Pain de Viande, Encore ...

I warned you. I told you there would be six more weeks of meatloaf - and you're going to like it too. I promise. You're also going to call it Pain de Viande ... or at least *I* am. You see, I never liked meatloaf as a child - refused to eat it, in fact. Frankly, I think its because of the name. The words "meat" and "loaf" don't seem to belong together and they hardly do justice to the warm, comforting nature of the dish. Meatloaf need a marketing make-over. It needs to be spun; needs some Madison Avenue whiz-kid to take it under her wing and glizt it up a bit ... make us want it.

I'm no marketing maven, but I'll do my part ... I'll present another version of this classic today and leave the spinning to the experts. I've adapted this Pain de Viande from The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook and I'm well pleased with the results. I've added mushrooms for intrigue, upped the seasonings a bit and included some shallots and onions as well. C'est magnifique!

Savory Turkey Meatloaf:

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup of chopped crimini mushrooms
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 2 slices of whole-grain or whole wheat bread
• 1/4 cup of fat-free milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• dash of Poultry Seasoning
• grating of fresh nutmeg
• 1 lb. of ground turkey breast
  
• 1/2 tsp. of Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup of beef broth or stock

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet and to it add the mushrooms, shallots and the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Saute over medium high heat until the mushrooms have softened and begin to brown. Add the shredded carrot and the garlic and continue sauteing, stirring often, until the carrot is tender - about 3 minutes or so. Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool a bit.

Place the walnuts in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Tear the whole grain bread into pieces and add to the walnuts, continue processing and pulsing until the mixture is finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and to it add the milk, egg, onions, parsley, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire Sauce, sage, poultry seasoning, a grating of fresh nutmeg and the reserved carrot and mushroom mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the ground turkey and the salt and pepper and mix well to thoroughly incorporate using your hands or a large wooden spoon.

Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and shape into a loaf. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes - then pour the cup of beef broth over the loaf, return it to the oven and continue baking for 15 more minutes, until the loaf is browned and cooked throughout. Total baking time should be 1 hour. Remove from the oven, slice and serve glazed with a bit of broth from the pan. Enjoy!

As written this recipe will serve approximately 5, depending on portion size and it can easily be doubled. While the inclusion of nuts may seem odd, I assure you the taste is not. The nuts add a welcome textural element, and though their flavor is present, its more of an undertone. A subtle hint that pairs beautifully with the mushrooms and cheese. I hope you'll try it!

So ... all you marketing mavens out there ... how would you spin the loaf? What catchy name would you devise to market meatloaf? Can you do better than Pain de Viande??? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!