Sunday, the day that falls between Saturday and Monday.  I have a Jekyll-Hyde relationship with this day of the week.  Many spend Sunday mornings in church but for me Sunday mornings are for sleeping in, snuggling up on the couch with a big cup of coffee, and wearing my jammies ’til noon.  Big breakfasts with bacon and syrup are two more of the many things that make me look forward to Sunday mornings.  But around 4:00pm, Mr. Hyde appears, dreading the start of another long, busy week.

Big Sunday dinners were never part of my family growing up, unless it just happened to be a holiday.  Instead, I jumped in the back of my mom’s red van for a Sunday Drive with her and my stepdad, Walt.  My mom called it a “Sunday Ride”, even though she’d be the one driving.  We’d spend hours riding, sometimes all afternoon, not getting back until almost dark.  There was never a plan.  We would just hop in and go, listening to George Strait and Hank Williams, Jr. as we took in the corn fields and roadside farm stands of Southeastern Michigan and Northern Ohio.  Every so often, we’d stop at an antique shop for Walt to rummage through.  He had an eye for the good stuff.  This was probably the only time in my life that I ever did anything that would be considered spontaneous, although I don’t think I had a choice in the matter. 

Many of my friends would have big Sunday dinners with extended family and I don’t remember ever missing out on such an event since I was off having an adventure.  Although if I had to pinpoint one thing I was missing without a big Sunday dinner, it would have to be the mashed potatoes and gravy.  When I envision a Sunday dinner with family, there’s always a huge pile of mashed potatoes smothered with gravy on my plate.  This has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and as far as I’m concerned, a necessity for a weekend comfort meal with family.  In my dictionary, gravy is a word that is synonymous with comfort.

This recipe is definitely one of my comfort meals and I make it often.  It’s a Rachael Ray, semi-30 minute meal that I came across several years ago.  It took a few times for me to get it down to 30 minutes but I can whip it up from memory now.  Turkey and Wild Mushroom Meat Loaf Patties with Pan Gravy is a long name for a recipe but all three components are necessary in describing this meal.  The ground turkey makes it a little more healthy, the wild mushrooms add the depth of flavor to the dish, and the gravy, well….the gravy just makes it all better.  I’ve paired this recipe with a skillet asparagus with lemon because it’s the beginning of asparagus season and also one of my favorite vegetables.  Complementing the wild mushrooms, it’s both simple and delicious.

It’s been a long time since I’ve jumped in the car for a “Sunday Ride” and given the current gas prices, I’m not sure if it’ll happen anytime soon.  Until then, I’ll make “Sunday Dinner.”

Turkey and Wild Mushroom Meat Loaf Patties with Pan Gravy

Turkey and Wild Mushroom Meat Loaf Patties with Pan Gravy
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (2 turns of the pan for the mushrooms, 1 turn for the patties)
8 cremini mushrooms, (baby portobellos), chopped
8 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey, the average weight of 1 package
3 or 4 sprigs fresh sage, leaves chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions:
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add chopped mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 5 or 6 minutes until dark and tender. Remove from heat. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and return pan to stove top to preheat to cook patties.
Add turkey to the mushroom mixture. Make a well in the center of the meat. Add sage, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs and beaten egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix turkey meat loaf together.  Divide meat loaf mixture into 4 equal parts by scoring the meat before you form patties. Form 4 equal oval patties 1 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and arrange patties in the skillet. Cook 6 minutes on each side and transfer to a serving plate or individual dinner plates. Return pan to heat and add butter. When butter melts, whisk in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in stock and season gravy with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer gravy until it reaches desired thickness, and pour over patties, reserving a little to pass at the table.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray’s 3o-Minute Meals.

Quick Skillet Asparagus
Ingredients:
4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb medium asparagus spears, trimmed
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add asparagus to pan;  cook 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender and browned, stirring frequently.  Transfer to a serving platter.  Add rind, juice, and salt, tossing to coat.

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, April 2010