Ossoboco

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People always ask me where I like to go out for dinner, what’s my favorite restaurant?That is usually a pretty tuff question, not that we don’t have some great restaurants in the Memphis area, but I am always in search of a great Italian restaurant, and there is only one that I can name, “Pasta Italia”.  Unfortunately the owners packed up the restaurant and headed to Chattanooga a few years back….but this story has a happy ending, the owners decided to returning to this area….great news!!!!   After hearing this news yesterday, I started to think about one of my favorite meals at this restaurant and great Italian restaurants in other cities and I have to admit, one of them is Ossoboco.  Now, this is not a difficult dish to make, so why don’t I make it that often?  Guess this is one that I really like to have out, best part is eating the marrow out of the bone…total yum!

Yesterday I decided to stop at Fresh Market and purchase a couple of “veal shanks”…a little costly, but once again, this is a special dish.  I hope you try this recipe at home.  I served it with some orzo pasta, pre boiled in water, drained, simmered in beef stock with fresh mushrooms, chunks of fresh tomatoes and spinach.  This really was a perfect accompaniment to the Ossoboco.

  • 4 veal shanks, 1 1/2″ thick
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • 1  container pomi brand chopped tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Gremolata – 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic, minced & zest from 1 lemon

In a large pot over medium heat, add butter and oil.  Place flour in a round cake pan or dish.  Generously season both sides of veal shanks with salt and pepper.

DSC_0008 Dip veal in flour shaking off excess. DSC_0010 Place veal in pan and sear both sides until golden.  Remove from pan.  Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

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Place veal back into pot and add remaining ingredients (except the gremolata).  Cook over very low heat for 2 hours, or until meat is very tender, but not falling off the bone.

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In a small bowl mix the gremolata.  Mix into the ossoboco just before serving.  Pour yourself a nice glass of Pinot Grigio for a job well done….DSC_0025Bon Appetito!DSC_0040

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Happy New Year

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It has been a few weeks since I have posted anything, but I am starting this year off with some GREAT HEALTHY, quick & easy chicken recipes to help any foodie get themselves back on track and lose those 5 extra pounds that happened over the holiday.

I thought I would give you three very tasty low fat recipes, one Mexican, one Chinese, and my personal favorite, Italian….I have to say the salsa in the Mexican recipe is also great for a side to any meal…when purchasing your avocados, make sure they are ready to be eaten, the avocado should be soft to the squeeze, but more importantly, break off the stem at the top of the avocado, look inside, if it is green, you are good to go, if it is black, put it back. :o)

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Chicken:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Salsa:
1 cup chopped and seeded plum tomato (about 2)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
½ can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, peeled and chopped

Directions:
To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add avocado, stir gently to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
Combine chicken, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a plastic bag. Toss and marinade 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken, discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, presentation side first (that’s the shiny side) cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until done, internal temperature of 165º.
Thinly slice chicken on an angle. Serve chicken over bed of salsa, top with additional lemon slices and chopped cilantro if desired.

Do not be intimated with any recipe that calls for a “Wok”, if you do not have one, a large deep non-stick skillet will work just as well…make sure you are using fresh ginger for this recipe, a little trick to “peeling” your ginger is to use a spoon, the outer skin peels over very nicely.

Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
1 cup snow peas or chopped fresh broccoli
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:
Heat sesame oil in a large skillet, or a large stir fry pan, over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken, sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
Combine ¾ cup water and the next 5 ingredients, whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan, bring to boil. Add bell peppers and snow peas. Cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.

I always save the best for last…this is a classic Italian entree and can also be made with veal. Next time you are looking for something “special” to fix your guests, or family, create this wonderful tasty dish, serve with a little orzo pasta on the side, a fresh green salad, and of course, a bottle of fine Chianti…

Chicken Scallopini

Chicken Scallopini
4 (6 ounce) skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Pankos, Japanese breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Cooking spray
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
Thinly pound out chicken breasts using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush chicken with juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a cake pan combined breadcrumbs and pankos. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture.
Heat a large non stick sauté pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan, presentation side first (shiny side) cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is done, internal temperature of 165º.
Deglaze pan with wine, add chicken broth and cook 2-3 minutes.
Stir in capers and butter. Thinly slice chicken breasts and serve over orzo, top with sauce.

Bon Appetite!

Roasted Butternut Squash Filled Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. The memories of family together, cooking, eating, scrabble after dinner. I think my families favorite memories are the ones we spent in Readfield, Maine with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…we would have 25-35 people at the dinner table (and LOTS of dogs), which overlooked beautiful Marancook Lake.

I was always in charge of the “Italian Entree”, which was usually lasagna or manicotti. This year I thought I would try something different, (we always have an Italian entree for holiday meals). Since my family LOVES homemade ravioli, I thought I would fill them with roasted butternut squash, and the best sauce for this ravioli is a brown butter sage sauce. I know they are going to LOVE these little pillows (ravioli). I hope you do as well…
Pasta:
3 eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup semolina flour)*

Add the eggs, oil and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until eggs are blended. Add flour and process the mixture until the flour is evenly moistened and crumbly; this will take about 10 seconds. Dough should come together when removed from the bowl. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest 15-30 minutes.

Filling:

1 butternut squash (approximately 3 lbs.), 2 cups roasted and mashed
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onions or shallots
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Cut butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Roast 25 minutes or until flesh is fork-tender.
Scoop squash into a medium sized bowl; using a potato masher mash squash until smooth.

In a medium size sauté pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. When melted add onions or shallots and cook until transparent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add mashed squash, white pepper, nutmeg, and heavy cream, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Mix until well combined. Remove from pan and place on a large dish to cool. When cool, place filling into a large zip bag. Snip a corner off with scissors. This will allow you to squeeze the filling into the ravioli pockets.

Directions:

Pasta:

Roll dough to #5 on pasta rolling machine using 1/4 of the dough at a time. Keep remaining dough covered so it doesn’t dry out. During the winter months when the humidity is low roll to #5 twice (#6 is too thin). Place one layer of dough on a ravioli press (make sure bottom of dough is well floured so it doesn’t stick when removed). Gently press the pasta dough with the ravioli press. Fill pockets with 1 teaspoon of filling. Top filling with another layer of dough. Use a rolling pin to cut the ravioli. Flip ravioli unto a large sheet pan that has been sprinkled with polenta (to prevent sticking). This recipe makes 5 dozen ravioli. Place sheet pan in freezer, and when ravioli are frozen, place in a zip lock bag until ready to use. Cook in a large pasta pan with an insert in salted boiling water, about 5 minutes.


Sauce:
In a small sauce pan over medium heat add 8 tablespoons of good quality butter (I prefer Kerrygold brand). When butter is melted, add sage leaves. Cook until butter is golden brown. Remove and top sauce of ravioli, make sure you eat the sage leaves, they become very crunchy and quite tasty.

Bon Appétit!!!