Veal Milanese at its Best - or Vitello alla Capricciosa - When you're talking Italian

I had a cook up last week, food for later
Chicken soup, Meat sauce for Pasta and Breaded Schnitzel always a favourite

When we stayed with Yvonne and Stuart Rubin at their apartment right in the middle of New York City over a decade ago...they introduced us to some wonderful experiences
One of which was dining at Maruzzella 
Maruzzella is located at 1483 First Avenue, If you are in New York
They are on the west side of the Avenue, just north of 77th Street.
Such a fabulous restaurant
They took us there more them once, This occasion below, was to celebrate my Husband's birthday  

Stuart's (as a regular) favourite on the menu was
Vitello alla Capriccosa, which is Breaded Veal with a Tomato and Rocket Basil Salad 
He didn't even have to order, they just brought it to him
Recently when I was in Sydney Yvonne cooked her version for us

I played with these ingredients, last week and came up with  a slightly different option
I also made a pasta salad on the side
It was very popular

But if you would like to make the real thing...here ya go

600 grams of Schnitzel sliced Veal or Beef
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 cup flour
3 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley leaves
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup olive oil

Salad
3 Roma tomatoes Chopped
1/2 medium red onion sliced
1 bag Rocket/ Arugula
6 Basil leaves torn

1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black pepper
 
Set up your breading station
I like to put the flour and the breadcrumbs on paper towels easy for washing up 
In a wide bowl beat eggs with parsley and Parmesan
Season the flour with S&P

Cut the meat into serving pieces

Now dredge the meat in the seasoned flour, shake to get rid of excess
Dip in egg mixture and transfer to breadcrumbs and press well in to complete the procedure

Do this earlier in the day, all ready to go when dinner time comes


Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, 
Fry the veal until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
Remove from pan onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 


Quickly assemble the Salad and toss with the dressing of oil and lemon juice

To serve 
It's customary to place the meat on the plate and smother with the salad  
Whichever...its beautiful anyway

 

Very Simple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes (Kumera) with Red Curry Sauce

I had a chicken and some Kumera. (sweet potatoes) and some bits and pieces in the fridge
Found this recipe in The NY Times App, Just what I needed
Tweeted it to suit of course...as you do 

Of course I had to joint the chicken and quite frankly 
I think some Skin on, Bone in Chicken thighs would be easier
I like to have the bone in actually, as I love to pick the bones.
But mainly for the extra flavour
I used two pans to fry the chicken and amalgamated the drippings when cooked
This curry got thumbs up from the family
We shall make this again

So you will need
1 whole Chicken or 6 Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Sea salt. Freshly ground black pepper

3 spring onions
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 chilli chopped finely (optional)
3 cm piece of ginger. Grated

2 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste
1 400 ml Coconut Cream

1 Med Kumera per person peeled and chopped into rings
Frozen Edamame or frozen peas (handful) for colour and extra texture

To serve, coriander.
Lime wedges (optional)

Heat oven to 170C

Heat oil in a large oven-proof pan or a Dutch Oven to Med Heat
Pat dry the chicken prices and season both side well

Brown chicken pieces well. Use 2 pans if need be
Don’t crowd your pan
Remove and set aside

Meanwhile peel and chunk the Kumera
Bring to the boil in a pan of salted water

Cook till just tender
Drain

 

In the chicken pan sauté spring onions, ginger, peppers and garlic till soft

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add curry paste, stir and cook for about 2 minutes

Add coconut cream, stir and bring to the simmer

Place Kumera in pan, with the sauce
Then the chicken on top
Add some boiling water till halfway up the chicken
Cook till chicken cooked through about 40 minutes

Remove the chicken and set aside
add edamame or peas and reduce down 
  
Return Chicken to Pan
Throw over chopped coriander

 
Serve with wedges of limes (optional)

Carne Asada. Cheese fries

Carne Asada. Cheese Fries

I really liked the look of this dish, I found it on the Epicurious Website
Basically it is Nachos but using French Fries instead of Taco Chips
Maybe a few more calories...but I can assure you, it was excellent
Better than a burger or fish and chips
Got loads of vegetables
Isn’t that what we want
You can play with the ingredients
I have made this twice now
First time I used Hamburger Mince and the next time I had a piece of Rump Steak
You need to make a cheese sauce, I have made it both in the microwave and on the stove top
you can use either kind of meat and cook the cheese sauce in the Microwave, or on the stove top
Both work
Feeds 4-6 depending on the hunger

