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!).

Turkey kilbasa and tortellini in a creamy pesto sauce (Corey)

I have often been accused of using as many dishes as possible when I cook. Since this has been brought to my attention more than once, I have made a concerted effort to use less cookware..though I am super guilty of forgetting where I put the spoon and getting another one out of the drawer! With that in mind, be proud that this only makes three things dirty: one pot, one colander, and one cutting board. Cutlery (despite what others may tell you) doesn’t count.

1 package smoked turkey kilbasa sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 package spinach and ricotta tortellini

baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed, remainder cut into 1 1/2 inch segments

1 small purple onion, diced

3 stalks green onion, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned

Alfredo sauce (You can make your own, but to keep it a one-pot meal, I usually use Bertolli.)

basil pesto (Mom’s recipe is great! Store-bought is fine too.)

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon each of extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt to the water before adding the tortellini. Boil 8-12 minutes until the pasta is tender. Be careful not to overcook as this pasta will fall apart and lose its stuffing. When the pasta is cooked to your taste, drain using a colander. Don’t return the pasta to the pot yet.

Return the now-empty pasta pot to the stove. On medium-high heat, add the turket kilbasa and cook for two to three minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the burner heat to medium. Add the vegetables to the pot and sauté until al dente. Add half the jar of Alfredo sauce (it’s probably still in the fridge from when you made the pizza) and two heaping tablespoons of pesto. Stir well to distribute sausage and vegetables in the creamy pesto sauce. Fold in tortellini. Plate your yummy pasta creation and garnish with some of the chopped green onions.

On the night pictured, I served this with a simple summer salad (mixed baby greens, grape tomatoes, slivered almonds, and balsamic vinegar) and watermelon wedges.

For all of my vegetarians out there, it's just as yummy without the sausage.

Whiteface Chicken Pizza (Corey)

I love pizza. The problem that I find with it most of the time is the red sauce...and don’t get me wrong, I love red sauce (with breadsticks and with meatballs on pasta). This recipe is pretty fluid (which, I think, most of our recipes are) so feel free to substitute as you so desire...this one can be as varied as you can imagine it. For today though, I’ll stick to what’s in the picture!

2 packages thin and crispy pizza crust mix (Jiffy, Martha White, or Great Value are all great) -- or your can make your own crust.

A note about pizza crust: I like to make my own. Sort of. I just don’t usually have time...so I buy the mix and mix it myself, and that counts, right? We used to make our own pizza crust from scratch, and it was super yummy but never as crunchy as I like it. So in the interest of time and crunch I buy the thin crust mix and doctor it up a bit. When it says to bake the crust before adding toppings, I always sprinkle on garlic, oregano, and basil to make it an herbed crust. I’ve also been known to add parmesan cheese on occasion. I love to use a pizza stone to make round pizza, but when I’m making half-and-half pizza for the masses, I’ll use a cookie sheet. That’s the thing about geometry...I was always better at dividing rectangles than circles.

Alfredo sauce (regular, mushroom, roasted red pepper, sub-dried tomato all good choices)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (optional)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 1/2 cups raw French green beans OR 1 bunch green asparagus

1 pepper (green, yellow, orange, or red) julienned and chopped

2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

4 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry

1/2 cup bleu or Gorgonzola cheese

garlic, oregano, basil

Mix your pizza crust (don’t forget the herbs!) and place in the oven following the directions on your selected brand (or your recipe). While it pre-bakes, chop your green beans or asparagus into 1 inch sections. Don’t forget to remove the hard ends of the asparagus. Place the vegetable of choice in a bowl with a quarter inch of water and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Cook in the microwave for two minutes to blanch. They should still be crispy.

Once you’ve semi-baked your pizza crust, remove from the oven to begin assembly. Start with the sauce and apply in a thin layer. For a 16” pizza, I usually use less than half a jar of sauce. The key is that the sauce is just enough for moisture, but not the predominant flavor on the pizza. Top with all of the mozzarella cheese. Begin layering your vegetables. The tomatoes should go on last. Add your chicken (if desired) and bleu cheese. Sprinkle generously with oregano and basil.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the bleu cheese has started to melt. Remove from oven and allow to cool 3 to 4 minutes before cutting into wedges.