Tasty Favorites With A Fresh Twist
This week's Chef on a Shoestring is a crash course in how to pull together a home-cooked meal without a lot of fuss or expense. Cookbook author Roy Finamore believes everyone has time to cook dinner, as long as they keep it simple.
His latest cookbook, "Tasty," is full of familiar recipes with a fresh twist. The idea is to create meals for every day, not just special occasions. He joins The Saturday Early Show to prepare a three-course meal for four on a budget of $40.
On the menu: White Bean Soup, Chicken Milanese and Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake.
FOOD FACTS
Vermouth: Roy writes in his book: "If you're going to be pouring yourself a glass of white wine to sip on while you cook, go right ahead, and use that wine for cooking. Otherwise, I don't see the point of opening a bottle of wine if all I'm going to use is a few tablespoons. That's when I turn to dry vermouth. This fortified wine keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, and I like the herby, woodsy accents it adds to food. Besides, even the best vermouth will be less expensive than decent white wine."
Milanese: Italian for "in the style of Milan." It refers to food (usually meat) dipped in beaten egg, then into a breadcrumb-Parmesan mixture and fried in butter.
RECIPES
White Bean Soup
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 (15)-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
Coarse salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Method:
1. Cook the onion in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until it starts to turn gold at the edges, about 12 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and cook for a few minutes to reduce it by half.
2. Meanwhile, put the beans and a little liquid (water or stock) in a food processor, in batches, and pulse to make a coarse puree.
3. Add the bean puree to the pan, stir in the stock and rosemary, and season with salt. Be generous with the salt. If you are using unsalted stock, you'll want at least 1 1/2 teaspoons. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes.
4. Check for salt and serve, with a cruet of extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling.
Chicken Milanese
(serves 4)
For the chicken:
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino
1/4 cup milk
About 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
Olive oil, for frying
For the salad:
4 big handfuls arugula
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Method
For the chicken:
1. Cut the breasts into halves and trim away any cartilage or visible fat. Lay out the chicken pieces on plastic wrap, cover with another sheet of plastic, and pound to about 1/3 inch thick. If you don't have a classic meat pounder, use a rolling pin.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set out three shallow bowls. Put the flour in one; beat the eggs in the second, then beat in the Pecorino and milk; and put the bread crumbs in the third. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and pat them, so you have just a thin dusting of flour. Then dip in the egg wash and dangle the chicken over the bowl to let the excess drip off. Finally, coat the chicken in the crumbs, pressing well to get a good coating. As you finish breading, put the chicken on a rack. You can prep the chicken this far a few hours in advance. Set the rack on a baking sheet, cover loosely with wax paper, and refrigerate.
3. Set a large skillet over medium high heat and fill with about 1/3 inch of oil. Heat until the oil is shimmering. Fry the chicken two pieces at a time (no crowding!) until golden brown on each side. Drain on another rack set over a baking sheet.
For the salad:
1. Rip the arugula into pieces and drop them into a mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes and onion and spoon on the extra virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to get the salad coated with oil. Spoon on the vinegar and toss again. Taste a bit of the arugula and add more vinegar if you want.
To serve, put a chicken cutlet in the center of each dinner plate and top with a big heap of salad.
Variation: You can substitute veal cutlets or pork chops, with or without bones, for the chicken.
Chocolate whipped cream cake
(Makes one 8-inch layer cake)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
3. Pour 1 cup of the cream into a mixing bowl and beat to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the sugar and honey. Whisk in dry ingredients until just combined and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Divide the batter between the baking pans and give the pans a rap on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out with just a crumb or two.
5. Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes or so; they'll fall a little (don't worry about it). Then turn the cakes out of the pans, peel off the parchment, and let cool completely on the racks.
6. Whip the remaining 1 cup cream to stiff peaks. Put one of the cake layers on a serving plate. Spread with half the whipped cream. Top with the other layer and the rest of the whipped cream. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve the cake. It's best eaten within a day.
Note: If you have some cherries preserved in brandy, spoon some of the brandy over the cake before you spread on the whipped cream, and top each layer with some of the cherries.