Let’s get ready for the Labor Day week-end… Pair this up with your favorite potato or pasta salad and you’ve got a meal for the crowd.

BBQ BEEF TENDERLOIN

Serves: 10-12 Difficulty Level: 2 (of 5) Prep Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: < 90 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

•1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed
•2 tsps. salt (optional)
•1/2 tsp. ground ginger
•1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
•2-1/4 lbs. beef tenderloin roast

PROCEDURE:

•Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Rub spices into beef.
•Meat can be covered and refrigerated overnight before grilling.
•Cook beef in covered grill 30-40 minutes per 1 lb over medium heat, turning occasionally, until meat thermometer reads 135°F.
•Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing thinly. (Temperature will go up ten degrees while standing.)

Happy Cooking,
Chef Phil

Interesting pasta recipe, think I’ll have this for dinner tonight…

PENNE PASTA w/ CHICKEN and PEAS

Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 2 (of 5) Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

•2-1/2 cups penne or other tube pasta
•1/2 cup chicken stock
•1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (divided}
•1 Tbsp. olive oil
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
•3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
•1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

PROCEDURE:

•Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
•Combine stock and 1/2 cup peas in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
•Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté garlic 30 seconds.
•Add bell pepper and chicken and sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken is cooked throughout.
•Add pea purée, whole peas and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
•Stir in pasta and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
•Stir in cheese and toss well before serving.

Enjoy!
Chef Phil

What to do with all those peaches ? Save some for this breakfast treat…

BAKED PEACH FRENCH TOAST

Serves: 8 Difficulty Level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready in: < 45 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

•6 1-Inch thick slices of whole-grain bread
•1 8 Ounce package cream cheese
•6 Sliced fresh peaches
•1/2 Cup pecans, chopped
•1/2 Cup whole milk
•1/2 Cup buttermilk
•1/3 Cup maple syrup
•3 Large eggs
•2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•1 Tablespoon sugar
•1 Teaspoon cinnamon
•1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 Tablespoon Kahlua coffee liqueur (optional)

PROCEDURE:

•Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
•Lay bread slices in a casserole dish or other baking dish.
•Prick bread 3-4 times with sharp knife and spread a layer of cream cheese on top of each slice of bread Arrange peach slices on top of bread to cover.
•Sprinkle pecans over peaches.
•Combine remaining ingredients well and pour over bread, trying not to dislodge nuts too much from the peaches.
•Bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until bread is no longer "soggy" and just begins to brown on the edges.

Enjoy!
Chef Phil

Had such a good response from last crock pot recipe, lets fire it up again… goes well with mashed potatoes and green beans.

CROCK POT PORK CHOPS RECIPE

Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 8 Hours

INGREDIENTS:

•4 pork chops
•1/4 Tsp. salt
•1/4 Tsp. pepper
•1/4 Tsp. garlic powder
•1/4 Tsp. onion powder
•2 Tbsps. olive oil
•2 cans golden mushroom soup

PROCEDURE:

•Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
•Heat a large saute pan on medium-high heat.
•Pour olive oil in the heated skillet. Brown pork chops on each side for about one minute.
•Remove pork chops and place in crockpot.
•Pour soup over pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Enjoy the meal & a cooler kitchen!
Chef Phil

Going through my notes from the "Now Ya’Travelin" trip I came acrossed this appetizer that will tickle your tastebuds…….and confuse them.

HOT & SWEET CRACKER SPREAD

Serves: 8 (easily adjustable) Difficulty Level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS:

•1 cup apricot preserves
•2 tsps. prepared horseradish
•2 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
•freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup cream cheese

PROCEDURE:

•In a medium-size bowl, combine apricot preserves, horseradish, mustard and black pepper. You can add more horseradish, mustard, and pepper to taste. Cover and chill this mixture at least one hour or overnight. When ready to serve, place the cream cheese on a serving plate and pour the apricot mixture over the cream cheese. Serve with crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips (We had it with pretzels)

Enjoy,
Chef Phil

This make a very quick yet elegant improptu dinner for a special occasion…served with some Angel hair pasta to get all the wonderful flavors.

