Hello My Friends,

We've all been very good for the past few days and stuck to the Weight Watcher Menus, however, I had a craving for some Veal, so I pulled this one out of my files.

There are two tricks to this recipe: browning the veal shanks before they go into the slow cooker and reducing the sauce before serving. The result is an Osso Buco you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish from the labor-intensive classic (trust me). Make the entire meal a classic, by serving it together with Risotto alla Milanese (Recipe Follows).

Slow-Cooker Osso Buco

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Four 1-1/2- to 2-inch-thick veal shanks (about 2-1/2 lb.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
One 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup lower-salt chicken broth
1 small red onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into
1/4-inch-thick rounds (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
1 large clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

Preparation

Put the flour in a wide, shallow dish. Season the veal shanks all over with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour; shake off the excess flour.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the shanks to the skillet. Cook until golden, turning once, about 10 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a slow cooker.

Add the wine to the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and pour the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, onion, carrot, celery, and thyme. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours—the meat will be very tender and almost falling off the bone.

Transfer the shanks to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a large skillet. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic to make a gremolata. Serve the veal shanks topped with the sauce and the gremolata. Serves 4.

The lovely simplicity of this Risotto is hard to match. If you're uneasy about Risotto, this is a great recipe to start with because it's so simple and requires so few ingredients.

Risotto alla Milanese (Risotto with Parmesan & Saffron)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, very finely chopped
8 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. (2 cups) arborio, vialone nano, or carnaroli rice, or other medium- or short-grain Italian rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups hot homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth; more as needed
1/2 tsp. saffron threads
1 cup finely grated parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

In a heavy-based saucepan that's large enough to hold the rice with plenty of room left over, cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until it's translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook it over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the wine, 2 cups of broth, and the saffron. Turn the heat to high until the broth comes to a simmer and then adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer.

Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring every minute or two (there's no need to stir constantly). Add another cup of broth and keep cooking, stirring, and adding broth until the rice is al dente but not raw or grainy in the middle.

When the rice is ready, stir in the cheese. Add a little more broth to give the risotto the consistency you like (from fairly tight to almost soupy). Off the heat, stir in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and ladle onto heated plates or bowls. Serves 6.

Have A Terrific Wednesday,

Phil

Quote:

Hello Dear Friends,

A wonderful neighbor showed me how to make this recipe after I commented on how good it made the neighborhood smell when she had her windows open every time she made it. This American-Italian term refers to food prepared 'hunter-style,' with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, various herbs, and sometimes wine. I found that by adding cheese it gave it something special, and it also made it mine.

Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 onion, sliced
• 6 boneless pork chops
• 1-1/2 (28 ounce) jars pasta sauce
• 1-1/2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1-1/2 (8 ounce) packages fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown chops over medium-high heat. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. In the same pan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until browned. Stir in mushrooms and bell pepper, and cook until these vegetables are soft. Mix in pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and white wine. Season with Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic. Pour over pork chops in slow cooker.
3. Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours. To serve, place a slice of cheese over each chop, and cover with sauce. Serves 6.

And here's an easy bread machine recipe for some quick, yet fragrant and tasty Garlic Bread.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 3/8 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Select Basic or White Bread cycle, and press Start. Makes one 2-lb Loaf.

Have A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Phil, sorry I have no been around lately. I was looking back over some of your latest entries. Of course, they always make me hungry and this one really sounded good. I think I will try the bread recipe also. I love the taste of garlic in anything.

Thank you for keeping us with more recipes to test.

Hugs,

Sara

Hi Sara,

I'm always glad to see you here my Friend, especially here at my Slow Cooker Forum, since I know that you're not that big of a Fan of the Crockpot. Since you're going to try a recipe or two, here's a quick Dessert which I thought that you might like, and it's especially easy to do with a Crockpot.

Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is to dessert what French toast is to breakfast: A delicious concoction that starts with bread soaked in eggs, milk, cream, butter, and sugar. This dish gets even richer flavor by calling for cinnamon-raisin bread instead of white, and features cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and chopped pecans as well.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 (1-pound) cinnamon-raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

• Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in milk, cream, vanilla, and butter. Add bread cubes and pecans, stirring gently just until bread is moistened. Cover and chill 1 hour.
• Pour bread mixture into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart soufflé dish; cover with aluminum foil. Pour 1 cup water into a 6-quart round slow cooker; place a wire rack to fit cooker on bottom. Set soufflé dish on rack.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 3 hours or until a sharp knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.

Time Saving Hint: To quickly make 1-inch bread cubes, stack bread slices and cut vertically into thirds; then cut crosswise into thirds.

Have A Blessed Week My Friend,

Phil

Hi Myrna,

I'm happy to have helped to spark some pleasant memories for you my Friend. I could almost see your Smile over the miles as you were remembering. I really believe that God knows just when we need a Smile or two and sends a Happy Memory our way.

Speaking of memories, several years ago I spent quite a bit of time down in New Orleans, and remembering how fond that I was of Bananas Foster, my Cousin cooked up a Batch for me when they visited last Weekend. The Banana slices are cooked in a rich butter and rum sauce with walnuts and coconut, and then they are served warm over Vanilla ice cream. Of course, we used No-Sugar Added Vanilla from Breyers, but they were still delicious.

Slow Cooker Bananas Foster

Ingredients

• 6 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons rum
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

Layer sliced bananas in the bottom of a slow cooker. Combine butter, brown sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl; pour over bananas.

Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours.

Top bananas with walnuts and coconut during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Serves 6.

Have A Wonderful Wednesday,

Phil