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!).