Osso Buco Milanese

Osso Buco and Saffron Risotto

Osso Buco - Bone with a Hole. Ryan and I have ordered this at restaurants and have spent quite a few bucks devouring it. That said, of course I had to try to make it on my own; cooked it for the first time in Oct '11 - I have to say they were prettyyyy pretttyyyy pretttttyyy tasty.  This past weekend was my mom's Birthday and I was hosting some VIP's. I wanted to make something special and different so I went with this! Saffron Risotto recipe at the end.

Ingredients: 4 Portions

• 4 pieces veal shank with bone, cut 3 inches thick
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 spring of fresh rosemary
• 1 spring of fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:
Pat the meat dry to remove any access moisture. Secure the meat with kitchen twine to hold the meat to the bone. In a large shallow platter/container, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess.

Pat Dry

Dredge in flour

   

In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.

Sear and set aside

Chop Onion, Celery, and Carrots

In the same pot, add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and parsley to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the red and white wine and deglaze the pan.

 

Add to pan with herbs and cook for about 8 minutes

 

Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2-2 1/2 hours, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone-tender. Baste the meat every 10 minutes during cooking and rotate 1-2 times. Remove the cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.

Serve with extra sauce on top, along side risotto. I've also served this with a side of my Parmesan rosemary potatoes.

Saffron Risotto: http://little-italian-lady.blogspot.com/2012/01/parmiggiano-saffron-risotto.html
Rustic Parmesan Rosemary Potatoes: http://little-italian-lady.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-holiday-sides-part-2.html



Parmigiano Saffron Risotto

Add in broth, stir, let rice soak it up, stir. Repeat!

I LOVE risotto - I loved eating it when other people cooked it! For some reason I was always intimidated to cook it myself, but I forced myself to do it when I decided to make Osso Buco. Cooking risotto is not nearly as scary or difficult as I imagined, you just need to pay close attention to it and stir constantly. Well here is my cheesy, creamy version of it... Apologies for the limited photos - I was very caught up with making the risotto, I got a bit carried away and forgot to snap some action shots!

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3-4 pinches saffron threads
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer add in saffron threads. Keep warm over low heat.

In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and add in olive oil. Add in onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When rice begins to make a crackling sound, add 1 ladle of the warm chicken broth and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add remaining broth, ladle at a time. Continue to stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Add in salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (**) Add in grated cheese about half way through cooking. Test the rice to see if it is done, it should be somewhat al dente but creamy.

Serve at once with Osso Buco Milanese.

(**) - Here is where you can get creative. Since I was serving this with Osso Buco, I took some of the Osso Buco meat + sauce and added it to the risotto. But you can make it with ground meat, mushrooms, shrimp, roasted vegetables, etc. Just saute the ingredient with the onion and garlic separately and add into risotto right after you add in all the chicken broth.

Link to Osso Buco Recipe: http://little-italian-lady.blogspot.com/2012/01/osso-buco-milanese.html

Pasta & Broccoli

Every one's heard of the classic dish - cavatelli e` broccoli. While cavatelli are delicious, they just aren't one of those pastas that we just have hanging around in our food cabinet. Taking a healthier  twist on this old school dish, I started making my version with whole wheat penne or farfalle - I've found that Barilla makes the best tasting whole wheat pasta -The kind with protein and omega.

Typically we don't get enough protein when we are eating pasta so this provides the nutrients we are missing. But by all means - make this with cavatelli or any pasta of your choice. The broccoli is so  versatile it really goes well with any bite size pasta. Feel free to even add grilled chicken or shrimp to this dish!

Ingredients: Serves two

• Bunch of Broccolette
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 5 tbs Olive Oil
• Parmiggiano Cheese
• Pasta

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Rinse and cut the broccoli flowers off the stem and add to water. Boil for about 6-8 minutes. Strain and run under cold water (to keep the bright green color).

In another pot, add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper and bring to high heat. Let heat for about a minute and add in broccoli. Stir all together, add 1/4 tsp of salt. Add in an additional heaping drizzle of olive oil to pot, mix around on low heat - simmer with lid on. Crush broccoli flowers with the wooden spoon and mix around every few minutes. Cook for ~15 minutes.

Once the broccoli are going, boil your pasta in salted water until al dente - The pasta will cook longer when combined in with the broccoli.

