Is there anything as classic as homemade meatloaf? I guess that depends on your upbringing, but for me, meatloaf is it. My mom would always make it when she was never sure what to do for dinner, and why not? It’s astonishingly easy as long as you have the right kind of meat and a thermometer.

I’ve been experimenting with tweaking classic recipes lately, including home made macaroni and cheese (which I adore) and now meatloaf. I do not often use my oven to make many dinner items, avoiding things like casseroles and roasts. Instead I rely on the stove top. Both of these recipes use the oven, and I’ve forgotten how easy it is to throw something in there and pull out dinner an hour later.

This recipe originally came from Mike’s mom, and I only changed the kinds of meat to go in and added some spices.

Curry-Spiced Meatloaf

• 0.680 kg (1.5lbs) of a mix of beef, veal and pork. I used striploin, pork shoulder and veal leg cutlets, since that is all Superstore had. And it still turned out well! Typically the cuts should be a bit fatty so the loaf remains moist.
• 2 eggs
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup grated cheese, preferably old
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon fresh garam masala (I use this in everything now, even on popcorn)
• 1/2 cup raw carrots, grated
• 3 slices fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grind the meat, or combined pre-ground meat in a bowl with all other ingredients. Pack firmly into a loaf pan (I used the wonder pan, and it was fabulous) and top with a mixture of:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Bake for 60 minutes, up to 90. Cooking time will vary depending on the pan you use, so it is important to use a thermometer – it is much easier. Pull it out of the oven when the meat is well done, or at 160°F. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

When my grandmother died just over a year ago, I received two wonderful things from her: a vacuum and a meat grinder. This meat grinder is probably from the early 1970s, and it works amazingly well. I hope it would warm her heart to know I was using it.

Alternate the cubes of meat going in, so you get a good mixture. Everything becomes gloppy and messy later on.

I used Edmond Fallot dijon mustard and this Old Fashioned Ketchup on the top. The ketchup was from Strathcona Country Kitchen, purchased at the City Centre Farmer’s Market. Not too sweet and kind of tangy.

Done!

I have two new reasons you should own an immersion blender, and both are delicious.

As I often mention, Mike and I live in an average sized apartment with (what feels like) an incredibly small kitchen. We do not have a lot of space for appliances, so the ones we do have must do double or triple duty. Except for the tea machine, that is. We’re even contemplating getting rid of the toaster and microwave to get a toaster-oven.

While I long for a KitchenAid stand mixer (I use my mom and dad’s instead), standalone food processor and blender, I often just use the immersion blender in the place of all three of these. Shockingly, you can do a lot with this single, slim tool and its various attachments.

I got mine for about $80 at Costco a few years ago. It’s the Cuisinart Smart Stick and it came with a few attachments. It only has one speed, so it’s not as awesome as it could be, but it is used to make everything from hummus and baba ganoush to whipped cream and mayonnaise.

As the weather turns cooler, I often find the blender very useful for making soups, especially these two:

Raw Tomato “Soup” with shaved fennel and jalapeno

Good tomatoes obviously make the difference here. I was skeptical about this recipe as it sounded overly snooty (it is a Charlie Trotter recipe, afterall) and cold soups are obviously more of a summer deal, but this was incredibly smooth, rich and flavourful with a bit of crunch from the fennel. The immersion blender and a sieve played a role.

Soup

• 2 large, red heirloom tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber
• 2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish

• fennel, thinly shaved
• 1/4 cup peeled, seeded, and diced red tomato
• 2 teaspoons brine from olives
• 2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 12 micro fennel sprouts or fennel fronds

Using the immersion blender, I combined the tomatoes, chile, cucumber, and sherry. This purée is pushed through a fine-mesh sieve and seasoned. The real magic is in the garnish: spoon the soup into bowls. Top with shaved fennel, fronds, tomato and jalapeno. Drizzle olive brine, vinegar and olive oil on top.

Raw tomato soup with poached eggs over mushrooms two ways and toast points. This sounds like a complex meal, but it took less than 30 minutes to make.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

This has to be my single favourite recipe this month. What do you need? A bag of precut squash from Costco, four cups of stock, an onion and spices. Plus the immersion stick!

• 2 lbs of diced squash of your liking. I buy the precut bags because I am very poor at cutting squash down and getting the maximum flesh out.
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups of stock, vegetable or chicken
• If you like, you can add carrots, celery or apple
• Spices to your liking: I use garam masala (1 tsp), cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp), cinnamon (1/2 tsp) and nutmeg (1/4 tsp).

I roast the squash in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 450 degree Fahrenheit until it begins to brown. This step is completely optional; I just prefer the way it adds depth and flavour to the soup.

In a pot, I heat up some olive oil and sautee and brown the onion. When soft and caramel colour, I toss in garlic and any additional add ins, like carrot or apple. (If you skipped the roasting step, add the squash now, and sautee a bit longer, until the squash is soft.) In goes the roasted squash, with a liberal dusting of spices. I’ve included measurements, but I never use them. It’s my failure as a cook.

Sautee a few more minutes, add the stock and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for atleast five minutes, but for as long as 20. Immerse blender, blend until smooth. Finish with a splash of cream, croutons or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Curried butternut squash soup with grilled cheese. This soup can take as little as 15 minutes to make, but the version I prefer runs about 25 minutes. It depends on your taste buds and patience/hunger level.

I should note much of the pottery in these photos was made by Mike, including the bowls and a vase.