First you put together a spicy salt, to season the French Fries and The Meat
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sugar

For the fries and steak:
1 500 gm package frozen French fries
400 gms Rump steak, trimmed if necessary
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the cheese sauce and assembly:
1 packed cup  sharp cheddar
2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3–5 dashes hot sauce,  (optional)

Cubed avocado, 
Sour cream, or cream cheese
Handful Coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
2 x Spring onions
2 x Corn cobs cooked and shucked

12-14 cherry tomatoes,  chopped in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper  
Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Make the seasoned salt:
Whisk salt, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, oregano, and sugar in a small bowl.

Lay the french fries on a baking tray, season with 1-2 teaspoons of the salt mix
and bake to Manufacturers instructions, till crisp and golden
Tossing about halfway through

Transfer fries to a large platter

Get the BBQ on
Season the Steak with 2-3 teaspoons of the seasoning
Cook the steak to your required "doneness"
Set aside and rest for at l;east 10 minutes and slice against the grain then into strips


Meanwhile make the cheese sauce 
Toss cheese and cornflour in a medium heatproof bowl.
Pour evaporated milk over and cook in microwave on high 40 seconds. 
Whisk and continue to cook in 20-second increments,
whisking in between, until melted and smooth (about 2 minutes total).
Stir in hot sauce, if using.

Or just cook slowly on stove top until it all blends together (microwave is easier)

Toss the chopped tomatoes with olive oil, (about 2 tablespoons) season with sea salt and pepper
Now to assemble

Lay the sliced steak over the fries

 Spoon the cheese sauce over the steak

Mix the cooked corn with the chopped herbs
Season with some salt and pepper

Throw over the steak
Then the tomatoes and the corn

Dob the cream cheese over it all
and top with chopped avocado and the tomato

Serve

 This was the first one I made using Hamburger mince equally good

In the 90s, a book that was on everyone must read list, was called "Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg
The thought of Fried Green Tomatoes fascinated me. I thought they meant unripe tomatoes

but as my food knowledge grew, I understood that they are a special breed of Tomato
Now in New Zealand, as all over the world we can now access almost every food available...
and YES we can buy Green Tomatoes
Found some at the local shop and decided to make these little delights
Can’t get much easier

Slice the tomatoes
Dip in seasoned flour

Dip in beaten egg

Finally into breadcrumbs

Set aside In the fridge to settle and when ready
Just fry in mix of butter and olive oil
Fry in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan

Delicious with the leg of lamb we cooked this evening


Sent from my iPad

Roast Chicken Breasts With A Twist

Most of the time, I really like to cook with Chicken Thighs but there are times when we need a change and these Chicken Breasts were on special. Always love a bargain
This was really loved by the Family, its so simple and quick to prepare
You will see the recipe calls for Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
I just added a good shake of dried Oregano and some salt and freshly ground black pepper
That seems like Italian to me

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
2 Cups Olive Oil
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
1 teaspoon  Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon

Preheat the oven to 200C and 

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. 

Combine the eggs, ½ cup olive oil, mustard powder, and salt in a blender. 

Drizzle in the remaining olive oil while the blender is on. 

Once the mixture has thickened, add in the lemon juice and stir slowly. 

Combine the cheese, garlic, lemon zest and the olive oil mixture in a bowl and mix well. 

Spread the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with pepper.

In a small saucepan melt the butter and stir in the breadcrumbs. 

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the chicken breasts,

 and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with some Roasted Potatoes and a nice bright Green Vege, in this case Green Beans and Broccoli  Delicious

 

Cranberry and Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Quinoa, Quinoa Quinoa...its only a few years ago that this word was not even in my vocabulary.
BUT now its everywhere.
The Trendy Grain...well...Quinoa isn't really a grain. It's the seed of a plant that's related to spinach, not to wheat. Quinoa first was cultivated in South America, where it grows in the Andes mountain range. Quinoa grows best in cool climates and at high altitudes, generally above 8,000 feet.

