Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

I have a cute little chime that rings on my Blackberry each time I get a new e-mail. I'm captivated by the sound. Sometimes it's a parent inquiring about Victory, an update on a blog that I follow, online account statements, unimpressive coupons and sale offers, a random piece of spam from someone in my contacts who had their account hacked, etc. I also receive an e-mail each weekday from AllRecipes.com. I usually delete them immediately because I have a long list of recipes to make on my wish list. Turkey and quinoa meatloaf caught my attention, though.

I read a few of the reviews and went for it. I added chopped green peppers and a little bit of cinnamon. The quinoa works very well as a replacement for bread and gives it a nice texture. Plus, it's a superfood.

This particular recipe made the meatloaf a little spicy. It definitely had a "kick," but it seemed like it was needed to add the necessary flavor. Ground turkey and quinoa both tend to be on the flavorless side. Combined with these ingredients, though, made for a fantastic meatloaf. All of this came from that simple little chime.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Jalapeno pepper hot sauce (Trader Joe's brand)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon water



Directions:
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and green pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, green pepper, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F(70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Directions from:
Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf Recipe from AllRecipes.com