Dad's Meatloaf

I just love my dad's meatloaf recipe. It is moist, savoury, with a rich deep sauce.  It is one of the tastes of my childhood, a comforting reminder of days past. Add to that the fact that it is easy to make, lasts well in the fridge, and makes terrific leftovers for reheating or for sandwiches and, well, how can you go wrong?

Ingredients

250g sausage mince
250g minced steak
1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs


1 onion
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

sauce

1/4 cup strong espresso coffee or 1/4 cup water and 1 or 2 teaspoons coffee powder
1/4 cup of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/8 cup of brown sugar
15g butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

Meatloaf

• soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes. Combine with the meat, finely chopped onion, curry powder, parsely, and beaten egg in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
• Place in a greased loaf or bar tin and bake for 25-30mins at 200c.

Sauce

• combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil and then simmer for 5 mins.
• Remove loaf from the oven, pour off fat and turn loaf over in the pan. Spoon some of the sauce over, place back in the oven for 10 mins until the top is browned.
• Serve with the remainder of the sauce and your choice of seasonal vegetables.

Dad's carrot cake

Carrot Cake

This is my darling dad's recipe for carrot cake. My dad is an incredible cook, and has made some of the yummiest cakes and biscuits imaginable. This is the carrot cake I always think of when I'm craving for carrot cake... not too dense, not too moist, good amount of carrot and crunch from walnuts... and that delicously sinful icing. My dad recently gave me his precious recipe collection, so now I get to try them all ... 0oooh la lah! There goes my waist...

1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups finely grated carrot

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until frothy. Add oil and beat well.
add sifted dry ingredients, walnuts and carrots, and fold in until combined.
place in a greased and floured square cake tin, and bake at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Cool and top with icing.


Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbs butter
125g cream cheese

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.