Healthy veal scallopini? Yes, please!

Today, at the grocery store, I was waiting at the butcher counter when I glanced down and saw the most gorgeous 1/2 pound of veal cutlets that I've seen in a long time. Some people don't eat veal and lamb (just as some people don't eat meat at all) because of where it comes from...but I don't have any such qualms as long as the meat is certified tether and hormone free. To me, veal is one of those slightly sinful meats, almost always breaded and slathered in butter/cheese or combined with sausage or on top of a huge mound of pasta. As a matter of fact, veal is one meat I have studiously avoided since going gluten free simply because I was unable to picture it any other way. Today, however, I decided that I wanted it so I impulsively put it in my shopping cart (sorry Mom, I know veal is nowhere near my wedding diet).

When I got home, I started looking at veal recipes online and decided on veal scallopini...it's quick, simple, and it doesn't (necessarily) require pasta. So I took stock of what yummy veggies I could make into my sauce and found tomato, onions, and asparagus. I would imagine you could make any of your favorite yummy veggies make your sauce, but these are my personal favorites.

This recipe is for two:

1/2 pound veal cutlets

2 small onions

1 large tomato

1 bunch asparagus (approx 1 lb)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

salt

pepper

olive oil

flour (tonight I used King Arthur gluten free multi-purpose flour)

whatever wine you're drinking while you cook (mine was red - Petite Syrah)

Begin by tenderizing your veal. Some people will tell you that you can skip this step. I disagree wholeheartedly. I own a meat mallet for a reason (and it's not to chase my darling husband-to-be around our kitchen)....it's because certain meats are best thin and tender. Veal is one of those. Place your cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap (I like this for ease of cleaning, but wax paper works great too!) and pound away till your veal is (uniformly) half as thick as it was when you started. The thinner it is, the more tender it will be. Don't go over too overboard though...you want something left to cook! Slice your veal into 3-4 inch strips.

Now, prepare your vegetables. Cut the tomato into pieces that are about the size of a quarter. Sliver your onions, and cut your asparagus into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces (discard the woody end of the stems). Mince your garlic (or get it out of that insanely large jar of minced garlic that has permanent residence in your fridge like mine).

Pour just enough olive oil in your skillet to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil olive to medium-high. Just like frying anything, the oil is ready when you put a tiny pinch of flour in and it sizzles rather than sinking. Salt and pepper your veal and dredge it through your flour (yay, gluten free flour!). Shake off any excess flour and place them in the hot oil. Cook approximately 1 minute on each side. Don't overcook! Veal gets tougher the longer you cook it. When the flour has browned on each side, remove the veal from the oil and place it on a plate lined with an absorbent cloth.

Back to the skillet! Add your garlic, onions, and asparagus, and sauté them for two minutes. Add your tomatoes, a healthy splash of wine, and some salt and pepper. Then simmer your sauce till your veggies are as crunchy as you like them. Me? I'm a crunch-lover so the sauce was on for less than six minutes...

To plate, spoon a nice-size portion of the sauce directly onto the plate, arrange your veal on top, then top with a little more sauce. I served this with crunchy green beans and cottage cheese (which previously-mentioned fiance said made it taste "really Italian"...haha!).

Are Brussell sprouts...

...the bane of your existence? When you were little, did you try to feed them to your dog? When you see them, can you immediately taste bitter mushiness in your mouth? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, then you are reading the right post. The trick with Brussell sprouts is to minimize the bitter (caused by plant chemicals known as glucosinolates) and maximize the yummy. My mama has always said I have never been a picky eater (but then, she never tried to feed me Brussell sprouts either), but I was never a big fan of these "baby cabbages" until a few years ago.

I will credit my friend Aubrey with this yummy recipe, and I will admit to being skeptical when I heard how simple the recipe was...up until she made me these crunchy yummy wonders, I liked to undercook the sprouts and pair them with a stronger taste (like Ranch dressing or feta cheese). Now my fiance and I eat these about three or four times a month.

Take a minute to look at your sprouts...they should be bright to dark green with little to no yellowing of the leaves and no obvious bug damage. Each of these little beauties looks like a little cabbage with leafy head and hard stalky end. If you have the chance to buy a whole stalk of sprouts, do it! It's always cool to see where your food begins...(it's also okay to cheat and buy the sprouts in the nice recyclable plastic container that they come in at most grocery stores). Whatever you do though, these sprouts must be fresh, not frozen.

Begin by cutting the end off of the sprouts (just like cutting the hard end off a cabbage). Cut enough that you're taking off a good bit of the hard white end (that's where most of the bitter is) but not too much. When you cut the sprout in half, an outer leaf or two should come off easily, leaving the tightly packed inner leaves in place. When you have taken off the end and cut each sprout in half, remove the loose leaves and place your sprouts in a large bowl. Toss them with olive oil and allow them to sit for five to ten minutes to absorb a little of the oil.

Spread your sprouts on a cookie sheet (the olive oil on the sprouts will keep them from sticking). Don't pour the left over oil onto the sheet (you can use it to make salad dressing for your other healthy side, right?). Place the cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Turn the sprouts over after about 10 minutes (they should be starting to brown nicely on the side that was touching the pan). When the sprouts are nicely browned (not crispy) on each side, remove them from the oven and sprinkle them with a little bit of seasoned salt (I like Lowry's because it's gluten-free).

At this point you can either be good and put them on your plate with your dinner....or you can be like me and pop a few in your mouth right away. These are nutty, a little crunchy, and delicious! Nothing to be bitter about at all!