Mediterranean meat loaf

Serves 4-6 people for a dinner

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TIP: If you prefer a looser mince mixture, add 250 ml (1 cup) fine breadcrumbs and 60 ml (¼ cup) of yogurt. The meat was not salted before it was frozen to prevent water absorption, but remember to add the salt during cooking time!

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Basic mince mixture

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30 ml (2 tbsp.) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 small stalks celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely grated
30 ml (2 tbsp.) fennel seeds, lightly toasted
15 ml (1 tablespoon) chopped garlic
500g minced beef
500g minced pork
Grated zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons
15 ml (1 tablespoon) of mustard

1 Fry the onion, celery and carrot in hot olive oil in a large frying pan until golden, add the fennel and garlic.
2 Cook another 5-10 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
3 Mix the two types of mince in a large bowl and mix with the cooled onion mixture, lemon and mustard. (Mix lightly)
4 Divide into servings of 500 g in bags and freeze or use immediately.

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1 Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2 Mix 100g crumbled feta, 100 g pitted olives, 1 egg, beaten and a handful of oregano leaves with a 500g (1 bag) defrosted, basic mince mixture.
3 Season to taste with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper.
4 Spoon meat mixture into a 650 ml bread pan lined with 250 g (1 packet) bacon strips.
5 Fold over the strips that hang over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for another 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Serve with roasted baby tomatoes and baby herb leaves.

Tomatoes
Sprinkle salt over 250g cherry tomatoes (on the twig) and roast at 180 °C until it begins to rupture. Set aside.