Meat Loaf with greens

     Here, mustard greens and spinach leaves lighten up the classic meat loaf. It's a tasty main course for an informal supper and it's a great option for picnics. Leftovers make the best sandwiches. The food processor shortcuts the preparation ; use it if you have one.
     Ground lean lamb can be substituted for the beef, if you prefer it.

Yield : 6 to 8 servings

• 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced, about 1½ tablespoons
• 4 large green onions, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 2 medium ribs celery, chopped, about 1 cup
• 1 packed cup each : spinach leaves, mustard greens, stems trimmed on both, leaves roughly cut
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ pounds lean ground beef
• 12 ounces breakfast sausage
• ¼ cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375F ; set aside a 9x13-inch baking pan.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat ; when hot, add the garlic, green onions, celery, spinach leaves, mustard greens, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
3. Cook until the celery is softened, about 6 minutes, stirring often ; transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, let it cool slightly.
4. Add the ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, eggs, ¼ cup of the ketchup, the milk, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes, the remaining salt, and the pepper to the bowl ; mix all ingredients thoroughly with  fork.
5. To test the seasoning, fry a small amount of the mixture ; adjust the seasoning
6. Mound the mixture in the reserved pan, use your hands to shape it into an 8x6-inch oval ; gently press to compact the loaf as much as possible.
7. Spread the loaf with the remaining ketchup ; bake until the loaf is well browned and sizzling, about 1 hour, 10 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and use a flexible spreader to smooth the ketchup coating.
9. To serve, the meat loaf can be hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

BON APPETIT