Feel-good food for fuel this coming Family Day

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It’s all about the family this coming Monday, Feb. 20, when Family Day is enjoyed across the nation.

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Although officially not a national statutory holiday, it is observed in various provinces across the land, including Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while the rest of the provinces have holidays this month.

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That said, it’s a perfect day for a break – winter holidays are but a cloud of dust in our rear view mirrors, and spring celebrations are still weeks away, along with official school winter breaks.

Many will take this day and just veg with family and friends, perhaps creating some comforting dishes that are also budget-friendly to be enjoyed during this 24-hour reprieve before going back to regular routines.

We’ve hauled out some classic recipes that are perfect for Family Day day, or any day of his cold-weather season. Double the batch and you have leftovers to buy you a bit more time to just kick back and enjoy this special day.

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Classic Meatloaf

I adapted this recipe from a Heinz recipe I’ve had in my stash of favourite dishes. I use lean ground beef, but you can substitute ground turkey. Serve with mashed potatoes. Serves 6-8.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper

1 cup tomato ketchup

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef or turkey

1 cup soft, fresh breadcrumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

1/4  tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, celery and pepper until  softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ketchup. Remove pan from heat and divide sauce mixture in half.

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Combine one half of sauce with ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Mix gently. Pat mixture into a lightly  greased 9-x 5-in (2 L) loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until an instant read thermometer reaches 160F, Rest for 5 minutes. Reheat reserved sauce mixture.

Slice meat loaf and serve with sauce.

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf

Same comfort, sans meat. Courtesy Pulses.org. 

3 Tbsp. ground flax, mixed with 1/2 cup water

1 cup lentils, dried

3 cups vegetable broth, or stock

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, grated

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. each salt and pepper salt, sea

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

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1 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine ground flax and 1/2 cup water. Set aside. Simmer lentils, broth and a pinch of salt for about 25 minutes or until lentils are tender and have absorbed all of broth. Set aside.

Saute onion and celery in olive oil over medium high heat for six minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and carrot and saute additional 4-5 minutes.

Toast walnuts in oven for six to seven minutes. Add them to vegetable mixture on stove and stir well. Add oregano, salt  and pepper. Remove mixture off the stove and transfer to a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, flax/water and cooked lentils and toss well. Press mixture into a greased loaf pan and set aside while you make the topping.

In another small bowl combine ketchup, maple syrup and vinegar. Spread on top of loaf. Bake for 40 minutes and serve.

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

A blast from the past, and a taste of nostalgia. The secret to this casserole is canned cream of mushroom soup. Serves 4-6.

2 green onions, whites only, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup 2% milk

2 cans (10 oz./275ml each) condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 cups frozen peas, rinsed

2 cans (6 oz./170 g each) water-packed tuna, drained

Salt/pepper, to taste

4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs*

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Chopped parsley

In a large fry pan, heat butter and saute minced onions for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle flour and create a roux. Gently whisk in milk, whisking out any lumps. Add mushroom soup, one can at a time, breaking up mixture and stirring until smooth. If too thin, add a few drops of milk. Add peas, tuna, salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through

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Spray an 8-10-cup (2 to 2.5L) casserole dish with cooking spray. Add cooked pasta and pore tuna mixture over pasta. In  a small bowl combine dry breadcrumbs with butter and sprinkle over mixture. Bake in preheated 375F. oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley

*Go old school and use crushed potato chips for topping, instead of breadcrumbs.

Classic Bread Pudding

Never throw out bread, my mom used to say – bread is life! Freeze, grind into breadcrumbs or create a classic comfort dish, like this delicious recipe courtesy I adapted from www.Eggs.ca. Serve with whipped cream and handful of berries. 

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup brown sugar, divided

2 tsp. pure vanilla

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1 tsp. rum flavouring

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. orange zest

Pinch of salt

1 cup golden raisins, soaked in rum or orange juice

8 cups cubed day-old bread (dry brioche or challah suggested), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Icing sugar, for garnish

Toppings: caramel or chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish; set aside.In bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, 1/2  cup brown sugar, vanilla, rum flavouring, cinnamon, orange zest and salt. Drain raisins. Combine raisins and bread  cubes in large bowl; stir in egg mixture until well combined. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until egg mixture is  completely absorbed.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until custard is set and top springs back when touched lightly. Let stand for 10 minutes. Dust with icing sugar. Offer up toppings.