Veal Milanese

1 veal chop per person pounded thin (or use the veal made for scallopini)
(I have also used pork and chicken making this dish)
2 ripe tomatoes chopped coarsely
3 cups baby arugula, torn or chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 chopped red pepper
1-2T good extra virgin olive oil
1t balsamic vinegar
sprinkle of dried garlic either granules or chunks
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper

brush a small amount of olive oil on both sides of the veal. Sprinkle with the garlic and some salt and pepper.

Chop tomatoes, arugula and red pepper and place in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with tongs, set aside.

Heat grill pan or large skillet, add veal. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, flipping once. Make sure it is not still pink inside.

Put veal on individual plates, top with salad. Serve with a nice wine and fresh bread.

Home Made Calzones (Inside Out Pizza)

This one is easy and tasty

Use frozen bread dough and defrost according to the package directions. (You will use the dough for one loaf to make one calzone.)

Oil a cookie sheet that has sides. Preheat your oven to 350.

Place dough on cookie sheet and spread out with your fingers until it fits the inside shape of the cookie sheet. Spread about 1/2 cup of prepared pasta sauce on half the dough making sure to leave a 1/2 inch space at the edge of the dough for sealing. (use the horizontal side) Layer your choice of ingredients on top of the sauce. Tonight I used leftover ham, salami, fresh mozzarella cut in small chunks and sprinkled on top, another layer of salami, some shredded mozzarella, and then I sauteed about a cup of sliced mushrooms, half an onion, and half a red pepper. That went on top. Fold over the dough and seal the edges well. I roll it a bit and crimp it down.

Put in the oven for 30 minutes. Then brush on about a teaspoon olive oil, a sprinkle of coarse salt and some garlic chips or garlic powder. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and let stand for about 10 minutes if you can wait that long.

You could use any number of fillings for this, all veggie, sausage and other cheeses....it's a great way to use up little bits of stuff in the fridge.

Chili con Easy

Yesterday, I did the homemade chili. It's really an easy dish that you can have the ingredients in the pantry.

Start with about 2 lbs of lean ground beef and brown it in the bottom of a large kettle. Make sure to break it up small. Add about one medium onion diced and cook until the meat is cooked, and the onion is translucent. Now it is time to start opening some cans. I put in 2 cans of undrained diced tomatoes (28oz size). Add about 4 cans of beans (the smaller ones) I use kidney, pinto, black, whatever I have on hand (use more if you like) Add a can of the black bean soup from Goya. Add about 1/2 jar of salsa (I usually find the old one in the back of the fridge that needs to be used.) 3 T chili powder and 3T cumin. A few good shakes of garlic powder. Then let it simmer for about an hour. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Now what to do with this lovely. I like putting this over mescalin mix in a bowl like taco salad. Take some corn tortillas and cut into strips and bake them in the oven until crispy and sprinkle over the top. You can also use this as a filling for some great burritos. Or put over tortilla chips for the base of some great nachos...And you can just stick it in a bowl with some grated cheddar and chopped raw onions and a scoop of sour cream. Yum Yum.