I've got a whole meal cooking for you today.  You are going to utilize that nifty meat mallet again.  One of the great things about this meal is you can tailor it to your comfort level,  even if you are working full time.  The garlic butter is the recipe I used at the restaurant and the customers raved about our garlic toast.  I've got lots of hints at the end for making this quick and easy.

Veal Parmesan

5 thin pieces of Veal leg scallopini  (if you don't like veal use those sliced boneless pork cutlets, or even chicken)

1 egg

2 Tbsp. Milk

2 C. bread crumbs 

Use your meat mallet to pound the veal or pork very thin, under 1/4 inch.  Chicken about 1/2 in thick.

Beat the egg and milk in a shallow dish.

Put the bread crumbs on a paper plate or a large piece of wax paper.  This way you can throw whats left of the crumbs straight into the trash.  If you are using plain crumbs sprinkle a bit of garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in and stir.  You can also use the Italian crumbs and skip the extras.

Dip your pounded meat into the egg mixture, then place in the crumbs and cover meat thoroughly with the crumbs.  Set on another paper plate and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Garlic Butter

1 stick of Butter softened

1 stick of Margarine softened

1 1/2 tsp. oregano

1 1/2 tsp. parsley

1 1/2 tsp. cheese (Romano, Parmesan, or even Asiago)

1 1/4 tsp. basil

2 Tbsp. Crushed Garlic (if you don't have fresh you can also use 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1 1/4 tsp. dry granulated garlic re hydrated with 1 1/2 tsp. of water)

1 loaf of crusty French or Italian bread cut slightly diagonal in generous 1 inch slices

Mix all of the butter and spices in a small bowl.  While soft, put a light layer on each cut side of the bread.  Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and set aside for later.

For Sauce, Spaghetti and Salad

1 quart jar of spaghetti sauce I'm still using my #10 cans from the restaurant which is impractical for sharing since most people don't buy or cook in that quantity.  There are some very good commercial brands on the market that you can doctor with a little extra garlic, basil, onions and mushrooms if you were inclined to personalize your creation.  Simmer whatever you choose in a sauce pan on low.

Boil a large pot of water with a couple shakes of salt.  Add the pasta of your choice and boil until al dente (just till done, not crunchy inside but not mushy either), follow manufacturer's directions.  Stirring occasionally.  Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water.  When drained, toss pasta with 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil  (soybean or canola works well, just don't use olive oil here).  Set aside.

I'm not giving directions for salad here.  I like to use the premixed bags from the grocery then add things like onions and olives, etc.  You know what you like.  Do it up.

Now that you have everything prepared, it's time to cook and assemble.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  When it is preheated put your garlic toast in.  About 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  You could do this in a toaster oven on foil but pay attention to the time.  If you have a large flat bottomed pan you can grille it on the stove top.  When done transfer to a basket or bowl with something to cover it to keep it warm.  A clean napkin works well

Once you have put the garlic toast in the oven, heat a large preferably nonstick fry pan on medium high heat.  When hot (2-3 minutes) add enough olive oil to the pan to cover the bottom about 1/8 inch.  Swirl the oil around the hot pan until it ripples.  This means its hot and ready to go.  (don't let it smoke, that's too hot)  Lay your breaded veal or pork into the hot oil and cook until light brown on each side.  1 to 2 minutes per side.  If you are doing chicken use a little less heat and cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  When done transfer meat to a plate with paper towels to drain.  Are you checking the garlic toast???  Did you turn it over yet?  (I'm not yelling, just reminding you to check the toast.  This is usually where I forget about it and I don't like mine real burnt)

Put a handful of pasta on your plate and microwave about 30 seconds.   When pasta is hot, add a piece of meat to your plate and spoon spaghetti sauce over pasta and meat.  Sprinkle with cheese, dress your salad, and don't forget the garlic toast.

I know you are thinking this is so complicated.  But it's not.  Remember your comfort level here.  I'm a full time worker so I know how to cut some corners.  If you still find that every thing beyond the jar of sauce and the bag of salad is just too much.  You can get the frozen garlic loaves at the grocery that are pretty good.  You can get the cheese already grated and shredded in bags and deli containers.  They even make the meats precooked so you can just heat them in the microwave or oven.  Relax and have yourself a nice meal.

The other great thing about this meal is that it freezes well (except the salad, don't go there).  If you looked at some of the pictures and thought this is enough to feed an army.  You are partly right.  I make extra for those nights I don't feel like making a big meal.  Here are some hints for having stuff on hand for the busy nights.

After you bread the meat, you can freeze it in layers in a plastic container with double layers of wax paper between them.  That way when you want something fresh but not real complicated, take it out frozen, place it on a plate, microwave on defrost until just pliable (1 or 2 minutes) and pan fry as above.

The garlic butter can be frozen in a Ziploc bag.  Just break off as much as you need and soften in the microwave.  Same with the spaghetti sauce.

You can freeze the bread but it doesn't stay fresh tasting in the freezer for more than a few weeks.  Best to pick some up while you are grabbing a bag of salad at the grocery.

If you made extra pasta and tossed it with the vegetable oil,  throw that into a Ziploc in serving sizes and freeze it.  Then microwave the pasta in the bag (slightly opened, no exploding here) for a couple minutes till hot.  Throw into a bowl and cover with the sauce of your choice.

Improvise.  Have fun.  Eat well.  As life is an adventure, so is cooking.

tags: food  eat  veal  pork  chicken  pasta  spaghetti  garlic  toast  salad  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit