Mushroom stir-fry tops meatloaf

©Associated Press, published June 13, 2001

The premise: The perfect recipe for a romantic dinner for two should taste wonderful but not require the cook to spend all evening in the kitchen.

One suggestion comes from successful chef Todd English. He devised a recipe for Tuscan Meatloaf With Crazy Stir-Fried Mushrooms for the June issue of Mademoiselle magazine.

The cooking feature by Suzan Colon is titled "3 Hot Dishes" and also offers recipes from two other young chefs, Scott Conant of New York City's City Eatery and Britain's Jamie Oliver, the "Naked Chef."

English's restaurants include five Olives restaurants in Boston; Las Vegas; Washington, D.C.; Aspen, Colo.; and New York City, as well as four Figs restaurants in the Boston area. He has also written three cookbooks.

He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, but he followed up his Italian heritage by studying in Italy, too, before settling down to the restaurant business in this country.

Tuscan Meatloaf With Crazy Stir-Fried Mushrooms

Meatloaf:

1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for sauteing and greasing pan

1/2 pound ground beef

1/4 pound ground pork

1/4 pound ground veal

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup white fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons pepper

1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (save 3-4 fresh leaves for garnish)

Over a low flame, cook onions in a saute pan in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 81/2- by 41/2- by 23/4-inch loaf pan with olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead by hand. Press mixture into the pan and lay fresh sage leaves over the top. Bake for 50 minutes or until the meat starts to pull away from the pan.

Mushroom Stir-Fry:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 cups mushrooms (any mixed variety), thinly sliced

2 shallots, finely minced

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a skillet over a medium flame. Add olive oil, butter and mushrooms; cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the shallots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the wine very slowly (you don't want to flambe and scorch your eyelashes) and cook for another 10 minutes. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon mushrooms on top of meatloaf slices, then bask in your guest's compliments.

Makes 2 servings (2 slices each) with plenty of leftovers.

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