October 28, 2014 Recipes

The butter on the mashed potatoes is the same garlic-butter-parsley mixture used on
the bread. The meatloaf has glaze baked onto the top, like in the recipe, as well as
drizzled over the top just before serving. Just how my father likes it!

I want to start by saying that I never learned to cook with recipes. I also know how to use a recipe, and I know I can't bake without them, but cooking is very intuitive and relies more on tasting the meal as it progresses than on following rigid guidelines every time you make it. Home cooking is more like that, I suppose. But that is how I've always cooked. Therefore, though I am providing these recipes from the dinner I made tonight, most of the measurements are either a) inexact or b) flexible. Besides that, my cooking isn't perfect and doesn't cater to your taste. Therefore, feel free to change whatever you like if attempting these recipes.

Simple Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf

• 1.5 lbs. ground beef
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of bread, chopped (white or wheat)
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped onion, about a quarter of a large onion or a whole small onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2-3 splashes Wishishere sauce
• Pepper

Glaze

As I was giving my little brother instructions on making this glaze, I simply said "add another squirt. Now one more dash. Now a pinch of that." We didn't measure anything, so I'll be describing this recipe as parts instead of by volume. Example: 3 parts flour to 1 part water would mean that for every  3 tbsp., cups, or grams of flour I use, I'd match it with 1 tbsp, cup, or gram of water. 

• 6 parts ketchup
• 1 part Dijon mustard
• 2 part brown sugar

Procedure

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Combine ingredients for meatloaf in mixing bowl. Fold by hand until all ingredients are fully dispersed. Form meat into free standing loaf on a baking pan. A lot of people like to use actual loaf pans, but I just prefer a free standing loaf; then all sides get exposure to the oven, and it forms a nice outside in my opinion.

Combine ingredients for glaze in separate bowl. I usually make a little more than I feel is necessary because my dad likes it on the side. Generously apply glaze to the loaf and put in oven until fully cooked, about 1 hour. This hour is the perfect time to work on sides for your meal.

Baked Potatoes
Ingredients

• 4 small-medium sized potatoes
• 2-3 tbs olive oil
• Salt

Procedure

Rinse potatoes thoroughly. Stab each potato 4-6 times with a fork, always in a different spot. Place dried potatoes in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and salt. Wrap each potato in a sheet of foil and place in oven with meatloaf. Bake until you can poke them with a fork and easily piece to the center, about 45 minutes.

Broccoli

My family isn't one for buying fresh vegetables, because every time we do we end up throwing them away. If you do have fresh vegetables, I encourage you to use those instead of frozen ones, like I use. This is because I sauteed frozen broccoli with garlic and butter tonight. The end result was very limp, because of the excess moisture from being frozen.

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen broccoli
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Procedure

Follow broccoli packaging instructions to half way mark, so that broccoli is about half done. Ex: Package says to boil for 4 minutes? Boil for 2 minutes instead, then drain.

Place butter and garlic in medium sauce pan. Turn on heat, about medium. Allow butter to melt and garlic to sizzle. When butter slightly darkens and as garlic releases its scent, add broccoli. Saute 3-4 minutes, or until broccoli is fully cooked.

Garlic Toast

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter or margin, softened
• minced garlic, fresh or pickled
• 1 pinch dried parsley (or tarragon, or Italian mix. Any dried herb you decide.)
• 8 slices of French bread (Tonight I used hamburger buns, because we had no French and the buns needed to be used. I've also used hot dog buns, ciabatta, sourdough, and even white or wheat sandwich bread. I use what I have on hand on busy Tuesday nights like this.) 

Procedure

Set broiler to a high setting. (My broiler only has two settings: LOW and HI)

Slightly whip butter until it is creamy and almost (but not quite) fluffy. Add garlic and parsley, and mix until smooth. (this mixture tastes great with a lot of things; mashed potatoes, sauces, sauteed with vegetables, etc.  Be creative!) Apply mixture to top of the bread slices, sure to cover every exposed inch of the bread. Whatever is not covered in butter with burn before the toast is ready.

Place in broiler. DO NOT WALK AWAY because chances are, that toast will be done in three minutes or less. I have burned many-a garlic toast by walking away.

The order I've placed these recipes is the order I recommend you cook them in, if attempting to make the same meal I made tonight. However, any of these recipes work for a multitude of different meals. I have garlic toast with pasta, steak, or as a snack; nothing can beat a good meatloaf with mashed potatoes; baked potatoes or sauteed broccoli are wonderful additions to almost any home-style American meal. This post is simply a complete list of what my own family had for dinner tonight.