Duck Proscuitto, Caramelized Onion Chutney & Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Its the mostttt wonderful timeee of the yearrrr!

I don't know about all of you but I am SO EXCITED for Christmas.  Anyone that knows me would tell you what an insane Christmas nutcase I am.  My tree is up as soon as socially acceptable (some time very soon after Halloween), my Christmas shopping has been done for weeks, and 98.1 Christmas station has been playing in my car since mid November.  As Christmas morning lurks around the corner, I am finding myself already dreaming about hubs and my traditional xmas morning breakfast.  A little lemon ricotta pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and syrup.  The best part? I get to sit and play with my new presents like a toddler while hubs makes this merry morning feast.  Since I still have a few more days to go, I decided to share another hubby special recipe that he whipped up for me one not-so-jolly aka hungover Sunday morning.  This savoury, sweet, melty, indulgent, gourmet treat is an absolute must try. It's simply sinful.  yum. yum. yum.

Ingredients: Makes 1 Sammy
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 slices French Bread (sliced 1 inch thick)
100g Keens Cheddar (a la village cheesemonger) shaved/crumbled pieces
70g thinly sliced duck prosciutto (a la village cheesemonger)
1 tbsp Killer Condiments Caramelized Onion Chutney (a la village cheesemonger)
Special Kitchen Gadget: Panini Press

Butter both sides of both pieces of bread.  Layer the caramelized onion chutney on first.  Add the cheddar, then the duck prosciutto and add the second slice of buttered bread.

Using a panini press set at 350, heat the sammy until golden brown on the outside and melty cheesy on the inside!

Optional:  Grate some extra cheese on top and bake in the oven for another couple minutes until top cheese melts for an extra cheesy time.

Serve & Enjoy!

xo Chef Natty

The Perfect Veal Parm in a Pan

Happy 12 days before Christmas to my lovely bloggie readers!  As I am sure most of you are getting ready for the holidays with an abundance of gift wrapping, shortbread making, credit card maxing fun - I wanted to share another fantastic recipe to take into the holidays.  I have blogged a baked version of veal parmesan in the past, so this is another variation on a fun filled favorite of mine.  This one is particularly flavorful, juicy and tender - getting tomato sauce into every nook and cranny of each piece of veal and melting the cheese oh so perfectly that it's almost too beautiful to eat..... almost.

Ingredients (serves 4 IF served with a side of pasta - if not - serves 2)
4 veal cutlets (pounded down to 1/8 inch)
Salt
Pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
EVOO
1 cup chopped spanish onion
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 28oz can san marzano tomatoes
1 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh oregano
2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated parmesan

Lightly season the veal on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl or plate and place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.   Beat the eggs and milk together in another shallow bowl.

Dredge the flattened veal chops in the flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg mixture and then coat both sides with the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a heavy large, skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the veal until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate.

 

Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO and the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the puree, the basil, parsley and oregano. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Arrange the cooked veal cutlets on top of the sauce, spooning sauce over each one. Top  each with a sprinkling of parmesan and mozzarella. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the veal is tender and the cheese melts, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

 xo Chef Natty

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine

Tuesday Bluesday.  Is it just me or does it feel like night time 24/7 these days?  This grey sky hasn't moved in what seems like weeks and weeks and I am not a fan.

The only positive this weather does bring out, is the urge to create some comfort food favorites in the kitchen.  Coming out of yet another weekend of way too much eating, this chicken recipe is the perfect combo of vitamins, flavor and booze - all in one dish.  Mushrooms, chicken and white wine are my new favorite combo.  Pair it up with a simple herbed rice or a side salad and you've got a perfect weeknight meal.

Ingredients:(serves 4)
4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
EVOO
3 heaping handfuls of sliced cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 shallots (minced)
2 garlic cloved (chopped)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp unsalted butter

Place your chicken breasts in between two large sheets of saran wrap and then - using a meat tenderizer- pound them down until they are about 1 inch thick.

On a plate, combine your flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and set aside.

In a large pan, heat up 1/4 cup of EVOO over medium heat and then add your chicken breasts.  Cook until both sides are slightly golden and the meat is white and juicy.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a separate medium pan, heat up 2 tbsp's of your butter and add the mushrooms (try not to crowd the mushrooms or else they will not brown).  Cook them until they are golden brown.  Salt and pepper them at the end and then set aside.

In the same pan you used for the chicken, add another tbsp of EVOO along with the shallots and garlic.  Cook for 1 minute until fragrant and then add your white wine to deglaze the pan.  Scraping up all the bits with a wooden spoon.  Bring the heat up to medium high and reduce by half, add your chicken stock and reduce again by another third.  Add your final tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  If the sauce is still too thin you can lightly sift in 1-2 tsps of flour to thicken.

Add your mushrooms and chicken back to the pan and warm on low for 2 minutes.

Serve immediately & enjoy!

xo Chef Natty

Seafood Linguine with Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach

Almost 5:00 on a Thursday.  I suspect many of you are at work, starring at the digital clock on your computers, waiting for the day to end.  Allow me to provide you with a little culinary snack (a reading snack of course - until they discover how to transport pasta via computers) to get your through the rest of the day - and maybe even inspire a weekend dish.

I made this dish last week on a whim and ended up creating a fantastically fresh and delicious meal.  As per hubs request - he had a carb craving but didn't want to totally dive into a total indulgence - so instead he requested a "healthy pasta" for dinner.  I decided a little roasted tomato, garlic, onion, spinach, scallop, shrimp combo was just the ticket for this mid-week mini-indulgence.  Extra special because I know for many, a quickly prepared dish sometimes takes precedence over taste - luckily this baby's got both.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
350g fresh linguine (easily found at your local grocer)
3 heaping handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 Spanish onion
6-8 garlic cloves (minced)
4 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
2-4 large shrimp
2-4 scallops
EVOO
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350.  Put your tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss very lightly with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Roast in the oven until the skin starts to blister. Remove and set aside

In a large pan, cook your onions and garlic on medium heat with a couple table spoons of EVOO until soft - about 5-6 minutes.  Add your spinach.  Once the spinach is wilted, turn down the heat to low and season with salt and pepper. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

While the water in boiling, salt and pepper the shrimp and scallops on both sides.  Melt your butter in a small pan over medium/high heat and then add the shrimp and scallops.  Cook for a couple of minutes per side (the shrimp are done once the flesh is all pink and may be done a tad sooner than the scallops).  The scallops should be cooked for about 2-3 minutes per side.  Do not move the scallops around to allow a nice golden crust to develop.

Once the pasta is cooked, strain and add to the pan with your onion mixture. Add the tomatoes and the parsley and give everything a good toss - adding a touch more olive oil if needed.

Plate the pasta and top with your scallops and shrimp.

Serve & Enjoy!

xo Chef Natty