Involtini Food

INVOLTINI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a ridged cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and cook, turning, until soft and (if using a ridged pan) crisscrossed with grid marks. Set aside and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and parsley. Mix in egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread eggplant slices on a surface, and divide stuffing evenly among them, placing 1 to 2 tablespoons at one end of each slice. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling, and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or other shallow baking pan in which rolls fit snugly in a single layer).
• Pour crushed tomatoes on top of eggplant rolls. Arrange mozzarella slices in a line lengthwise down center of pan. Drizzle olive oil evenly over pan, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake until cheese has melted and eggplant is bubbling and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

VEAL INVOLTINI

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread bread crumbs in a shallow baking pan and toast, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Gently pound veal cutlets to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin, then cut into roughly 4- by 3-inch pieces.
• Stir together parsley, garlic, 3/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until a paste forms.
• Stir together bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Season cutlets lightly with salt and pepper and spread 1 side of each piece with 1 teaspoon parsley-garlic paste.
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Roll up veal pieces (paste sides up), starting from a short side. Put remaining cup oil in a bowl and dip each roll in it, letting excess drip off, then dredge in bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Thread 1 veal roll onto a skewer, then 1 piece of onion, leaving about 1/4 inch between. Repeat on same skewer 2 more times, then transfer skewer to baking sheet. Assemble 6 more skewers in same manner (last skewer will have only 2 rolls).
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 1 to 2 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
• Grill veal on a lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using gas grill, turning over once, until rolls are golden, about 6 minutes total.
• Remove veal and onion from skewers and serve immediately.

INVOLTINI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high.
• Grill the eggplant slices until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Lay the slices of grilled eggplant on a cutting board. Place a basil leaf on top of the eggplant. On 1 end of the eggplant, put a teaspoon of cheese. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Roll the eggplant around the cheese and the basil leaf. Secure the roll with a toothpick.

INVOLTINI OF BEEF

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and saute until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the Parmesan. Season beef with salt and pepper. Using 2 tablespoons for each, divide the carrot mixture among the beef slices. Roll up the beef slices to enclose the filling, tucking in the ends. Secure the rolls with toothpicks.
• Heat the remaining oil and the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same large frying pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the beef rolls in flour to coat lightly. Add the beef rolls and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beef rolls to a platter. Remove the toothpicks, then cover the beef rolls with foil to keep warm. Add the peas and prosciutto to the sauce in the skillet and stir until the peas are heated through and the sauce reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the beef rolls and serve.

INVOLTINI DI MANZO

Steps:

• Sauté carrots, onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter until carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Let cool slightly, then stir in parmesan.
• Season beef with salt and pepper. Place 2 tbsp of carrot mix in the middle of the wider end of each beef slice. Roll up slices starting at the wide end and tucking in the sides to enclose filling. Secure end with poultry laces or toothpicks.
• Heat the remaining oil and butter over medium-high heat. Lightly dredge the beef rolls in flour. Add to pan and brown on all sides. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Carefully stir in the tomatoes and add the bay leaf. Cover and simmer until beef is cooked through about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the beef rolls to a plate and let rest.
• Stir the peas and prosciutto into the sauce in the pan and simmer until the peas are heated through and sauce has slightly reduced. Season to taste.
• Remove picks from beef rolls and drizzle the sauce over the rolls.

EGGPLANT INVOLTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray well with nonstick spray or brush with oil.
• Cut off ends of eggplant and peel. Make a cut lengthwise so the eggplant is stable without rolling. Carefully slice eggplants into even 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Arrange planks on prepared sheets.
• Brush oil on both sides of the eggplant planks and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• If using whole tomatoes (preferable) - strain, chop up and return to juice.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large frying pan over medium low heat. Add crushed garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce to about 1/2.
• Remove eggplant from oven and let sit for 5 minutes then flip over so it doesn't become soggy.
• Mix ricotta, 1/2 cup pecorino or mozzorella (pecorino is preferable in this recipe) , breadcrumbs, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup chopped basil.
• When eggplant is cool, place about 1 tablespoon filling onto the large end and roll up. Use a bit more filling for larger slices and a bit less for smaller ones. Place roll seam side down on top of sauce. Continue using the rest of the eggplant and filling.
• Turn burner to medium and simmer about 5 minutes. Turn on broiler.
• Place the pan 8 inches below the broiler element and let brown 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and WRAP HANDLE WITH TOWEL so no one grabs the handle and is burned!
• Sprinkle with extra cheese and let sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle remaining basil and serve with sauce on the side.