Strain pasta and place back in pot. Drizzle olive oil on top on pasta (about 2 tbs) and mix well so that the oil is well-coated all over. Add in the broccoli combination and mix well on low heat.

Grate fresh parmiggiano cheese into pot (about 2 tbs) and mix until everything is combined well.

Grate the cheese and mix it up!

Serve with extra parm on top and cracked black pepper.

BlackPepper Shrimp

I don't cook shrimp often.  It's just not one of those foods that I think of buying unless there is a reason or occasion to, if you know what I mean...I like it and all, but I try to limit myself from shellfish since they are high in cholesterol. Well I partially take that back, shrimp are high in both good and bad cholesterol... So technically shrimp is better for you than red meat. Let's just say it is a great food to change things up a bit in the kitchen. That's what I decided to do tonight and it was SO tasty that I jotted down all the ingredients I used. 

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

• 3/4 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter / margarine
• 1/2-3/4 tbs garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 lemon or lime, squeezed
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

Put shrimp in a medium mixing bowl and coat with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. Stir them around so they are all coated well. Season with sea salt and LOTS of fresh cracked pepper. LOTS - when you think you need to stop cracking, keep going a little bit longer - MIX! To make sure each shrimp is perfectly coated with our dry seasoning, we will add each ingredient at a time then mix together - i.e. Add in the garlic powder, mix. Add in the paprika, mix. Add in the onion powder, mix.

Make sure all shrimp are well coated

High heat - Put the 1 tbs of butter on a medium skillet until it melts. Add the shrimp to the skillet and disperse evenly so they cook evenly... Flip a couple times... Cook for ~10 minutes, until shrimp are opaque. The liquid from the ingredients+butter should be all gone by the time it is done cooking.
Serve with a side of your choice - tonight we had this with rice.

Once ready they should be slighlty crispy and golden

PS - Sauvignon Blanc goes perfect with this... the touch of sweetness accompanies the spicy black pepper very well.

Parmesan Crusted Asparagus

Sometimes I just need a green side dish other than salad. My favorite alternative is my Parmesan crusted asparagus. I have to say, I copied my mom's idea for these. The first time I tried asparagus as a kid she made them with breadcrumbs and parmigiano cheese on top, and I instantly fell in love.


I didn't know her recipe, but a few years ago I was craving them and decided to try to make it up myself by remembering the taste. It was a success! However, this is another one of my recipes that I don't measure - sorry!! You just need to eyeball it!!











Ingredients:

• A Bunch of Asparagus
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Grated
• Breadcrumbs
• EV Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Rinse the asparagus and pat dry. Snap off the hard ends (they will naturally snap where they need to be cut off). Lay flat in a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

 Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, and lots of garlic powder. Layer on lots of breadcrumbs; then drizzle on extra virgin olive oil. Finally, grate lots of parmigiano cheese all over. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes then switch oven to broil for another couple minutes to get a nice top crunch.

No measurements - but they should look something like this!

Penne with Pesto and Mozzerella!

My mother grows fresh basil in her backyard garden and every year the plants grow so much that we get to make lots and lots of pesto with it! Her trick is to make a big batch and freeze the sauce in ice cubes trays; defrost it when we want to eat it... this way it is already in small pieces and you will be able to use sparingly. So tonight called for some homemade pesto sauce. Once you have it frozen you can make a quick delicious meal in minutes.

Pesto: Makes one cup

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Other Ingredients: Serves 3-4

• 1 lb Penne
• 1 Small-medium ball of Fresh Mozzarella (about 3 tbs once cut), cubed
• 3 tbs Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pesto Sauce:

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.  Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor.

Preparation:

Boil the penne in salted water until al dente. Strain and add back into pot. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil so that it is well coated and sprinkle on some crushed red pepper. Turn on flame to low heat. Pour in the pesto sauce and mix well. Add in mozzarella and grated parm and mix until mozzarella is melted. Serve immediately with fresh grated parm on top!

Add in Mozzarella and Parm...

Combine all together...

Spaghetti con Pomodoro Fresco



Don't forget your spoon!

I could eat a bottomless bowl of this delicious spaghetti recipe. It's super quick and easy to make...using nothing but the freshest ingredients.


The stars of the show!

