Mambo Italiano Turkey Meatloaf-O: Loaded With Veggies + Herbs

Mambo Italiano Turkey Meatloaf-O: Loaded With Veggies + Herbs

My love for turkey meat has grown over the years. I’ve found ways to jazz it up, from adding vegetables and herbs to the mix, to topping it with onion jam or caramelized cabbage.  Turkey meat on its own still reminds me of diet food and that time my parents bought me these pills called “Fit America” where one eats an Atkins style diet and takes these weird neon yellow pills with every meal. It was the 90’s, pills were in. All I ate were turkey burgers. Turkey burgers for breakfast - yup, hit it with the high protein,  lunch and, yes, turkey burgers for dinner. I’d eat turkey burgers and leave buttered bun scraps, french fries on the side. I was the queen of turkey burger deluxe carnage. It was a sin. I was a walking sin. Never. Again.

I’m proud to say I’ve taken back the burger. After puking neon yellow in the back of my 10th grade Spanish class, post turkey burger breakfast - I can still manage to get this meat down! I hope you can too! I know this is a food blog, but I’m sorta gross and I’m sorry and, also, quite not sorry, that these pretty pictures come with disturbing memories I’ve remade. You’re welcome.

This week in my southern sojourn through the kitchen I’ve prepared flounder, shrimp, vegetarian fare, chicken and beefy  burgers - per mom’s request. It was only right for the turkey to have it’s night, and tonight was the night. Turkey meat can be dry and can sometimes turn a gnarly gray or white when cooking, girl - you know it’s true. I like masking this gnarliness with many vegetables and toppings, as noted above. Tonight, I made a little mambo Italiano meatloaf-o because when your father’s name is Gennaro Raphael Corrado and you start sneaking in spices like cumin, celery seed and hot mustard into your turkey meat, you get a lotta weird faces, and these like intense nose contortions, in response to your food.  I’ve reserved more adventurous flavors for my own home, and that turkey meat treatment will be unveiled here soon enough.

Our tomato bowl runneth over, along with the free zucchini I scored at Thursday’s farmers market. To keep turkey meat moist, I hate the word moist,  I shredded a whole zucchini into it, tossed fresh parsley, basil, garlic and dried oregano, along with some almond meal because I find almond meal makes for a MUCH MORE MOIST loaf than those using breadcrumb. So moist, in fact, I don’t even need to use an egg! Topped with MORE FRESH TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI, this is a VERY veggie loaded piece of meat. Served alongside a salad speckled with cucumber, cranberries, clementines, almonds and mozzarella - this is a full meal you can get super fiber filled full on and feel good about.

Dad seemed into it, had seconds, then asked "whadya put in the middle of this anyway." Brother Tommy approved it, saying "this is flavorful" and Mom said “it’s different than mine, but the flavor is very good.”

I say different is good.

Dare to be different, it’s your kitchen.

XO

Mambo Italiano Meatloaf-O

• 1 lb. turkey chop meat

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 c. mixed basil and parsley

• 2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1 tsp. salt

• ¼ c. almond meal

• 1 whole zucchini shredded
  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking with foil or a silpat to prevent turkey meat mess pan stick-age

• Place garlic and herbs in a food processor fit with a steel blade and chop

• To a large mixing bowl add: turkey chop meat, shredded zucchini, garlic and herbs, almond meal and salt - mixing until well combined

• Form meatloaf on baking sheet and place in the oven, allowing 15-20 minutes to cook

Mambo Italiano Meatloaf-O Topping

• 4 campari, roma or celebrity tomatoes, diced

• 1 clove of chopped garlic

• 1 zucchini shredded

• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp. butter

• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

• ½ tsp. salt
  

• Heat olive oil in a skillet

• Add tomatoes and garlic, sauteing for 5 minutes

• Add zucchini and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes, adding salt and red pepper flakes

• Melt in butter for a silky finish

• Remove meatloaf from the oven and smother with this topping

Summer Citrus Salad

• 1 head of Boston lettuce, chopped

• 1/4 of a red onion, sliced

• 3 kirby cucumbers, sliced

• 3 T. sliced almonds

• 3 T. dried cranberries

• 1 clementine, sliced

• 3-4 pieces of fresh mozzarella

• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil

• 1 T. + 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

• Salt to taste
  

• Arrange all ingredients on a large platter and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat