Veal Stew with Potatoes

Hearty, fork-tender veal stew with potatoes and other veggies.

Perfect one-dish dinner for these chilly and rainy fall days!

Here is an authentic Italian recipe for an unbelievably tender and savory veal stew with potatoes. It's a one-dish meal perfect for a cozy family dinner. You can serve it with a big green salad on the side, if you like. Or simply with a slice of your favorite bread.
This recipe is easy and approachable for everyone. It's made using few, simple, wholesome ingredients. No crazy ingredients or too many spices. Just the mouth-watering aroma of the rosemary makes this stew fragrant and delicious.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 4-5 sage leaves
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1.5 lb (680 gr) of veal (2 shoulder chops)
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 qt (950 ml) vegetable broth (I used Trader Joe's organic, low sodium)
• 3 medium potatoes, about 1 lb (450 gr)
• salt

Preparation time: 10 minutes to prepare, about 90 minutes to cook
Directions:
1. In a large pan, saute' the chopped onion and carrot, with the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and the sage.

2. Add the meat cut in pieces to the pan and cook for a few minutes, turning the meat around until most of the pink is gone.

3. Stir in the flour, and add the broth. As soon as the broth starts to boil, reduce the flame to medium-low, cover the pan and cook for about one hour. Check and stir once in a while.

4. Peel and cut the potatoes in cubes and add to the pan. Cook for about 30 minutes covered, or until the potatoes are soft. Add more broth or water if necessary. Salt to taste.

5. Serve hot with a few slices of French or Italian bread, and a green salad if you'd like.

Buon appetito!

Veal Ossobuco alla Milanese

Classic Italian Ossobuco alla Milanese: incredibly tender veal shanks braised in white wine. 

Delicious!

This is a classic Italian dish, traditional from Milan, that you probably find in most Italian restaurants, and one of my favorite secondo piatto for a fancy dinner or a special occasion.
"Ossobuco" translates into "bone with a hole", referring to the way the veal shanks are cross-cut into 1 inch thick slices, so that the bone marrow is visible ... and delicious to eat!
If ossobuco is one of your must-have choice at your favorite Italian restaurant, you will now find out with this step-by-step recipe, that you can easily prepare it at home. You braise the meat with some vegetables and white wine, and cook it for about one hour.Very little effort required!!
 Enjoy!!

Ingredients: serving 4 people

• 4 veal ossobuchi (shanks), about 2 lb total
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 large onion (or 1 small)
• 1 carrot
• 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes
• salt to taste

Preparation time: 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour to cook

Directions:
Step 1: In a large pan, over medium-high heat cook the ossobuchi in the olive oil, about 2 minutes each side.

Step 2: In the meantime, chop the onion and carrots. Add them to the pan, mix and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or so.

Step 3: Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Add the white wine and the crushed tomatoes. Salt to taste.
Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 50 minutes. Turn the meat over once or twice. Make sure there is always liquid in the pan, not to burn everything. Add a little bit of water if necessary.

Serve with a salad, or other vegetable.

Buon Appetito!

Old-fashioned Veal Stew

Warm and comforting, fork-tender veal stew.

For tonight, a simple, old-fashioned veal stew filled with lots of flavor. Perfect for these warm Californian summer days... well, not really!! But, around here, if I have to wait for chilly nights to cook a stew for dinner, it might never happen.
Since I moved to sunny Southern California, I don't pay attention to the weather when cooking. Back in Italy you have meals that are season appropriate. Fresh and light in the summer. Hearty, spicy and warm in winter. Here, not so much! But it makes sense. With an average yearly temperature of  65 degrees it's hard to do. So when I'm in the mood for stew, and it's 80 degrees outside, I make stew! And enjoy it :-)
As you probably noticed from all my posts, I'm not a big meat eater. But once in a while it's great to have some tender veal, cooked with delicious tomatoes, sweet carrots and, of course, some Italian white wine!
Make sure to always have a cheap bottle of wine in the refrigerator to use for cooking. I bought mine at Trader Joe's this morning for less than $4. And guess what?!? The cashier asked me for my ID! That really made my day :-)
Here is the recipe for you!

Ingredients: Serving about 4

• half onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• around 2 lb of veal, I bought shoulder chops which I cut in pieces
• 5-6 leaves of fresh sage
• 14 or so small carrots
• 1 cup of crushed tomatoes (canned is fine)
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• salt to taste

Preparation Time: 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook

Directions:
Step 1: In a large pan, saute' the chopped onion in the olive oil.

Step 2: Add the meat, carrots, sage, crushed tomatoes, white wine and half cup of water to the pan. Cook over medium-high flame until boiling.

Step 3: Season with salt, cover and simmer over medium heat for about one hour and 15 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked. Check and stir every once in a while, adding some water if the sauce gets too dry. Simple, right?

Buon Appetito!