RECIPE DOCTOR • MEATLOAF
Lighten your loaf with super-lean beef

By Elaine Magee
Knight Ridder News Service

Q. I was reminded how much my family likes meatloaf and I was hoping you would take a look at this recipe and give us suggestions on how to make it less heavy and better for us.

A. There are as many versions of meatloaf recipes as there are chocolate chip cookie recipes. Everyone has their certain way. I do love the recipe you sent me, though, because quite a bit of veggies are food-processed into the meat mixture. I doubt that many children will even notice them in there.

To make this meatloaf lighter, we used a super-lean ground beef or ground sirloin. Instead of the ground pork called for, which is usually swimming with fat, I had the butcher grind pork tenderloin. You can do this in your food processor, if necessary. We used egg substitute instead of 2 large eggs (the substitute blends the ingredients very well). You can also boost the fiber with a whole grain or fiber-enriched "special recipe" bread to make the breadcrumbs.

The meatloaf was full of flavor and very moist in the middle and nicely brown on the top and bottom — just the way I like it!

Original recipe contains 350 calories, 19 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, and 146 mg cholesterol per serving.

American Meatloaf

• 2 cups soft bread crumbs (about 3 slices)
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 large rib celery, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons catsup, divided use
• 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, divided use
• 3/4 pound super lean ground beef (or ground sirloin)
• 3/4 pound ground pork tenderloin
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus a teaspoon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove crusts from bread and place slices in your food processor bowl. Process until fine crumbs form (about 5-10 seconds). Add breadcrumbs to large mixing bowl.

Place the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and parsley into the food processor and process until the vegetables are finely minced (about 30 seconds). Add the vegetables to the bowl with breadcrumbs.

Then add 1/2 cup catsup, 2 teaspoons mustard, ground beef and pork, egg substitute, salt, pepper, Tabasco and 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary to the large mixing bowl and beat on low to blend well. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish and press firmly into the shape of the dish.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons catsup and remaining 2 teaspoons mustard, and brown sugar to a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spoon this mixture over the meatloaf.

Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle a teaspoon of whole rosemary needles (leaves) on top. Bake another 30 minutes or until cooked throughout. Let meatloaf cool 15 minutes before cutting into slices.

Makes 6 servings.

• Per serving: 227 calories, 27 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat (1.9 g saturated fat, 2.1 g monounsaturated fat, 6 g polyunsaturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 883 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 21 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids: 1 g. Omega-6 fatty acids: 3. Weight Watchers 4 points.

Elaine Magee is author of "The Recipe Doctor Cookbook" and "The Flax Cookbook." Readers may write to her through her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses cannot be provided.