Meatloaf

Ingredients 

For the loaf:

• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 chopped green onions
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk
• 1.5 lbs of medium ground beef
• Fresh or dried thyme, to taste
• Salt and pepper
   

For the glaze:

• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of Sriracha
   

Served with cubed turnip and boiled asparagus

Method

1. Loosely chop the vegetables
2. Mix the egg, bread crumbs and milk to the vegetables
3. Mix in the ground beaf, and season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Mould into a loaf, or place in loaf pan
5. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Sriracha to make glaze
6. Coat the loaf as desired with the glaze, and bake at 350F for at least 1 hr

Estimated cooking time: 1.5 hrs (30 min prep, 1 hr bake)

Easy (Lactose-Free!) Creamy Seafood Linguini

Ingredients

• Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, 1 each
• Zucchini 1x
• Yellow Onion x2
• Green onions x1 bushel 
• Brocoli florets, 1/2 cup
• Portobello mushrooms x3-4
• Garlic, 2-3 cloves
• Salmon filet, 1 steak
• +/- Shrimp
• Lactose free milk
• Basil, fresh (2/3rd package or to taste) - loosely chopped
• Thyme, fresh (to taste)
• Pesto mix in oil
• +/- broth

Served on linguini pasta

Method

1. Cut the bell peppers into narrow strips
2. Cut the zucchini into thin slices, then cut in half (or to taste). Combine with the bell peppers.
3. Dice the yellow onions and portobello mushrooms into large squares. 
4. Slice the green onions and combine with the brocoli florets. 
5. Crush and chop the garlic, combine with the yellow onion/mushroom mix.
    
6. Brown/Pan fry the onion/portobello/garlic mix in olive oil. Set Aside.
7. Heat the bell pepper/zucchini mix in a frying pan (Med/High) in olive oil until vegetables are soft. Add broth and season with salt/pepper to taste. Mix in the green onions and brocoli. Once vegetables are soft, turn down heat (Med/Low).
8. Cook salmon steak on Med/High in covered frying pan until cooked through. Separate into flakes and set aside.
    
9. Mix all vegetables and salmon into a large pot. Add milk and broth to cover mixture, or as desired.  Add 3 tablespoons of pesto mix. Add the fresh herbs. 
10. Set burner to Med/High, and reduce to Med/Low after the sauce boils. Mix often.
11. Set burner to Low once desired consistency is reached.

Note: if adding shrimp, mix into sauce at step (11) if pre-cooked. When using raw shrimp, briefly pan fry until pink in garlic butter at step (8) and add to sauce at step (11). 

Addendum: can also add mussels, scallops, etc, fresh or frozen, as well as seasonal vegetables as desired. 

Estimated cooking time: 1 hr

Flat-and-Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 ounces butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate (chunks and shavings)
2 cups chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

2. Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and blend until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate and nuts, if using. Chill the dough.

3. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roll 2 1/2 tablespoon lumps of dough into balls, then place on baking sheet and flatten to 1/2-inch-thick discs spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a baking rack.

Source: http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wednesday_chef/2006/05/amanda_hessers_.html

Lemon Loaf

Yield: 1 loaf
Units: US | Metric

 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup shortening (We prefer butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk, 2% is fine
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, rind of

Glaze
1 lemon, juice of
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
2
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy.
3
Blend in milk.
4
In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind.
5
Pour into batter.
6
Stir to moisten.
7
Scrape into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
8
Bake in 350f degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes.
9
Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
10
Remove to rack and while still hot, with a toothpick poke holes all over the top of the loaf, and spoon glaze evenly over.
11
Cool.
12
Glaze: Combine lemon juice and sugar in saucepan.
13
Stir and heat till sugar is dissolved.
14
Spoon evenly over top of hot loaf.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/our-favourite-lemon-loaf-38953?oc=linkback

Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean)
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
• I cup of Guinness beer
• 1 cup of fine red wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1 Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the beef pieces. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over. Continue to cook in this manner until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2 While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step one has simmered for one hour.
3 Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_beef_stew/

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. 

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 bananas
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup walnuts

Instructions
Heat oven to 350
Combine and mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Place batter in a greased bread pan (bottom only) or in muffin tins.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

Source: http://www.bestbananabreadrecipes.com/banana_bread_chocolate_chip_recipe.html