Italian Comfort Food, Meatloaf, on Budget
When you think of Italian comfort food, do you think of - meatloaf?
Atlantic City chef Stephen Kalt sure does - and it's definitely not your mother's meatloaf!
Kalt is executive chef and a partner of the newly-opened Fornelletto restaurant in the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. His specialty is the cuisine of Southern Italy - and you don't have to be a high-roller to enjoy it!
He accepted "The Early Show Saturday Edition" 's "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge of whipping up a three-course meal for four on a budget of only $40.
And in so doing, he automatically threw his chef's hat into our "How Low Can You Go" competition. The "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients total at year's-end will be invited back to prepare our big holiday blowout feast.
He put a new twist on the meatball's bigger cousin!
MENU
Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup - In Italian "Ribollita"
Meatloaf with Whipped Potatoes & Creamed Spinach
Bread Pudding with Figs
FOOD FACTS
Ribollita: The word ribollita means "twice boiled," referring to the fact that this Tuscan soup was originally simply leftover minestrone, reheated the next day and mixed with chunks of bread. But today this rich, thick soup is much more than "leftovers." Slices or chunks of garlic-rubbed bread can be layered either with minestrone, but also simply with chicken broth, parmesan cheese and cooked vegetables and white beans. The entire mixture is baked until bubbly hot, then served with a drizzle of olive oil. (Source: "Food Lover's Companion")
Bread Pudding: A simple baked dessert made with cubes or slices of bread saturated with a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and spices. Chopped fruit or nuts also can be added. Bread pudding can be served hot or cold with cream or a dessert sauce.
RECIPES
Hearty Vegetable Soup (Ribollita)
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped fresh kale
1 cup chopped savoy cabbage (or other green cabbage)
1 cup peeled and diced carrot
1 cup peeled and diced parsnip
1 cup peeled and diced Spanish or white onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped green beans
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 large can plum tomatoes (remainder to be used in meatloaf recipe)
1 small can canellini beans or other white beans
1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional)
1 fresh rosemary stalk (optional)
4 slices French baguette or other similar (remaining to be used in pudding recipe)
4 large eggs (others to be used in pudding)
4 cups water
¼ cup white or apple vinegar
2 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Salt
Options: butternut squash, zucchini, fennel bulb, celery root, leek
METHOD:
Place all of the vegetables, the chopped garlic, and the tomatoes into a heavy casserole or stock pot with one tablespoon of salt and enough water to cover. Add one tablespoon of fennel seeds (optional). Bring the vegetables to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes.
Strain the small can of beans and add the beans to the soup. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. The vegetables should be very tender and only slightly brothy. If it is too thick, add a few ounces of additional water. Taste for salt and pepper. Soak a fresh rosemary stalk in the soup (optional).
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a reasonably wide sauce pan. Break the eggs into four separate bowls or coffee cups. Add the vinegar to the water along with one tablespoon of salt. The water should be at a mild boil.
In four deep soup bowls, ladle equal amounts of the finished soup. Place a slice of bread into each bowl of soup.
Drop the raw eggs evenly spaced into the poaching liquid. Using a slotted spoon, gently coral the eggs and allow them to cook for approximately 1 ½-two minutes. Remove the eggs one at a time a place one each on top of the soaked bread in each soup bowl. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of parmigiano onto the soup.
FOR MORE RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.
Florentine Meatloaf with Creamed Spinach and Whipped Potatoes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
For the Meatloaf
1-1/2 pounds fresh ground chuck or other ground beef (feel free to add some ground pork if you prefer)
1 small onion
3/4 cup water
1 small clove garlic
1 Tablespoon. kosher salt (or other)
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1/2 can plum tomatoes
1 cup breadcrumbs
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
Blend the onion, garlic, and water together at a high speed until pureed. If you don't have a blender, grate the onion and garlic on a fine grater and mix with the water.
Strain the plum tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes finely and season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, the pureed onions, garlic, and water, the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and incorporate well. The mixture should have a reasonably soft, springy feeling. It should not be too firm. It will firm up in the oven.
Place the meat mixture into a bread pan or similar sized baking dish. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly onto the meatloaf. Place that baking dish into a larger baking dish with 2-3 inch sides. Place the pans on a middle rack in the oven and add about an inch of water to the larger pan. Bake the meatloaf for approximately 45 minutes.
If you don't have the second pan, place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven. If you don't have any kind of loaf or baking pan, mold the meat onto a cookie sheet with sides and bake. DO NOT BAKE THE MEATLOAF ON A NON-SIDED COOKIE SHEET UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature.
Creamed Spinach
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
Either 4 bunches of spinach, stems trimmed, leaves cleaned by submerging in a bath of cold water OR 2 large bags of cleaned spinach OR 2-3 boxes of frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or other
Pepper
METHOD:
Place a large sauce pot or skillet over a medium flame. Press the cleaned spinach into the heated pot with the salt and 2 ounces of water. Raise the temperature and allow the spinach to wilt, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the spinach to a strainer and allow the spinach to cool. Squeeze or press the spinach to remove as much water as possible.
In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk them together and continue cooking for 20 minutes over low heat. Add the nutmeg, milk, salt and pepper. Keep mixing until the sauce is smooth and reasonably thick. Roughly chop the spinach and mix the thickened milk with the spinach.
Whipped Potatoes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
6 large Russet, Yukon Gold, or other large baking potato
3/4 cup whole milk, heated
3 oz. unsalted butter, cold
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 tablespoon ground black or white pepper
METHOD:
Peel the potatoes. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water with 2 tbsp. salt to a rolling boil, careful to leave plenty of room in the pot for adding the potatoes. Carefully place the potatoes into the water with tongs or a slotted spoon. Boil the potatoes until you can easily slide a fork into the side. Strain the potatoes and in a large bowl, use either a food mill or potato masher. Add the hot milk and the cold butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or a large plastic spatula.
FOR THE BREAD PUDDING RECIPE, GO TO PAGE 3.
Bread Pudding with Dried Figs
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
6 large eggs
1 pint heavy cream
12 slices baguette or other bread
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) diced dried figs (raisins optional)
METHOD:
Separate the egg yolks and save the whites for another use. Whisk in the sugar with the egg yolks. Gently heat the cream to a near boil. Add two ounces of the hot cream to the egg and sugar mixture. Add the egg mixture back into the pot with the hot cream along with the vanilla.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
In a shallow casserole or baking dish, pour the cream and egg mixture. Add the dried figs evenly into the mixture. Lay the slices of bread evenly around the dish, allowing them to soak up the liquid.
Place the casserole into a larger pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Half fill the larger tray with water, creating a water bath, or bain marie. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the custard cleanly.
So, how did Stephen do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competion?
Hearty Vegetable Soup
kale $.79
cabbage $1.86
carrot $.79
parsnip $.50
onion $.59
celery $1.29
green beans $.75
garlic $.39
plum tomatoes $1.79
fennel $1.29
rosemary $1.79
cannellini beans $.85
French bread $.99
total $13.67
Meatloaf with Spinach & Potatoes
ground beef $4.94
onion $.59
plum tomatoes $1.79
breadcrumbs $.99
spinach $2.99
milk $.69
nutmeg $.99
potatoes $2.99
total $15.97
Bread Pudding
eggs $1.29
heavy cream $1.19
bread $1.99
figs $3.29
total $7.76
Grand total: $37.40
He's an early leader!:
1. Stephen Kalt $37.40
Fornelletto
2. Catherine Cassidy $38.21
Taste of Home
3. Michael Schlow $39.26
Radius