In all honesty, I started making this because grape tomatoes were on sale on Fresh Direct a while back, and I decided to buy them for the heck of it. They sat in the fridge for about two days until I decided to make a pasta sauce with them - go figure, the Italian in me comes out. Well, I hope you enjoy stuffing your face with this as much as I do!

Recommend Montepulciano vino to pair.


Ingredients: For Two

• 1 Pint of Grape/Cherry Tomatoes, cut into halves
• 2 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 4-5 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 Fresh Basil Leaves
• 4 tbs Parmigiano Reggiano, Grated
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Salt

Saute the garlic

Directions:

In a medium saute pan, warm olive oil with the garlic and crushed red pepper. In about 30 seconds toss in the tomatoes and stir all together.

Once it comes to a bubble, turn to low heat and place a lid on it and let simmer. After 5 minutes, add in the basil leaves and salt. Crush the tomatoes with your wooden spatula occasionally. In the mean time, boil spaghetti in salted water.

Once spaghetti is cooked al'dente, strain and toss into saute pan with tomatoes. You may notice the color of my spaghetti - it is whole grain. It gives an extra nutty flavor and texture that I enjoy - it's also healthier! Mix in the pasta so it is coated well with the sauce. Toss in the grated parmigiano cheese and mix in well again. From the minute you throw the tomatoes into the olive oil, it should take you 15 minutes to be done making the dish.

Mix in pasta with sauce for a couple minutes.

Serve with cracked pepper and additional parmigiano cheese on top!

Tilapia Filet Oreganata

It feels good to eat something light and healthy, yet so filling. I've been making this filet oreganata for a while now as my staple fish dish. It's pretty darn easy and takes less than 30 minutes from prep to finish. The oreganata preparation is a classic - named as such because of the OREGANO used.

Ingredients:

• 2 Filets of Tilapia/Sole
• 1 lemon
• Breadcrumbs
• Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cooking Spray

Directions:
Purchase fresh, thick cut filet of either tilapia (this is what I made tonight) or sole, and make sure to cook it within two days so it is nice and fresh. Rinse the fish with cold water and pat dry. Spray the bottom of a baking pan/sheet with cooking spray and place on the fish.

salt, pepper, garlic+onion powder, paprika, garlic pepper grinder

The dry rub: Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, garlic pepper grinder (I use this one http://www.mccormick.com/Products/Herbs-and-Spices/Grinders/Garlic-Pepper-Seasoning-Grinder.aspx).



Ready to go in the oven!



Next, sprinkle a generous amount of breadcrumbs on each filet. Top off with oregano.  I just eyeball it - Sorry, don't have measurements, but if you know what you're doing you will know how much to use. If not, I apologize - better luck next time. ;) Squeeze lemon on each filet: For 2 filets =squeeze 1/2 a lemon.  Spray cooking spray on top of breadcrumbs to moisten them a bit.

Broil for ~10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Fish should be white and flaky, breadcrumbs should be nice and toasty.

Serve with a lemon wedge to dress on top before devouring. Pair with a lovely chardonnay.

Rosemary Olive Oil for Dipping

Need a quick idea for a savory pre-dinner or side dish compliment? This takes less than 5 minutes to prepare - no cooking involved.

The best thing to pair with toasted bread is tasty olive oil. Infuse olive oil with fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of sea salt. The key to making it top notch is the olive oil. You need to invest in really good extra virgin olive oil - so tasty, thick, (and pricey) that you wouldn't use this to cook with, rather it is a garnishing olive oil.

http://www.anomalyvineyards.com/olive-oil.html

The olive oil I chose to use was Anomaly Vineyard's Olive Oil. We went to this vineyard to taste wine and have a private tour with the owner, and we walked out with this bottle of olive oil. This tiny vineyard in St. Helena, Napa Valley County grows olives in Italy and makes extra virgin olive, importing and selling it at their Napa Valley vineyard. I recommend stopping here to taste the fantastic wine/olive oil if you are ever in town!

Fried Baccala`

Fried Baccala` with Roasted Hot and Sweet Peppers

Baccala` is the Italian winter fish! It's a tradition for us Italians to make this around Christmas time and throughout the winter because way back when, they used to preserve the fish with salt before refrigeration. Nowadays we eat this as a delicacy!

Ingredients:

• Filet of Salt Cod
• Flour
• Canola Oil

Make sure to buy a tick, big filet of salt cod  - the whiter, the fresher. The thicker, the better.

