Free Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook by Teresa Giudice Page B

shrimp and sauce. Serve hot.

 
    Little Mermaid’s Baked Flounder Oregano
     

     
    Makes 6 servings
    Everyone in my family loves this simple fish dish of moist flounder fillets with an herb-crumb topping. Folding the fish in half keeps it from getting overdone in the hot oven.
     
6 (4- to 5-ounce) flounder or sole fillets
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Lemon wedges, for serving
    1. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 13 × 9-inch baking dish.
    2. Season the flounder with the salt and pepper. Fold each fillet in half crosswise, tip to tip. Arrange in the baking dish. Drizzle the wine and lemon juice over the fillets.
    3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, and oregano. Top each fillet with an equal amount of the breadcrumb mixture. Drizzle with the olive oil.
    4. Bake until the fish flakes easily when prodded with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes. Serve hot, with lemon wedges.
    *** Yes, Yes It Is ***
    A good way to get kids to eat fish is to explain to them that fish are our friends—our good, tasty friends. Remind them of the Little Mermaid’s pal, Flounder. We love Flounder! I’m obviously kidding, but it helps to have a sense of humor in the kitchen, especially when faced with stubborn spouses and tantrumming toddlers. I have found that going overboard with the drama actually breaks it up and soon everyone is giggling. “What? You think this is disgusting? It looks like weeds? Oh no, it’s not weeds. It’s worm guts. Or maybe baby bunny stew. I can’t remember . . . ”
     

 
    Steak Braciole Roll
     
    Makes 4 servings
    A braciole is a thin piece of steak marinated and rolled with other ingredients. You can pan-fry it, but I like it baked. It’s so easy, but looks and tastes completely gourmet!
     
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 ½ pound) flank steak, butterflied
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
⅓ cup (1 ½ ounces) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
    1. Combine the oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large, resealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to mix the ingredients. Add the steak, close the bag, and massage the meat through the bag to coat it on all sides. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 12 hours.
    2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
    3. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bag. Reserve the marinade. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Place the steak, with the grain running vertically, on a large piece of aluminum foil to catch any drips.
    4. Layer the prosciutto, and then the provolone, over the steak. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, and then the basil. Starting at a long side of the steak, roll up the meat with the grain like a jelly roll. (If you are under 50 years old, think of a Hostess Ho Ho.) Tie kitchen string around the roll every 2 inches or so to keep it from falling apart during cooking.
    5. Place the roll (without the foil) in a baking dish just large enough to hold it. Pour the marinade over the top. Bake, basting every 15 minutes with the marinade in the baking dish, until the meat feels tender when pierced with a meat fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes so all the juices soak back into the meat.
    6. Remove the strings. Transfer the roll to a carving board. Holding the knife at an angle, cut the roll crosswise (you will be cutting across the grain now, which will make the tough flank steak more tender) into ½-inch-thick