Ingredients:

4 pounds of chicken cut in pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
a few sprigs of rosemary
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine

Place the chicken in a large skillet or pot in 2 tablespoons of hot olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste and the wine, and cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally..
In a different pan cook the chopped onion and the chopped rosemary in 2 tablespoons of hot olive oil. When the onion is turning translucent, add a mixture of the flour and chicken stock (be careful to avoid lumps) and cook stirring for 5 more minutes..
Pour the mixture of onion and rosemary cooked in oil with the broth and flour mixture on the chicken, and add the tomato paste.
Cook on medium heat for about 20 more minutes (or till cooked), stirring occasionally.
Decorate with a few leaves of fresh oregano.

What’s with chicken and prophets? Several Jewish Italian recipes for poultry have Biblical names. Here is one of the most popular examples, which appears in different variations in most cooking books on the topic, from Vitali Norsa, to Servi-Machlin to Joyce Goldstein. It’s not a surprise, because chicken cooked with this technique stays moist and juicy and keeps well for Shabbat! It’s a variation on the basic “pollo in umido”, which Americans call “chicken cacciatore”. The classic recipe is made with a cut-up whole chicken, but if you are in a rush or if you prefer boneless meat, boneless thighs also work well. When I cook boneless meat, I always add the bones to the pot (wrapped in a cloth) and discard them at the end. The bones add tremendous depth to the flavor. You can also add a couple of (koshered) chicken livers.

Ingredients (4 servings)

one chicken, cut into serving pieces 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, slightly pressed or minced (depending on your tolerance
1/3 cup green or/and black olives, pitted
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons mix of freshly chopped herbs (sage, rosemary and basil or mint or parsley)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 peeled tomatoes (I use the canned type),
1/3 cup dry wine, red or white

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Heat the olive oil , add the chicken and saute until golden. Add the salt, pepper, olives, garlic, and herbs, and the chopped (and drained) tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then lower the flame and cook covered until tender (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Now uncover, add the wine, and allow it to evaporate it on high heat.. It’s delicious with a side of steamed potatoes or polenta.

Scaloppine is one of those dishes that taste great when prepared in advance and reheated, which makes it perfect for Shabbat!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
6 boneless veal cutlets, pound flat (or turkey)
salt and pepper
½ all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth (hot), or hot water
½ cup lemon juice OR dry white wine OR sweet marsala wine
(optional) chopped parsley, OR sauteed mushrooms, etc.

Instructions
Season with salt and pepper, and coat with flour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side. Set aside on a warm platter.
When all the cutlets are cooked, add the wine or juice and ¼ cup of hot water or hot broth to the oil left in the pan. You can also add other ingredients and customize the scaloppine (mushrooms, peas, herbs, etc).
Bring the liquid to simmer, and stir until a creamy sauce forms.
Pour the sauce over the cutlets, and serve or set aside.

Ingredients

2 bread rolls or slices, crusts removed (they can be a couple of days old)
2/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 salami slices, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef (or a mix of beef and veal)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh flat parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

Instructions
Soak the bread in the broth forabout 5-10 minutes). In a bowl, put 3 tablespoons of this mixture. Combine with the garlic, parsley, salami, beef, salt and pepper. Stir in the egg and using wet hands shape the mixture into about 10 or 12 meatballs.
Spread the breadcrumbs into a dish and roll the meatballs in them till they are evenly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the meatballs over high heat till golden on both sides. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and let it evaporate on high heat. Then add either 1 cup hot broth or 1 cup of salted diced tomatoes in their water, and cook covered over medium heat for 30 minutes, adding liquid if necessary. Serve with a side of vegetables.

*** We have many versions of meatballs. You can use leftover cooked meat instead of raw meat for an even tastier version! Leftover roast beef or brisket are great! You can add 4 tablespoons of very finely chopped olives for a different flavor. You can add leftover cooked spinach, drained well and chopped (in this case decrease the amount of the bread/broth mixture). You can add plumped currants and pine nuts, and end the cooking with some lemon juice, for a sweet-and-sour Sephardic touch. Also try substituting mashed potatoes for the bread/broth mixture.
Try them all!

Very quick and easy, and kids love it!
Serves 4

2 lb tender beef cut and beaten into very thin cutlets
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 lb crushed tomatoes (canned)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup black olives (optional)

Heat the oil in a skillet and when it’s warm add the garlic. Cook the garlic till it’s golden then add the crushed tomatoes, the herbs, olives if using, and salt.

Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes (about 8 to 10), then add the meat and cover it well with the sauce. Cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes.

Flip the cutlets, cover again and cook the other side for another 5 minutes. If your cutlets were beaten thin, this should be enough: if you cook for too long the meat will harden. Serve the meat in its sauce. This dish re-heats well, and can also be made with turkey cutlets if you do not eat red meat.