Preparing the Baccala` - this takes a few days, so be patient!

Cut the Baccala` into pieces with a scissor, however big you want to serve/eat. Rinse and submerge in a big container with fresh water. Change the water 1-2 times per day, for about 3 days. It depends on the thickness of the fish - usually the center is thicker so those will need longer to dehydrate than the thinner end pieces. It may take you a few tries to get it to taste just right, slightly salty and fluffy.

Carefully place in frying pan

Once the baccala` is hydrated, give each piece a final rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat all sides of the baccala` in flour. In a large skillet, heat canola oil and gently place in the pieces of fish -The baccala` is so tender and delicate that it falls apart easily. Pan fry on each side for a few minutes, until golden. Once ready, place on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

Flip once golden

Serve immediately with a refreshing salad, vegetables, etc! Tonight we paired the baccala` with a salad of hot and sweet roasted peppers.

Spiceyyyy Nuts!

Today was the coldest day of this Winter season - and there is no better snack to settle down on the couch and watch TV than these spiceyyyyyyyyyyy, toasted nuts. The recipe isn't my own, even though I sort of wish I thought of it myself. Compliments go to Union Square Cafe - and a big shout out to Mama Aluce who introduced us to this!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb assorted unsalted nuts - i.e. peeled peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds
• 2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, melted or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm. Take a baggie to work the next day for a healthy snack!

Surf and Turf - Starting off the New Year Right!

Screw the Shrimp and NY Strip! My ultimate, favorite surf and turf combo is lobster tail and filet mignon. This has been a tradition on New Years Eve for me and my special boy for a few years..  The connection to all three components is GARLIC! Also, suggest a nice zinfandel to pair.

also served with the broccoli gratin previously posted

LOBSTER TAILS:

Ingredients:

2 8oz. Lobster Tails

1 Garlic Clove, diced

1.5 tbs Butter/Margarine

Paprika

Sea Salt

Cracked Pepper

Cut the lobster tails - there are two ways to cut the tail - straight down the top or the underneath. If you cut from the top it will be easier to eat/season but if you cut from the bottom it will capture more flavor. We've done both, but this New Years we cut it from the bottom... Try to separate the meat from the shell prior to seasoning so it is easier to pull apart when eating.

In a small frying pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and toss in 1 diced garlic clove on low heat. You want to slightly cook the garlic, but not burn it, that's why the low heat is key. Once it starts sizzling, turn off the flame. Double this if you are making the garlic mash below, because we will be using garlic butter again

You may need a second hand, that's why it is fun to do this as a couple. Spread apart the opening and sprinkle on Paprika, Cracked Pepper, and garlic/butter on each tail. Add salt if you are using unsalted butter.
Broil for 12-17 min, depending on lobster size/oven, until lobster turns white and fluffy. Keep an eye on it as to not over cook it, or else it will be tough and rubbery.



Prior to Broil

FILET MIGNON:

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Filets, cut 1.5" thick
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Cracked Pepper
• Olive Oil

let sit - get to room temp.

Out of refrigerator, coat each side with cracked pepper and sea salt. Leave aside for about 15-20 minutes, until meat is room temperature. This will allow steaks have a warm center for a medium-rare cook.

On the same skillet you used to heat up the garlic/butter for the lobster and garlic mash (this gives a subtle garlic/butter taste to the steaks), add in olive oil and heat until VERY HOT!!! The heat on the oil is key... Place steaks on skillet, cook for 4 minutes on each side.  This will serve you the perfect medium rare, if you need a well-done steak finish cooking in oven (using an iron skillet of course) . Take off heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes before serving.

GARLIC MASH:

Ingredients:

• 2 Russet Potatoes
• 1 Garlic Clove, diced
• 2 tbs Butter
• 1 tbs Cream Cheese
• Salt
• Cracked Pepper

Skin on, cut each potato into equal 8ths. Boil in salted water until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes - the smaller the pieces, the quicker the boil.

WHIP!

Strain and add back in pot. Add the same garlic/butter combo (1 diced clove, 1 tbs butter heated) you used for the lobster, with 1 additional tbs of butter, cream cheese, cracked pepper.

Whip with an electric mixer (or mash manually), leaving some chunks of potatoes.

a dollop of butter gives a great touch