Mini Potato Gratins

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My mom started making this recipe years ago when we would have company over for dinner.  Using a muffin tin to form the gratins not only makes the perfect portion size but also makes for really nice plating presentation.  Mom used a mandolin to get her potato slices nice and thin where as I do not have a mandolin so I chopped mine by hand.  Both are equally delicious, although I am sure that the mandolin is quicker.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-2 Idaho Potatos

– 1/2 cup Half and Half

-1 Tbls Butter, softened

-1 clove Garlic, smashed

-1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

-2 Tbls minced Chives

-1 tsp Salt

-3/4 tsp Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 8 of the muffin tins by brushing butter into the muffin cups.

In a small saucepan, heat milk with crushed garlic clove over low heat to infuse the garlic flavor until warm.  Set aside.

With a mandolin, slice potatoes very thin.  Place two or three potato slices in each cup then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue layering potato slices and seasoning after every three slices until the muffin cups are almost full.  Pour 1 Tbls of half and half over each of the muffin cups.

Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle 1 Tbls gruyere cheese over of each potato stack. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Once out of the oven run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin cup to removed the potatoes from the pan.  Serve on a platter and sprinkle with chopped chives.

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Lemon Broccolini with Garlic

This is a simple roasted veggie recipe that is quick to come together but very tasty.  We used this with our Veal Marsala recipe and it worked great! The light lemon flavor really cut through the richness of the veal marsala and created a good depth of flavor to the overall meal.  If broccolini isn’t your thing this would also work lovely with asparagus or oven normal broccoli.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

– 2 Bunches of broccolini

– 2 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced

– 1/2 Lemon

– 1 Tbls Olive Oil

– 1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

– 1/2 tsp salt

–  1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a sheet pan mix broccolini, oil, and garlic.  Spread out, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

When broccolini comes out of the oven squeeze the lemon over all the veggies and plate.

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Veal Marsala

Neither one of us usually make Veal on the regular so we thought we would try out our take on this classic Italian dish.  My husband, Geoff, is usually opposed to eating veal so I thought that I would double the recipe and make the second half of it with chicken cutlets.      The process and cooking time ended up being the same, just simple swap out the protein that you prefer.  In the end, I have to say that I personally enjoyed the veal version best. It was richer and a bit more tender than the chicken.  Although the chicken was also delicious I did not think the chicken’s flavor came through the sauce as much as the veal’s.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

– 4 – 3 oz. Veal Cutlets, pounded thin

– 1/2 cup all purpose flour

– 1/2 tsp Seasoned salt

– 1/2 tsp Pepper

– 1 1/2 Tbls Olive oil

– 1 1/2 Tbls Butter

For the Sauce

–  8 oz. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced

– 1 Shallot, minced

– 2 Cloves garlic, minced

-1/3 cup Marsala

 -1/2 cup Chicken Broth

– 1/2 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-1 Tbls Parsley, chopped

Place large skillet over medium high heat, add 1/2 Tbls olive oil and 1/2 Tbls butter.  Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate and coat the veal cutlets on both sides with the mixture. Add veal to the skillet without crowding, I could do two or three at a time depending on the size. You may need to do multiple batches. Brown on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes a side. Add more olive oil and butter if needed. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add 1/2 Tbls olive oil and 1/2 Tbls butter into the same skillet an then add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add minced shallots and garlic and continue to cook for another 10 minutes until mushrooms and shallots are browned. Add Marsala wine and deglaze the pan getting all the brown bits up, then add the chicken broth, pepper, and salt if needed. Mix well and nestle the veal back into the sauce.  Heat for another 5 minutes to warm the veal through and let the flavor marry.

Serve veal topped with mushrooms and Marsala wine sauce.

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