Parmesan Turkey Meatloaf + Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Meatloaf Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 4 slices of whole wheat bread
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Making breadcrumbs: Toast the bread, then break it into small pieces.
2. Sautee onions: heat olive oil on medium heat. Sautee the onion until they are soft and brown.
3. Loafing it up: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8' by 5' loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together well. transfer into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Roasted Asparagus Ingredients:

• 10 white asparagus spears (regular asparagus works but I'm allergic)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan

1. Preparations: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (I started the asparagus after the meat loaf was done.) Cut the tough ends off of the asparagus (blunt side, not the pointy side). WHen the oven is preheated, warm the oil in a roasting pan for 5 minutes. (I fashioned a "pan" out of aluminim foil.) Mix bread crumbs and parmesan in a small bowl.
   
2. Roasting: Roll the asparagus spears in the heated oil. Roast for 15 minutes, until they start to bend a little when you pick them up by one end.
   
3. Topping: Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the asparagus. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the topping is browned.

A meal of this magnitude deserved a platter. Despite the fact that it's rather monochromatic.


Verdict: Good! Even Rubix tried to eat the meat loaf as it was cooling while I was making the asparagus. Being that it was turkey, I was a little concerned that it would be too dry, and it looked like there might be too many onions, but once everything got mixed together, it looked like meatloaf. I might spice it differently next time, like add a few garlic cloves rather than garlic powder.

The asparagus was excellent and allergy free. I'm sure the same process will work for a lot of veggies. I can attest to the fact that it works great with garlic, as I included it in some here.