Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (15 page)

Really, this meal sells itself. I make a variety of drunken pasta dishes—pasta cooked in red wine rather than water, a Tuscan tradition. My smart husband asked me one night why I had never made a drunken rice. Look for drunken risotto soon, too!

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Butterfly the chicken breast halves by cutting horizontally across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up like a book and pound them lightly between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Peel away the paper and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans, and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken around the filling, then wrap each roll with a strip of bacon, securing it with a wooden toothpick. Season the outside of the rolls with pepper.

Heat the EVOO in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken rolls and brown evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the chicken for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

When the chicken is almost done, melt the butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, then whisk in the stock. Cook for a minute to thicken, then whisk in the half-and-half and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Serve the halved chicken rolls with the red wine rice and savory Swiss chard. Pour the gravy over the top.

SERVES 4

Bring the wine to a boil in a saucepan with the bay leaf and EVOO. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice for 15 minutes, then stir in the grapes and parsley. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

SERVES 4

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the Worcestershire and wilt the greens into the pan. Season the greens with nutmeg, paprika or cumin, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken stock, simmer for a few minutes until tender, then serve.

This may sound like an odd combo, but it's one of my favorite recipes and dates back to Columbus: roasted pork or sausage with grapes and vinegar. The meatballs are sophisticated in flavor and easy to execute. Before you dismiss the pairing of grapes and sausage as too weird, consider this: Have you ever dipped salty sausage or bacon into maple syrup? Sweet and savory flavors work together and will leave you happy, really happy.

SERVES 4

Heat an outdoor grill to medium or preheat the oven to 400°F.

Using your hands, combine the meat with the fennel seeds, grill seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Divide the mixture into 4 parts; you will be making 3 meatballs from each. To stuff a meatball, take a handful of meat and press a grape into the center, then roll the meat around the grape. Form 12 balls and coat with about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Thread them onto metal skewers if using the outdoor grill; place on a rimmed baking sheet if you're using the oven. Grill for 17 to 18 minutes with the lid closed, turning occasionally, or roast in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until the balls are firm.

Combine the greens and herbs with the lemon juice, about 1 tablespoon of the EVOO, and salt and pepper. Combine the ricotta with the honey and black pepper to taste. Char the bread when the meatballs come off the grill, or soften and char it under the hot broiler or over the flame of your gas burners.

To serve, pile 3 meatballs onto each flatbread along with some greens and ricotta.

Little kids love this one—and this big kid still makes it from time to time, as well.

SERVES 4

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring it up to a boil.

Place a large pan over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions to the pan and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the pan, stirring to incorporate, and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk the beef and chicken stocks into the pan and bring the liquid up to a bubble to thicken it slightly. It won't get too thick; you want a thinner gravy for this dish.

Once the gravy comes up to a bubble, season with salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low, and simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

In a small bowl, combine the bread and milk. Soak the bread briefly, then squeeze out the excess liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, milk-soaked bread, and ground allspice. Season with salt and pepper, and mix everything up with your hands to combine evenly.

Using a spoon, a small ice cream scoop, or your hands, portion the meat mixture into walnut-size balls. As you shape them, drop the meatballs into the pan of simmering gravy. Once all of them are in the pan, increase the heat to medium and simmer the meatballs in the gravy, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Salt the boiling water, add the egg noodles, and cook to al dente.

Stir the ground gingersnaps into the gravy with the meatballs, and cook for about 1 minute to thicken. Stir jelly and sour cream into the gravy and keep warm over low heat until the noodles are done.

Drain the noodles and return them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the parsley to the pot and stir to melt the butter and evenly coat the noodles.

To serve, spoon some noodles onto a dinner plate and top them off with a scoop of meatballs and gravy. Sprinkle a handful of chopped pickles over the top and serve with your favorite salad.

Roasted Lamb Meatballs with Honey-Rosemary Polenta and Tangy Red Onion Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

In my family, lamb was a special-occasion meat. Today, lamb makes its way into many of my weeknight meals—especially in the form of lamb burgers and meatballs. Ground meat is an affordable way to bring the flavor of special meals into everyday menus.