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

Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 1/2 pound asparagus
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 6 to 7 sprigs
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, eyeball it
2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup white wine, eyeball it
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (available on soup aisle in paper boxes), divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grainy, stone-ground mustard
1 1/2 cups, about 1/2 pound, seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups couscous


Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.


Trim tough ends of asparagus and save for soup. Place asparagus in a large bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and roast 10 to 12 minutes until the asparagus is tender and crispy at the tips.


Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge the tenders in flour and add it to the pan. Cook chicken 7 to 8 minutes until browned. Add wine and scrape up browned bits as wine cooks down and bubbles, 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet. Combine cream and mustard and add to stock. Add grapes to the pan and turn chicken and grapes to coat and combine with the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat.


Bring remaining 2 cups chicken stock and remaining tablespoon of fresh thyme to a boil in a small pot. Add couscous. Put a tight fitting lid on pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.


Serve tenders and grapes on couscous alongside asparagus.

From: foodnetwork.com

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Shrimp

My favorites bacon and shrimp with pineapple twist! Yum-O!

Cook Time: 6 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

12 jumbo shrimp, deveined
1/4 fresh pineapple cut into bite sized chunks or 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks in natural juice, drained
6 slices center-cut bacon, cut in 1/2 crosswise
12 wooden toothpicks


Directions

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Holding a shrimp, nest a chunk of pineapple in the natural curve of the shrimp then wrap bacon around the shrimp and pineapple and secure with a wooden toothpick. Wrap and secure all 12 shrimp then add to the hot pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp and shrimp are opaque and firm.

From: foodnetwork.com

Broiled Lamb Chops with Braised Root Vegetables and Colcannon - Creamy Kale and Potatoes,

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


Ingredients

Braised Root Vegetables:

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound packaged baby carrots
1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 loin lamb chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Colcannon:

4 medium to large all-purpose potatoes, such as Russet, peeled and cut into chunks
Coarse salt, for boiling water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 head dark curly kale, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup whole milk, eyeball it
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, fresh or grated
1 teaspoon ground thyme
2 scallions, sliced
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Prepared, store bought Irish soda bread or brown bread, warmed, for passing at table
Sweet butter, softened, for the bread


Directions

For braised vegetables: Heat a skillet with a cover over medium to medium high heat. Add butter, carrots, rutabaga and onion. Cook veggies 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth or stock, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat and cover. Cook vegetables 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from heat and set aside.


Preheat broiler to high for lamb.


Boil potatoes for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain potatoes and return them to the hot pot and mash.


Heat stock or broth to a simmer. Chop kale tops, discarding tough stems. Add kale to broth and cover. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes.


Place chops about 6 to 8 inches from broiler and cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove from broiler and season chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Let chops rest 3 to 5 minutes.


In a large skillet over moderate heat melt butter and add milk. Season with nutmeg and thyme and add scallions to the pan. Remove kale from cooking liquid to the milk and butter mixture using a slotted spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add mashed potatoes to milk and kale and stir until combined and creamy, 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.


Serve the chops along with vegetable colcannon. Warm up store-bought Irish soda bread or brown bread with soft, unsweetened butter. The bread makes a nice starter, side or ending to this meal.

From: foodnetwork.com

Sausage O'Patties

Cook Time: 14 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 small Idaho potato, peeled
1 small onion, coarsely chopped, about 1/3 cup
3/4 pound ground pork
A few sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

Directions

Grate the potato onto a cutting board, salt it, then transfer to a paper towel lined bowl or plate to drain.

Place potato, onion, pork, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper in the food processor and pulse grind to form a sausage mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, form 8 potato-sausage patties 3 inches wide, 1/2-inch thick, and set into skillet. Cook patties 6 to 7 minutes on each side until they are deeply golden brown in color.

From: foodnetwork.com

Chicken Cutlets with Herbs

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

Ingredients

1/2 loaf baguette bread - day old is fine
4 pieces chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 large egg
Several sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
A handful fresh chives, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Olive oil, for sauteing cutlets

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Tear bread into pieces and place on baking sheet. Toast bread until deep golden brown, 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and coarsely grind into bread crumbs.

While bread toasts pound out chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour, reserve. Beat egg with splash of water in shallow dish.

Transfer bread crumbs to a plate and season with herbs and poultry seasoning.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Coat chicken in egg then bread crumbs and add to pan. Saute until golden and firm, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

From: foodnetwork.com

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken or turkey breast
1 carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 to 1/3 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
8 good quality burger rolls, split and toasted
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 large dill pickles, chopped

Directions

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with wooden spoon, cook 5 to 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onions and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cook 7 to 8 minutes more. In a bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer a few minutes more. Pile sloppy Buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

From: foodnetwork.com