the albondigas in the Cuban Soup recipe on this blog from August 2010.

Southwestern Lasagna

3 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp granulated garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground oregano

the juice of 1/2 a lime

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 onion

2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 can black beans

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

dozen flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar/jack blend)

brown ground beef and rinse. Puree onion and add to the ground beef with black beans, tomato sauce, corn, seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly. Layer tortillas in a 9/9 greased pan and pour mixture over, add cheese, and continue to layer until the pan is full. Top the casserole with a thin layer of the mixture and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Add a little more cheese and bake for about 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.