Filet Wellington Bites

Ingredients:

• 8 (2-oz) pieces beef tenderloin filet
• 1/2 lb white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 4 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 prosciutto slices, halved
• 10 4'' x 4'' puff pastry squares
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp water

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms with the shallots and thyme until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms and shallots are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool.
3. In the meantime, in another skillet, heat the remaining oil. Season the beef pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Place the beef in the heated skillet and sear on each side about 2-3 minutes, or until brown. Remove the beef from the skillet and set it aside.
4. When the mushrooms have cooled, place them into a bowl of a food processor and add the Parmesan cheese as well as the remaining salt and pepper. Process until the ingredients are combined and very finely chopped, but not pureed.
5. Divide the mixture and place it in the middle of eight of the puff pastry squares. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around the seared beef and place it on top of the mushroom mixture. Repeat with the remaining beef. Wrap the puff pastry around each piece of beef and pinch the seams together. Place each wellington, seam-side-down, onto an ungreased cookie baking sheet.
6. With the two remaining squares of puff pastry, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to make eight heart garnishes. Brush the surface of each pastry with the beaten egg and place a heart garnish on top. Brush the hearts with the beaten egg and refrigerate the wellingtons for 10 minutes.
7. Bake until the pastries become puffy and golden brown, about 10 minutes to achieve a medium-rare doneness. (Add 5 minutes to the baking time to achieve a medium doneness; 10 minutes for medium-well.) Let each wellington rest for 5 minutes before serving
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Chicken Parm Casserole

• Most great Chicken Parmesans have one thing in common: they take time. We took a shortcut using frozen, breaded chicken. Thanks to the blend of cheeses, though, it doesn't lack flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb breaded, cooked chicken fingers, defrosted if frozen
• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked to al dente
• 2 (24-oz) jars marinara sauce
• 1-1/2 cups grated Provolone cheese, divided
• 1-1/2 cups grated asiago cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.



• Cut the chicken fingers into 2" pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add the penne, marinara, 1 cup Provolone, 1 cup Asiago, and the Parmesan. Fold the ingredients together and place in a deep 9" x 13"casserole dish.



• Combine the remaining cheeses in a medium-size bowland sprinkle it over the top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Vegetable Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced 1/4" thick
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) finely shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large yellow squash, cut into 1/4" thick rounds
• 10 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" thick rounds
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4" thick rounds

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 25–30 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Combine the breadcrumbs, Asiago, parmesan, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
3. Pour the vegetable broth into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Layer the remaining ingredients in the baking dish in the following order: the yellow squash, 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture, half of the tomatoes, half of the onions, 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture, the zucchini, the remaining onions, 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture, the remaining tomatoes, and the remaining breadcrumb mixture. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Broil until golden brown and crispy on top, 3–4 minutes. Let rest for 5–10 minutes and garnish with chopped basil before serving
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Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Bundles

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp basil
• 1/8 tsp dill
• 1/8 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2'' thick
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1 (16-oz) ball smoked Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional garnish)

Preparation:

1. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, thyme, basil, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Brush both sides of the eggplant with the olive oil and vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Arrange half of the eggplant slices on a tray and top with a piece of smoked Mozzarella, followed by a slice of tomato, and another piece of Mozzarella. Then, top with the remaining eggplant slices. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on each tomato as you build the bundles.
3. To cook the bundles with the Rangemate, preheat the microwave grill on high for 5 minutes. Arrange the bundles on the grill. Cover and cook on high for 2 more minutes, carefully flip, then cook on high for an additional 3 minutes, or until fork tender.
4. To cook the bundles on a barbecue grill, preheat the grill to medium. Arrange the bundles on the grill. Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes; carefully flip, then cook an additional 5–7 minutes until fork tender.
5. Just before serving, garnish the bundles with a generous sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Grilled Chopped Salad with Home-Style Ranch

• Even vegetables contain natural sugars so when veggies are grilled, those sugars caramelize, giving you terrific flavor and a milder "veggie" taste. In short, this salad doesn't taste like a salad!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced shallots
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped chives
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1-1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Salad:

• Oil, for brushing
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 3 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise, core intact
• 1 zucchini, ends removed and halved lengthwise
• 1 yellow squash, ends removed and halved lengthwise
• 1 red pepper, quartered, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 yellow pepper, quartered, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 sweet or Vidalia onion, cut into 1/2" rings
• 3 ears corn, shucked and cleaned
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation:

1. To prepare the dressing, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic, shallots, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Fold in the feta cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. To prepare the salad, preheat the grill to medium-high. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine hearts with oil and then season with salt and pepper. Place the lettuce, cut side down, on the grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 30–45 seconds. Remove immediately and set aside.
3. Brush the zucchini, squash, peppers, onion, and corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook until there are nice grill marks on each side and they're tender, about 4–5 minutes for the zucchini and squash; about 8–10 minutes for the peppers, onion, and corn.
4. Remove the core from the romaine and chop it into 1" pieces. Place the lettuce in a large bowl with the halved tomatoes. When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the kernels with a knife. (Stand the cob up on the thicker end and run the blade down the sides.) Add the corn to the bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes. Chopthe rest of the vegetables into 1" pieces and place them in the bowl. Gently toss, and if desired, mix in the dressing before serving.

Green Salad with Pears, Gorgonzola & Cranberry Dressing

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 red onion, peeled and stemmed
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup frozen cranberries, defrosted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Salad:

• 1 (8-oz) bag field greens
• 1 (9-oz) bag romaine
• 1 (5-oz) bag arugula
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2 pears, cored and julienned
• 1 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and diced into 1/2'' pieces

Preparation:

1. To prepare the dressing, add all the ingredients into the Vitamix (or another blender) and mix until smooth.
2. To prepare the salad, put all the ingredients into a large salad bowl. Pour the mixed dressing over the ingredients and toss until well coated.

White Bean & Ham Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry Northern beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 meaty ham hock or 2-3 lbs of ham shanks
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups ham, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley (optional garnish)

Preparation:

1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any that are broken or discolored.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove the pot from the heat. Let the beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
3. When the time has elapsed, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard, and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 more minutes.
4. Remove the ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley (if desired).