Spinach Feta Meatloaf Muffins

For my third flavor profile, I went with what I think of as Greek flavors, though really it is more of just a lemony herby combo with some cheese, some spinach, and a little spice. I had bought some marked down spinach and forgotten it, so I cooked it down and threw it in.

Ingredients:

8 oz ground turkey/ground beef mix
1/3 cup oat bran
1/4 cup egg substitute
2/3 cup steamed drained spinach
1 1/2 tbs crumbled feta
1/2 cup mushrooms and onions
1 tbs roasted red pepper
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
nutmeg

Lemon Caper Sauce:
greek yogurt
capers
dill
marjoram
lemon zest
roasted garlic








Recently I hit up the bulk bins at Winco--which I've recently come to love, and picked up not only oat bran, panko bread crumbs, but a wide variety of dried herbs and spices. It is amazing how much cheaper it is, but it is also nice to be able to try a little before you invest 5 dollars on a bottle. I got dill, marjoram, rosemary and lots more. I used the marjoram and dill to throw together this sauce--a couple spoonfuls of capers, lemon zest, roasted garlic, the herbs, some yogurt to bind it, and some spice and salt and pepper. Very flavorful and fresh.

That went in with all of the meat and other ingredients--I finished with a grate of nutmeg, and mashed it all together. The bran was much finer than all the other binders I used, so this formed a very nice tight mixture. It went in the muffin tin and baked at 350 for 25 minutes.

The Verdict: Lemony and delicious! I might go heavier with the herbs next time, and more feta as well. The oatbran was an excellent binder--this muffin held together very well, and stayed moist and didn't have a strong flavor. I'm thinking I'll serve the leftovers like a pita sandwich with some cucumber and yogurt sauce--yum! Alice said she might try some when she was a grown up lady, if she likes meat, but her parents don't know how to make it. Fortunately, she can enjoy her own invention--rice and feta!