Fusion Veal Stew-(a little Italian, German, Greek, Vietnamese, & Mexican Influencing)

Serves 6

Now, don’t turn up your nose at this combination because it really tastes good and is pretty healthy as well.  Fusion is fun and often can yield wonderful results.  This is a yummy veal stew that I served over Vietnamese My-Tho Large Noodles (Wide Oriental Style) to save calories.  They are half the calories of normal noodles and were easy to prepare (noodles was the German/Vietnamese influence).  I used fresh cilantro,( I sort of always think Mexican for this green topping even though I know a lot of other nationalities use it for their culinary cuisine as well)  for the topping because I didn’t have fresh parsley and it turned out to be a nice tasty addition. The olives are the Greek or Italian influence.  So, here’s the recipe for you brave and adventuresome readers:

 

Ingredients for the stew:

1. 2 Lbs. lean veal stew meat (I found some very well priced at Atkinsons’)
2. Flour for dredging
3. S&P to taste and to add to the flour for the dredging
4. 1/4 C. olive oil
5. 1-2 Cloves garlic-chopped
6. 1 Small onion, sliced
7. 2/3 Tsp. dried rosemary or twice that amount of fresh
8. 1/2 C. dry white wine (I used white vermouth)
9. 1 Tblsp. tomato paste
10. 1 C. or more of  hot chicken stock
11. 12 pitted black ripe olives, sliced
12. Chopped parsley or cilantro

 

Directions for the stew:

1. Pre-heat oven to 300
2. Dredge the veal with the flour, S&P
3. In a heavy oven proof skillet, over medium high heat, bring the olive oil to a light sizzle.  Add the veal to it and brown well over medium heat (about 5 minutes). Then add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes more stirring often.
4. Add the rosemary, wine, tomato paste and the hot chicken stock so that the veal is totally covered with the liquid.
5. Cover and bake two hours.  After one hour peek in to see that there is enough liquid and if not, add more wine and chicken stock.
6. After 2 hours add the sliced olives and bake half hour more.
7. Sprinkle parsley or cilantro over before serving.

Directions for the My-Tho Wide Large Noodles:

1. Place the amount of the dry noodles you wish to serve in a tall container (I used a juice container that would safely hold boiling water).
2. About 5-10 minutes before you will be serving the veal, pour BOILING water over the noodles and stir every minute or so.  Keep tasting because you don’t want the noodles to get mushy. When they are firm but just right to eat (5- 10 minutes) drain them in a colander and run cold water over them so as to stop their cooking.  Put them back in the container and add some olive oil.  Stir well.
3. They won’t be really hot but when you put the stew on top, you won’t notice the difference except that they will be half the calories of regular noodles.

 

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

@ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.