Pumpkin seeds started arriving from he Americas in the 16th century, probably brought by the Conversos that had settled in the New World (since the official start of the Spanish Inquisition was in 1492, the same year that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, it’s not surprising that many Jews and Conversos saw this as an opportunity to leave Spain!). In Northern Italy pumpkins grew particularly well, and local Jews were among the first to add them to their dishes, with impressive results. I have already given you some of my favorite recipes for sweet-and sour or mashed pumpkin, and for my pumpkin fritters, and more…. but here is a stew that will warm up your winter days or nights. Perect for Shabbat, because it tastes great the next day!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

2 pounds cubed veal for stew
2 cups cubed butternut squash or pumpkin
1 large white onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or more (to taste)
1 cup white wine or marsala
sage leaves
3 cloves garlic, whole
salt and pepper

Heat 1/2 of the the olive oil in a heavy pot over high heat, add the meat and brown it on all side. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pot, and when it’s hot add the garlic, onion and sage, and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. Add the meat, the pumpkin (or butternut squash), and the wine. Increase the heat to allow the wine to evaporate. Add a little salt, , cover with hot water or broth, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is so soft that you can cut it with a fork, and the pumpkin has dissolved into a mash. Add a touch of pepper and serve with polenta or fresh bread.
If you don’t like veal you can use beef: of course beef takes much longer to cook, and you may want to use a slow-cooker.

The traditional Roman recipe for Saltimbocca uses Bresaola, a type of “kosher prosciutto”, a lean cut of a beef that has been cured in spices and salt, and left to hang for a month. Until Kosher Bresaola becomes available in the States, you have two choices:
a - make it in your garage, following one of the recipes available on the internet
b - replace with good quality Hungarian salami, sliced very thin.
If you opt for option (b), don’t tell any Purists, especially Romans!!!

8 2-oz. veal cutlets
8 to 16 slices of Bresaola or goose “prosciutto” (you can substitute Hungarian salami, sliced thin)
16 sage leaves
2/3 cup flour
10 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or water
salt and pepper to taste

Lay the cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet one at a time, until they are thin (about 1⁄8″ thick). Some butchers will do this for you. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Place 1 to 2 thin slices of your cold cut of choice on top of each piece of veal, pressing it against the meat with your fingers. Place 1 or 2 sage leaves on top of each bresaola or salami slice, and use toothpicks to hold everything together. Place the flour on a tray and dip each prepared cutlet in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat 4 tbsp. of the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meat and cook, turning once, until the cold cut looks crunchy and the veal side is lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat adding 4 more tablespoons of the olive oil and the remaining cutlets. Set aside in a warm platter and discard the toothpicks.
Discard most of the oil from the skillet and return the skillet over high heat. Add the wine and cook the sauce, scraping up browned bits with a spatula or a spoon, until reduced by half (a couple of minutes). Add a little chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of oil, cook on medium for about 3 more minutes till it thickens, and pour on the meat (or return the meat to the pan for a couple of minutes, making sure to baste the top of the cutlets with the sauce as well). Serve warm.

My husband and I are almost vegetarian, meaning that we tend to forget about meat and to serve it only when we have guests who expect it. But a few of you have been asking for a winter-appropriate meat dish, and here you go! You are going to love this slow-cooked recipe, because it’s very simple and yet elegant. Perfect for a date! As always with Italian cuisine, don’t skimp on the ingredients. Use a wine that you would actually enjoy drinking - it will cost more, but it’s totally worth it! Just think of this as a special occasion dish. Wines that work well are dry and with a lot of body: Barolo, Chianti, Super-Tuscans, Bordeaux, etc. The meat should be cut into approx. 1″ cubes.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

2 pounds beef for stew
2 large onions
1 bottle dry red wine
2 tablespoons potato starch
6 cloves garlic, each cut into 4 lenghth-wise
1 carrot
a small rosemary sprig
a few sage leaves
4-5 juniper berries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

With a sharp knife, make a small cut in each cube of meat and insert a piece of garlic in each cut. Marinade the meat for 24 hours with the wine, vinegar, garlic, juniper berries and herbs.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot, add the sliced onion and cook for 2-3 minute. Drain and dry the meat, dip it in potato starch, and brown it on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside; cook the onion on medium/low heat for 10-15 more minutes or until soft, adding a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to prevent it from burning. Return the meat to the pot (you can also use a slow-cooker) with at least ½ of the marinade liquid, add salt and pepper, and simmer for at least 3 hours or even longer on low heat. It can take closer to 4 hours, depending on the cut of meat: when it’s ready, it will fall apart easily if you test it with a fork. Enjoy with potatoes or polenta, o some crunchy Italian bread. Some people prefer to remove most of the rosemary and sage leaves before serving.