Veal Rolls with Pancetta

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 pound veal scaloppine from the butcher counter
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
Salt and pepper
1 pound smoked fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 (16 to 18-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
1/3 pound pancetta, sliced like thin cut bacon at deli counter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 clove cracked garlic
1 (10-ounce) sack baby spinach or triple washed spinach leaves
1/4 to 1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth


Directions

Arrange scaloppine on waxed paper or plastic. Sprinkle veal with parsley, salt and pepper. Place a thin layer of cheese and a few slices of roasted pepper on each scaloppine. Roll veal and wrap each roll with a slice of pancetta. Secure with toothpicks.


Fry veal rolls in a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, until golden all over and pancetta is crisp, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from pan to warm platter. Return skillet to heat. Add a drizzle of oil and cracked garlic. Wilt spinach in pan, add a touch of wine or vermouth to lift drippings and combine them with greens. Using tongs, place a bed of spinach on each dinner plate and top with veal rolls. Serve immediately.

From: foodnetwork.com

Mini Meatball Soup

A delicious recipe to use up left-over veggies and stock from the holidays :)

Cook Time: 27 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 big servings


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches, recipe follows


Directions

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.


While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.


Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.


Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, cracked away from skin
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
* All of these cheeses are available in specialty cheese case and dairy aisle already shredded

In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.


Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Stovetop Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Cook Time: 8 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 8 min


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup half-and- half or heavy cream
1 can (15 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 boxes, 10 ounces each, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry in kitchen towel
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian 4 cheese blend (provolone, Parmesan, mozzarella and Asiago) available in 10-ounce pouches on the dairy aisle of your market
Salt and pepper
1 round loaf crusty bread: top removed and cubed, bottom hollowed out to use as serving bowl
1 loaf multigrain or whole wheat baguette, sliced at bakery/bread counter in market


Directions

To a medium saucepot preheated over moderate heat, add about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream. Add butter to oil. When butter melts, add garlic and onions to the pot. Sprinkle in thyme leaves. Saute 2 minutes, add chopped red pepper. Saute mixture a minute more. Sprinkle in flour, stir to coat vegetables. Cook flour 1 minute. Whisk in wine and reduce by half. Whisk in stock and thicken sauce 1 minute. Stir in half-and-half or cream. When sauce returns to a bubble, add artichokes, spinach and cheeses. Keep stirring until cheeses melt and sauce is well combined. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, to your taste.


Pour dip into hollow bread bowl on serving platter and surround with sliced multi or whole grain bread for dipping. Reserve extra dip to warm and refill as necessary. Cut up bread bowl when baguette slices are gone -- the bowl is the best part as it absorbs juices from the dip.

From: foodnetwork.com

From: foodnetwork.com

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Spinach in Phyllo Cups

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

1/2 stick butter, melted
3 sheets phyllo pastry dough, found in the freezer section
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips on an angle
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow skinned onion, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, 10 to 12 pieces, chopped
2 boxes chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3/4 pound, 12 ounces, feta cheese, crumbled


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


Brush 6 or 12-cup muffin tins with butter using pastry brush. Brush a layer of phyllo dough with butter, top with a second sheet of pastry, butter, then season the phyllo with salt and pepper and then top with a third sheet. Cut into 6 or 12 squares and arrange the phyllo in cups, allowing the dough to crumple and spill out of the tops of the tins. Brush the inside of the pastry cups with remaining butter. Bake until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Cool.


To a skillet preheated over medium high heat add chicken, garlic and onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes, add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Add feta and taste to adjust seasonings.


To serve, place phyllo cups on a serving platter and fill with mounds of chicken, sun- dried tomatoes and spinach mixture. A hearty vegetable and olive salad makes a perfect starter or side to this delicious, quick cross between chicken pot pies and spanakopita.

From: foodnetwork.com

Super Stuffed French Bread Pizza Rustica

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 (2 foot long) loaf French bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach defrosted and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound sweet sopressata, from the deli, sliced thick, chopped
1/2 stick pepperoni, chopped
1 sack (10 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1 sack (10 ounces) shredded provolone
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Split bread lengthwise and hollow it out. Cut in half across, making 4 shells for pizzas.


Heat a skillet over medium high flame and brown sausage in extra-virgin olive oil. Brown and crumble sausage. Add red bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, add spinach. Remove mixture from heat and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, to your taste.


Transfer to a bowl. Combine sausage and veggies with ricotta, Parmesan, sopressata and pepperoni. Fill bread shells and top with mounded mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Place in hot oven on cookie sheet and bake until cheese melts and bubbles and bread is super crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Top pizzas with oregano and hot pepper flakes. Serve immediately, or snack all night!

From: foodnetwork.com

Green Risotto

Cook Time: 22 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 quart vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry sherry
1 pound triple washed spinach, chopped
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated or ground
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 or 3 handfuls

Directions

Bring water and stock to a boil, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium to medium high
heat. Add onions and saute 3 minutes. Add arborio rice and saute, 2 or
3 minutes more. Add wine or sherry and allow liquid to absorb, 1
minute. Add 1/2 the stock or broth and reduce heat slightly. Simmer,
stirring frequently until liquid is absorbed, then add more liquid, a
few ladles at a time. When liquid cooks out, ladle in a bit more.

When risotto has cooked almost to al dente, about 18 minutes, fold in
spinach, basil and parsley. Season risotto with nutmeg, salt and
pepper and stir in any remaining broth. Risotto will cook 22 minutes,
total. Stir in cheese and serve immediately.

From: foodnetwork.com

Bacon, Spinach and Cream Potatoes

Cook Time: 18 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced
* Salt
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 strips center cut bacon, chopped
* 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
* 1 cup cream
* 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung out in a kitchen towel
* Salt and pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Directions

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring up to a boil, salt
water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

To a small skillet over medium heat add a little extra-virgin olive
oil and bacon and brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add onions and cook until
soft, 5 minutes more.

Drain the potatoes and place back in the hot pot. Add bacon, onions
and defrosted spinach to potatoes, mash to combine then add cream.
Mash until smooth and season the mixture with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

From: foodnetwork.com