cooking as therapy

Tonight I just needed cook. Not assemble some fruits and vegetable. Cook.
It took all afternoon, it meant skipping my run, and I may have had to ask my kids to leave the room once or twice. But it was worth it.
It was like $300 worth of therapy.
To cook. Here's the recipe (if you can call it that) for some turkey meatloaf & parsnip fries.

it started with some parsnips. I'll tell you the truth - I don't hate parsnip fries, I love them in fact. But prepping those bad boys is annoying.

Started 1.5 cups of red onion, several chopped cloves of garlic, and some olive oil doing nice things in the skillet.

Added some mushrooms.

A few tablespoons of worchestshire, your favorite hfcs-free ketchup, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Let all that goodness get you good & hungry. And let it reduce for a few minutes.

While your hunger increases and your veggies reduce, pulse 1 cup of oatmeal to make oat flour - or go grab some handy bread crumbs.

I prefer the oat flour, because come on - how nutritional does that look? Very is the answer you're looking for.

To the oat flour, add 1/3 cup milk (or almond milk or coconut milk if you want to be REALLY fun). Let that mixture sit for a few minutes, then add 1 egg and 1 egg white.

Add veggie mixture, 1.25 lbs ground turkey (or beef! or chicken! or tofu!!!).

Spoon into oiled baking dish.

Cover with two or three tablespoons of ketchup and sprinkle with rosemary.

Remember those obnoxiously-hard-to-prepare-but-super-delicious parsnip fries? Toss those in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, & rosemary.

Set your oven for 400 degrees. Put the meatloaf in for 50 minutes, and the last 20 - give them some company with the parsnip fries.

Enjoy. More specifically, even though you're intending to go on a run and eat some salad later, skip your run - sit down with your family and have yourself two helpings of that turkey meatloaf. And smile.