I’m not a Chef, but…(Installment 6)

Don’t Cutlet Me Down

Pan seared veal cutlets with sautéed mushrooms and squash tossed with angel hair pasta in a pan sauce reduction.

Boil some angel hair pasta until al dente, strain and reserve.

Dice some squash and mushrooms into bite size pieces and reserve.

Salt and pepper each side of the veal cutlets and dust them in flour. It’s best to keep one hand clean and the other handling the raw meat, so you do not cross contaminate.  Shake the cutlets free of any excess flour.

Saute the cutlets in a stainless steel pan on the stove top in butter and olive oil on medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes each side.  Do not over crowd the pan. As you finish each round of cutlets, place them on a pan in the oven at 250 degrees to keep warm. Once you’re finished with the cutlets, pour out any excess oil.  Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of chicken stock, scraping the burnt bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.

As the pan sauce is reducing to desired consistency, quickly sauté the mushrooms and squash in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil, about 3-4 minutes on medium high heat.  Add the pasta and the pan sauce, toss to incorporate and plate.  Set cutlets on top and serve.  Enjoy.

I’m not a Chef, but…(Installment 5)

I really just wanted something delicious and easy, so I could enjoy a night on the front porch drinking on some Pinot Noir. Without investing too much time or thought, I decided on a Grilled Rib Eye Sandwich on an English Muffin with some Baby Arugula and Melted Fontina Cheese.  For fun, and to make myself feel a little healthier, grill some Broccolini because you can never enjoy enough vegetables.

Start by firing up some charcoal and getting your grill really hot heat.  I actually didn’t start with enough charcoal, so I added some more before I started cooking. Kosher salt and black pepper each side of the rib eye and allow it to come up to room temperature for about 30-40 minutes.  This is almost exactly how long it will take for the coals to get ready. It’s like they were made for each other.

Sear each side of the rib eye for about 6-7 minutes, being careful to avoid any major flare ups. Remove the steak from the grill and set aside to rest for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast your English muffins for a few minutes on each side in an indirect heat while grilling your Broccolini in a direct heat.  Both of these should only take about 5-7 minutes depending of your preference of doneness.

To build your sandwich, thinly slice the rib eye, grate some fontina cheese on top and add the arugula.  If you prefer your cheese melted, simply return that half of the sandwich to the grill for a few minutes.