So lesson over...it does make a good salad though, also the flakes are excellent to crumb fish for those not wanting to eat  wheat.

Members of our family went grain free for a while and when hunting for recipes to feed them I came across this little beauty

It is really tasty and makes a change from brown rice!!!
So you need

    1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

    2 cups water  
    Sea salt

    
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

    
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

    
1 small red onion, finely chopped

    Sea 
Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper
    1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
    
1 lime, juiced

    
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

    
1/2 cup minced carrots

    
1/2 cup dried cranberries

     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add quinoa to pot and cover with the water
Add salt
Bring to the boil
Cover and simmer over low heat till quinoa has absorbed all of the water
15-20 minutes
Scrape into a mixing bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold.


Meanwhile place the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, 
red onion, sliced almonds, carrots, and cranberries into a bowl

Add coriander and lime juice

Mix together 

How about that for colour
Add to the Quinoa
Drizzle over about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Serve

A Tasty Meat Sauce for Pasta

I know we all have our meat sauce that we call our own, this is very similar to one that I usually make, in fact almost identical
Thank you Bon Appetit for the inspiration, I read this in the morning and voila.. on the table for dinner
 It is a meat sauce not a tomato sauce, which I like a lot
I used Rigatoni
Those little ridges capture the sauce perfectly

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 small carrot, peeled, chopped

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. good ground beef  (20% fat), patted dry

Sea salt

3 oz. thinly sliced Pancetta, finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

⅓ cup tomato puree, I like to use Passata, not so intense
1 bay leaf

Pinch of finely grated nutmeg

2 cups (or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 lb. fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, or dry rigatoni
2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

Pulse onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor until very finely chopped.

Transfer to a small bowl.


Heat oil in a large pot over medium.
Break beef into small clumps (about 1½") and add to pot;
Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper 
Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart,
until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–8 minutes.
It may be gray in spots (that’s okay!) and still a little pink in the center.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.



Wipe out pot.
Cook pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally,
until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes.
Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally,
until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–8 minutes.



Return beef to pot and pour in wine.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook,
smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated,
surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes.
(The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits.
It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.)
Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook,
stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened,
about 5 minutes.



 Pour stock and milk into pot; add a pinch of salt.

Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, stirring occasionally,
until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours.
There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage.
Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two.
When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture.
If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender,
add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking.
Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt;
keep warm.


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.
If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes.
If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.


Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce.
Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup Parmesan.
Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly,
until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.


Transfer pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan.



Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.



Also sitting on my table, my 2 friends and some beautiful Gardenias
Straight from the Garden



The Rainbow Plate -The More Colour in Your Food - The Better

Plus Such a Pleasure to Eat
Two very simple ideas to "colourize" your Table

For this Salad I used
Bag of mixed leaves plus 1/2 bag of Rocket
2 radishes sliced
Stick of celery chopped
2 San Manzano Tomatoes Chopped 
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Bunch of chives chopped  for that onion boost
3 tablespoons of French Dressing

Just layer your lettuce and rocket
Scatter all the chopped vege over
Drizzle the French dressing
Hands in and toss
Voila

Next... the Asparagus Season is nearly over and we can really never get enough of it but I thought I would pretty it up, for a change

Asparagus tailed and cooked to al dente
1 medium Red Onion Chopped
1 Corn Cob freshly shucked, kernels sliced off
Little chopped parsley

Good Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper 
Juice and zest of a lemon

I find the best way to poach Asparagus, is to cook it in a shallow pan
Plenty of room to lay it out, in its full glory
Bring the pan of water to the boil
Add Salt and a slug of Olive Oil
Add Asparagus and cook till knife just goes through
Probably only 3-5 minutes at most

Drain and put into bowl of salted iced water  to stop it cooking and keep the lovely green colour
Drain

Meanwhile
Saute Onion in 3 tablespoons Olive oil till translucent,
Add Corn Kernels
Toss around for a couple of minutes, just to take the rawness out of the corn
Season with Salt and Pepper
Zest the Lemon over the top plus the Juice and Parsley
Toss to blend and pour over the Asparagus

How pretty is that?