Easy Chicken Marbella

By: The Food Hunter

Chicken Marbella is a classic 1970's recipe Mediterranean inspired chicken recipe. The original recipe requires marinating the chicken overnight. Since I seem to always forget this step until it is too late I can attest that the chicken turns out perfectly without being marinated. It is moist, juicy and extremely tasty. 

Give it a try!

 

 

Chicken Marbella
(adapted from Silver Palate)
serves 10-12

1 whole chicken
1 head of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup capers, rinsed
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. 

Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pans and spoon above mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting with pan juices, periodically.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley.

Hazelnut Espresso Martini

By: The Food Hunter

Yes, I am a huge fan of the shaken not stirred martini and although I don't typically stray away from the traditional Martini Cocktail I can most certainly appreciate other varieties.  Take for example the Hazelnut Espresso Martini recipe below. This cocktail brings together vodka, espresso and Frangelico, an intense hazelnut liquor. The combination of flavors takes the classic cocktail to a new level of sophistication. 

For more cocktail ideas:  amzn.to/3ID1Yzu

 

Hazelnut Espresso Martini

 

0.5 parts Frangelico

1 part SKYY Vodka

1.5 parts Cold Brew or Espresso

0.25 parts Simple Syrup

 

Pour over ice, shake, and strain into a coupe or martini glass.
Garnish with 3 whole espresso beans (optional).

 

 By: The Food Hunter

Although every Italian family has their own version of bolognese—or as locals call it, ragu alla bolognese—most will agree a well-made recipe includes not only beef, pork and veal, but also thin slices of local mortadella. The hearty meat sauce is slowly simmered for hours and finished with milk or cream before serving over pasta. The perfect vehicle for bolognese sauce is handmade long egg noodles known as tagliatelle. Tagliatelle is best suited for this rich meat sauce due to its flat rough texture, but any good quality pasta shape will do.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots, peeled & finely chopped
• 2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced parsley
• 1 Lb ground beef
• 1 Lb ground pork
• 1 Lb ground veal
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz thinly sliced mortadella, cut into julienne
• 1 lb pasta

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle, stir in the garlic, carrots, celery, onion and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes, or until they are softened and golden.

2. Add the beef, pork and veal and mix well, using a wooden spoon to break up the meats. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the meat turns a deep brown and is crumbly but still tender and not at all hard. This will take about an hour or slightly longer.

3. When the meat is ready, raise the heat to medium, stir in the sine, and mix for a few minutes, until the wine evaporates. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the nutmeg and stir in the milk. Cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until most of the milk has been absorbed.

5. In a small bowl, dilute the tomato paste with a splash of the beef broth and add to the sauce. Mix well and add the remaining broth. Cover partially, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer slowly for 2 hours or more, or until it is very thick and all of the vegetables have more or less melted into the sauce.

6. Stir in the cream and the mortadella and cook at a gentle simmer until heated through.

7. Serve over pasta

 

 

Baked Veal Chop Parmesan

By: The Food Hunter

Although I love all parmesan-style foods, I also try to eat super healthy 90% of the time. For me, that equates to avoiding deep fried foods. With this parmesan veal chop recipe, you bake the veal chops (instead of frying them), then top with melted mozzarella cheese, for a lightened-up twist on the classic veal parmesan. There’s also no sugary tomato sauce involved, so it’s healthier in that way, too.

You can have a delicious and healthy veal parm-ish dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, with very minimal prep and only a few simple ingredients.

 

 Baked Veal Chop Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 veal loin chops
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Italian parsley
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper {optional}
• salt
• 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl combine olive oil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, Italian parsley and crushed red pepper and stir. Add a dash of salt.

2. Place the veal chops on a large cutting board and brush the olive oil and herb mixture on both sides of the chops.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in an oven safe large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes. Add the veal chops and let them brown on one side for 2 minutes, flip and brown the other side for 2 minutes.

5. Place the skillet with the veal chops into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 160 degree F.

6. During the last couple of minutes of cooking add the mozzarella cheese and let it melt.

7. Serve with your favorite side dish.

 

 By: The Food Hunter

Veal Saltimbocca is traditional Italian dish served at just about every trattoria in Rome and features three ingredients: veal, thinly sliced prosciutto and fresh sage leaves.

To make Veal Saltimbocca, veal cutlets are pounded thin, topped with prosciutto and a fresh sage leaf, dredged in flour and fried. The pan is then deglazed with wine and butter to create a decadent sauce.

One thing to keep in mind is the importance of using thin veal cutlets. If you can’t find them in your local grocery you can always order them from Marx Foods. Thick-cut boneless veal chops are also an option as long as you remember to pound them thin. This guarantees tenderness and creates an even thickness for cooking.

 

Veal Saltimbocca

Ingredients

• 4 (2-oz.) veal cutlets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 thin slices of prosciutto
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 8 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1⁄4 cup marsala
• ½ cup chicken stock

Directions

1. Lightly season veal with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto atop each piece of veal, gently pressing prosciutto against veal to adhere. Place a sage leaf on top of the prosciutto and attach them to the veal with toothpicks. Place the flour on a large plate. Dredge each piece of veal in the flour, shake off any excess, and set aside.

3. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high. Add 2 pieces of veal and cook, turning once, until the prosciutto side is crisp and the veal side is lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate; drain and discard the oil and butter from the skillet. Repeat this process with more oil, butter, and the remaining meat. Remove and discard the toothpicks.

4. Drain and discard the oil and butter from the skillet; place over high heat. Add the marsala; cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 1–2 minutes. Add the stock; reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoons of butter; reduce heat to medium. Return meat to skillet; cook, turning occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.