Meatloaf and some other dishes

Have been craving beef, so decided to modify my favorite recipe from my Mom.

Meatloaf
Original Recipe:
1.5lbs ground beef
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated potato
1 onion, grated
1 can chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
Mix all ingredients and bake at 350F for one hour.

In actuality:
just under 1lb ground beef
grated carrot - about 3 carrots
grated potato - one big one
grated onion
3/4 quick cook oats
salt, pepper, dry mustard powder, garlic, oregano, basil and parsley
Baked at 350F for one hour. YUM!

Saag (Indian spinach - typically also with paneer)
2 tbsp oil or ghee
1 chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 lb Spinach, chopped
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
*1 cup yogurt
*1/4 cup cream (optional)
*Leave these out until you are done cleansing

Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the spinach, water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit. Then use a blender or food processor to puree in batches.
Return the puree to the pot. Add a little water if necessary and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Stir in yogurt and return to brief simmer and immediately remove from heat. Stir in the optional cream, adjust seasoning and serve.
VARIATION: I also added chick peas to make it a bit more filling. Served over brown rice. And I didn't puree all of the spinach, left some chunky.

Eggplant Bartha - one of my favorite Indian dishes
1 or 2 eggplants - depending on size (5 if using Asian eggplant)
A few tablespoons olive oil and chopped garlic for eggplant marinade
4 T. canola oil
1 C. minced onion (yellow or red)
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
1 C. ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. cayenne
1/2 t. salt

-Slice eggplants in half, lengthwise, and score shallow cuts across the face of each eggplant with a knife. Brush on marinade. Grill over medium heat until soft, turning once. Eggplant skins will get slightly burnt, and that's fine.
OR
Preheat oven to 450. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, score the face of each half with the knife, and brush or drizzle with a bit of oil. Place eggplant face up on cookie sheet and put in oven. Cook for 40-50 minutes, until eggplant is black and soft. (Smaller eggplants will take less time.)
-Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, using a spoon to pull all the flesh away from the skin. If a few little bits of skin get into the pile, that is fine. Coarsely chop the eggplant.
-Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onions, and saute, stirring frequently, until onions begin to brown.
-Add ginger, stir for one minute, then add tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until slightly reduced.
-Stir in cumin, cayenne, and salt, then add eggplant.
-Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

It's a good thing that I really enjoy Indian food - very flavorful, comforting and ideal for this diet.