[CindyBGood]

This is sort of put together from several recipes, but I thought it turned out really well. My Italian grandmother used to cook cinnamon with tomato sauce and veal to put over polenta and there is a remembrance of those flavors here.

I always have loved green beans cooked around meat loaf. My mom used to just dump a can around hers, but I added fresh to this recipe and thought it was yummy.

Meatloaf

1 1/3 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, minced (about 2/3 cup)
3 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (I actually left this out, sprinkled the finished meatloaves with garlic pepper)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I left this out, too)
1 egg (or 2 egg whites which is what I used)
1/3 cup or so cracked wheat (bulgar) - not in the original recipe I used

Mix meatloaf ingredients in medium bowl to blend well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Divide mixture into 5 equal piles, form each into an individual loaf.

Sauce:

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 large can diced tomatoes - whatever the big ones are 24 oz or something
1/2 cup red wine
Good sprinkle of salt
Fresh ground pepper or garlic pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 bag fresh green beans

Spray casserole dish, arrange meatloaves with space between them. Add remaining ingredients, breaking up the cinnamon stick. Add green beans on top and push down into the mix.

Top with foil. Bake at 350 about an hour and 30 minutes til bubbling and sauce is beginning to thicken.

The original recipe said to serve with couscous.