Key to Veal Roll-Ups is uniform cutlet size

Veal rolls are a popular dish in Emilia-Romagna, a rich and fertile area of Northern Italy where veal is a specialty.

You can use a good-quality cheddar or Swiss cheese instead of parmesan.

Make sure veal cutlets are about the same size. If not, cut the bigger pieces to match the smaller ones. They will cook more evenly this way.

Veal Roll-Ups

¾ pound thin veal cutlets

Salt and ground black pepper

1 cup arugula, washed and patted dry

1 cup basil, washed and patted dry

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ cup dry vermouth

½ cup chicken broth

Wooden toothpicks

Spread the veal out on a cutting board or counter and flatten with a meat mallet or bottom of a heavy skillet to ¼ - inch thick. Salt and pepper the veal pieces.

Place a layer of arugula over the veal, making sure the surface is covered. Place a layer of basil leaves over arugula. Roll up the meat and fasten with a wooden toothpick.

Heat the oil in a skillet just large enough to hold the veal in one layer. Brown the veal rolls on all sides, about 3 minutes.

Remove to a dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the vermouth to the skillet.

Let reduce about 2 minutes, scraping up the brown bits as it cooks. Add the broth. Let reduce again about 5 minutes.

Return veal to the sauce to let warm through for a minute. If rolls are thick, warm for 3 to4 minutes. Remove rolls and slice into 2-inch pieces. Place on plates with the sliced side up so that the colorful interior is showing. Spoon the sauce over the top.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 260 calories, 7 g fat, 38 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 134 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Dietary exchange: 4 lean meat, ½ fat

Parmesan Beans and Tomatoes

½ cup chicken broth

½ cup canned white beans such as cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium tomatoes, diced OR 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the broth, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.

Cook 5 minutes or until beans and tomatoes are warmed through. Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 125 calories, 3 g fat, 8 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable Recipes from Mix ’n’ Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association