This Grain-Free Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed is low-carb, gluten-free, and South Beach Phase One. And it's delicious!
(For today's post for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes, I've updated the photos for this Grain-Free Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed from 2007; this meatloaf has lean ground beef, turkey Italian sausage, roasted tomatoes or drained canned tomatoes, and flax seed meal instead of bread crumbs to bind the meatloaf together. This recipe makes two meatloaves, but it freezes well, and this delicious meatloaf will probably get gobbled up pretty quickly.)
I'm fan of meatloaf, so when I set out to make a Phase One meatloaf recipe, I came up with the idea of using flaxseed meal instead of bread crumbs so the meatloaf would be grain free. Flax seeds are very rich in nutrients, and the oil is popular as a nutritional supplement. But flax seeds are more nutritious than merely the oil because besides omega-3 fatty acids, the seeds are rich in both kinds of fiber and they also contain a phytoestrogen called lignans. Of interest to South Beach Dieters, flax seed meal has equal amounts of carbohydrates and fiber, which means no net carbs. The amount of flax seed meal I used in this recipe seemed perfect to bind the meatloaf together, but you could certainly use more.
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