TURKEY MEAT LOAF & GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

i've been trying to be healthier in my food choices. so, one day, on a whim, while doing some grocery shopping, i picked up some ground turkey. oh, the possibilities...turkey burgers, um, that was all i got. totally lame! so, i thought of trying something outside of my normal ways and found a recipe for turkey meat loaf. i haven't had meat loaf for almost 5 years and didn't really remember how it tasted, so i thought, why not? i bought the ingredients and was ready for my new challenge...but, when the husband was informed of the dinner plans, he wasn't exactly thrilled. but, it turned out pretty good.

TURKEY MEAT LOAF WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

by michele sbrana (oakland, ca) from bon appetit (april 1991) on epicurious

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 c fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• 1/2 c toasted pine nuts (i forgot to toast them, but they turned out fine)
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, drained, chopped
• 1/3 c milk
• 2 t chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 t dried, crumbled
• 2 t chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 t dried, crumbled

preheat oven to 375°F. combine all ingredients in large bowl. season with salt & pepper and mix well.

transfer mix to 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. bake until loaf pulls away from sides of pan and top is golden brown, about 50 minutes.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

from island cottage restaurant (hare island, ireland) from bon appetit (may 1996) on epicurious

• 1 1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 c milk
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 1/4 c whipping cream
• 1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature

place potatoes in medium saucepan. add enough cold water to cover potatoes. add milk and garlic. bring to boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.

drain potatoes and garlic, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. return potatoes and garlic to same saucepan. add cream (i actually didn't have whipping cream, so i used sour cream, which worked fine) and butter and mash until smooth. thin with reserved liquid, if desired. season to taste with salt & pepper.

serve and add ketchup for meat loaf, if desired.