Houston gourmet chefs put a spin on traditional cafeteria school lunches

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC13 is taking you inside the kitchen as two of Houston's favorite gourmet chefs put a spin on traditional cafeteria school lunches.

Ziggy Gruber of Kenny & Ziggy's made an old-fashioned meat loaf with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and gravy with fresh vegetables.
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Travis Lenig of Field & Tides created fish nuggets, cole slaw, garlic mashed potatoes, fruit salad and a double chocolate brownie.

RECIPES:

Kenny & Ziggy's old fashioned meat loaf

• 2 tablespoons corn oil


• 2 cups finely chopped onion
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic


• 7 slices challah bread, dried and made into crumbs


• 1.5 lbs ground beef


• 1 lb ground veal


• 2 eggs, beaten


• 1/3 cup fresh, finely chopped parsley


• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary (fresh or dried crushed)


• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)


• 1 tablespoon ketchup

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• 1.5 teaspoons salt


• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Gravy

• 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
  
• 1 cup chopped onion


• 3 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 ounces Manischewitz wine or port


• 1 oz demiglace

Heat oil in saute pan and cook onions until caramelized. Add mushrooms and saute lightly. Add wine and reduce by half. Add demiglace and cook to desired thickness.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat corn oil in a large skillet, and saute onions until light golden brown. Add garlic at the last minute, and brown quickly. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon and refrigerate.

Soften breadcrumbs with a little bit of water in a strainer. Squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, thoroughly blend meats and bread crumbs, working them together with your hands lightly. Add onion-garlic mixture and all remaining ingredients, and blend thoroughly.



Place mixture in a loaf pan and score a crisscross design along the top with a knife. Bake for 50 minutes, pour off accumulated fat and continue baking for 20 minutes more.
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When serving, spoon some of the gravy over the meatloaf

Ava's fish nuggets

• Use red fish, halibut or drum


• 2 cups cornmeal


• 1/2 cup corn starch


• 1 cup parm cheese


• 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's


• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes


• 1 teaspoon pepper


• 2 cups buttermilk

Mix all dry together. Take fish and dredge in buttermilk. Shake excess and then dredge in cornmeal mix making sure to press into fish.

SEE ALSO: Think outside the PB&J box for school lunches



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