WHITE WINE SCALLOPS

Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 2 (of 5) Prep Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

•1 cup all purpose flour
•1/4 tsp. pepper
•1/2 tsp. McCormick’s Old Bay seasoning
•1 lb. scallops
•3 Tbsps. butter
•1 clove garlic, sliced
•2 Tbsps. white wine
•1 Tbsp. lemon juice
•1 Tbsp. fresh parsley

PROCEDURE:

•Combine flour, Old Bay and pepper in large food storage bag.
•Add scallops. Shake to coat. Shake off and discard excess flour.
•Set coated scallops aside.
•Melt butter in large skillet. Add garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove garlic and discard.
•Add coated scallops to skillet.
•Cook over medium heat until light golden brown.
•Remove from heat. Stir in wine, lemon juice and parsley.
•Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles and scallops are opaque. Serve immediately.

Enjoy,
Chef Phil

For a little oriental flare, I say "wok this way"…. Serve with a side of white rice and your fortune cookie will say: "YOU HAVE VERY HAPPY FAMILY"

SZECHWAN BEEF STIR-FRY RECIPE

Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 2 (of 5) Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. beef flank steak
• 2 Tbsps. lite soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Oriental sesame oil
• 1-1/2 tsps. sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb. frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 lb. snow peas, thawed if frozen

PROCEDURE:

• Cut beef lengthwise into 2 pieces. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/8 inch thick strips and place in a shallow dish.
• Combine soy sauce, half the oil, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and pour over meat strips, tossing to coat.
• Heat remaining oil in a wok or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat.
• Add red pepper, garlic and ginger and sauté 30 seconds.
• Add bell pepper, corn and snow peas and stir fry 3 minutes.
• Remove vegetables from pan.
• Stir fry beef strips 2-3 minutes, in batches if necessary, until cooked throughout.
• Return vegetables and beef to pan and heat through before serving.

Enjoy!
CHEF PHIL

A nice, refreshing “all-in-one” meal for the family… A simple tossed salad makes this your complete meal for the evening.

ROLLED FLOUNDER w/ LEMON & BROCCOLI

Serves: 6 Difficulty Level: 2 (of 5) Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 1-1/3 cups cooked brown rice, or white rice
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese\grated, shredded
• 1/2 lb. fresh broccoli, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 lbs. flounder or sole fillets
• toothpicks

PROCEDURE:

• Preheat oven to temperature 375°F.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Combine cooked rice, cheese and broccoli in a separate bowl. Add 1/4 cup lemon butter to rice mixture.
• Use some of the lemon butter to coat a shallow oven-proof baking dish and set the remainder aside.
• Lay fillets flat on a sheet of wax paper. Divide the rice stuffing equally and place portion on the wide end of each fillet.
• Gently roll up, secure with toothpicks, and place seam side down in prepared baking dish.
• Pour remaining butter sauce over rolled stuffed fish. Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Remove toothpicks before serving.

Enjoy!
CHEF PHIL

Facebook follower is craving meatloaf but not the heat from the oven so lets fire up the crock pot…

CROCKPOT MEATLOAF
Serves: 6-8 Difficulty Level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 6-8 Hours

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 1/2 Pounds very lean ground beef (90/10 mix)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup soft torn bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 cup ketchup, divided

PROCEDURE:
• Spray crockpot with cooking spray (If crock pot comes with wire rack use it)
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, egg, mustard, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and 1/2 cup ketchup.
• Shape mixture into a ball and place in slow cooker.
• Spread remaining ketchup over top of loaf.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Enjoy!
CHEF PHIL

Here’s a quick and easy solution to… “what’s for dinner?” Serve with a simple side salad and you have a quick and easy dinner.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 lb. egg noodles
• 1 large onion\cooked, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, can also use hot or a mixture of both
• 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, squeezed dry
• 11 oz. cream of mushroom soup
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. lowfat ricotta cheese

PROCEDURE:
• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• Cook noodles in a large pan of boiling water 5-7 minutes, or until almost tender. Drain.
• Sauté onion and sausage in a heavy nonstick pan over medium high heat 5-7 minutes, until brown. Stir frequently to break up meat.
• Remove from heat, drain
• Stir noodles and next 5 ingredients with salt and pepper to taste into sausage. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish and spread evenly. Combine egg and ricotta in a bowl and spread over noodle mixture.
• Bake 25-30 minutes oruntil golden brown, cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!
CHEF PHIL