March 17, 2013 - Veal Scallopini

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  "I thought you were cooking something for St. Patrick's Day."  I hear it now.  Unfortunately, we just couldn't find any fabulous Irish recipes (besides last year's) that was blog worthy.  (And we are NOT fans of corned beef and cabbage.)  So... sorry, all!  Feel free to send us your favorite Irish recipe and we'll give it a shot.  Instead, veal scallopini was on sale at Stew's, so there you go.

Side note - we had a HUGE amount of hits on last year's Irish menu... if you did end up making any of those dishes, please comment or email us and let us know how they turned out!!!

Second side note - we had a few hits from Iraq over the last week.  That's a first for us.  I'm assuming they are from soldiers.  If you did visit us.. thank you for everything you do every day.

 

 

Cocktail - Mango Pomegranate Madness

 

 

Pureed mango, POM mango-pomegranate juice, vodka, mango rum.  Yup.  And it was good!

 

 

Appetizer - Cauliflower Souffle with Brown Butter

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-Souffle-with-Brown-Butter-242305

 

 

I told you this one was coming!!!  Delicious!  Other reviews had sad it was slightly bland, so we kicked it up a notch and added about 1/4c parmesan cheese to the cauliflower mixture and almost doubled the cauliflower.  Great texture, great flavor, and a divine way to make people eat their vegetables!

 

 

Appetizer Wine - ? Chateau de Nages Costieres de Nimes Blanc Vieilles Vignes

 

 

Yeah, I forgot to include the year in the picture and now the bottle is in recycling, so we have no clue which vintage this was.  Regardless, a tasty French white.  Lots of melon, peach, and apricot with a lingering buttery finish. 

 

 

Entree - Cornmeal Crusted Veal Scallopini with Pepper Jelly Relish

 

http://www.vealrecipes.com/cornmeal-crusted-veal-scallopini/

 

 

Wow.  Okay, let's take this step by step.  First off, just make the relish in advance and let it hang out.  Cornmeal crust is super easy.  Use a nonstick skillet.  You're done.  (Do not skip the flour step... this is a critical step ANYTIME you make something with breading... it ensures the egg adheres to the meat, and therefore the crispy crumbs stick better.)  The veal itself was ok.  I mean, it's just cornmeal and parmesan.  However, the relish was insane!  I'd put that on tortilla chips!  (Side note - perhaps over bruschetta???)  Make this just for the relish!

 

 

Side Dish - Swiss Chard with Roasted Garlic

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/swiss-chard-with-roasted-garlic-recipe/index.html

 

 

This is a foolproof recipe!  Roast the garlic in advance.  Use drained canned petite diced tomatoes, and we subbed 1 jalapeno for the serranos.  Also, cook time is almost half of what the recipe stated.  Swiss chard is bitter, though!  So while it matched perfectly with the sweetness of the red pepper jelly, I would recommend you make it with dishes that have a sweet aspect to them.

 

 

Side Dish - Mashed Cauliflower

 

 

So we were looking for a creamy side dish, and I hadn't been able to find polenta at the grocery store.  In a pinch, we boiled up the leftover cauliflower from the appetizer, smashed it with milk and garlic, and wham!  FYI - you would never know this was cauliflower.  I bet if you serve it to someone they would think it's potatoes.  Trust me.

 

 

Final Plate

 

 

 

Entree Wine - 2009 Domaine de la Renjard Cotes du Rhone

 

 

A lighter red with great flavors of plum and red berries.  Easy to drink and a great "everyday wine".

 

 

Dessert - White Russian Cupcakes

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-russian-cupcake-recipe/index.html

 

 

See?!?!  Irish butter cream!  We didn't disappoint... haha.  Jennifer was all over these, and mastered these fabulous cupcakes!  Delicious, decadent, and a great way to top off a lovely meal.

 

 

Okay, next week is SPECIAL!  Chef Glenn has agreed to sit at the table and leave the cooking to us!  So he picked his "special ingredient" (hint.. it's almost too easy that the meal planning is now harder), and we are going to prepare a feast!

 

 

Next Week - Special Guest