Get colorful in your presentation!

CHEF DIRK GOES Mediterranean with a mouth-watering recipe for stuffed peppers.

Ingredients

• 4 yellow, orange, and/or red bell peppers
• ½ cup whole wheat or tri-colored orzo
• 15 oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 TBL extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 6 oz baby spinach (coarsely chopped)
• 1 TBL chopped fresh oregano
• ¾ cup feta cheese (divided)
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed) chopped
• 1 TBL sherry or red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt

Method

1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving stems attached.
2. Remove seeds and white membrane. Set aside.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8-10 minutes or according to package directions.
4. Drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Mash garbanzo beans into a chunky paste, leaving some whole.
6. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in orzo, mashed garbanzo beans, ½ cup of the feta cheese, tomatoes, vinegar, and salt. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining feta cheese.
7. Bake in an oven-proof dish at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

NOTE: Grilled chicken (fully cooked) may be added during the last step. Dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces before adding to mixture.

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Have a great recipe or a comment or question for our executive chef? Let me know below!

Buying a cooked rotisserie chicken can be a real time-saver.

CHEF DIRK IS warming up the Dutch oven this time with a classic CPP recipe.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs**
• 2 cups chicken broth*
• 1½ TBL vegetable oil
• 1 medium-large onion diced ¼ inch
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced ¼ inch
• 2 celery ribs, diced ¼ inch
• 4 TBL butter
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1½ cup low fat milk
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 3 TBL dry sherry
• ¾ cup peas, thawed
• 3 TBL minced parsley
• 1 box pre-made pie dough
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put chicken and broth in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Cover and bring to a simmer, simmer until chicken is done.
4. Transfer meat to a large bowl and broth to another bowl. Skim fat from broth.
5. Increase heat to medium high; heat oil in Dutch oven.
6. Add carrots, onion and celery and sautee’ until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
7. Meanwhile, shred or dice chicken into bite size pieces.
8. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
9. Heat butter over medium heat in Dutch oven.
10. When foaming subsides, add flour; cook for about 1 minute.
11. Whisk in reserved chicken broth, milk, and thyme.
12. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
13. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in sherry.
14. Pour sauce over chicken – vegetable mixture; stir to combine.
15. Stir in peas and parsley, adjust seasonings.
16. Pour mixture into a 9×13 inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size.
17. Top with the pie dough and bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.

** To save time you can buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and debone for the pot pie.

* If you buy the chicken you will also have to buy the chicken broth.

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Have your own recipes for pot pie? Have a comment or question for our executive chef? Let me know below!

Chef Dirk's teriyaki sauce includes green onions, soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar.

CHEF DIRK IS adding some pizzazz to your pork chops, and he’s bringing pineapple.

Ingredients

• 2 green onions chopped
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 TBL Ginger root (grated & peeled)
• 2 TBL plus ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 (about 8oz each) pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick)
• 1 pineapple

Method

• In a 9×13 glass baking dish, prepare teriyaki sauce: with fork, mix green onions, soy sauce, ginger and 2 TBL brown sugar.
• Add pork chops, turning to coat with teriyaki mixture.
• Let stand 20 minutes to marinate.
• Meanwhile, cut off rind from pineapple, then cut pineapple crosswise into ½ inch thick slices.
• Rub pineapple slices with ¼ cup brown sugar.
• Place pineapple slices on grill over medium heat.
• Cook pineapple slices 15-20 minutes until browned on both sides, turning slices occasionally.
• After pineapple has cooked 10 minutes, add pork chops and cook until lightly browned on both sides and chops just lose their pink color throughout (150 degrees) about 10 minutes.
• Turn chops occasionally and brush with remaining teriyaki mixture while grilling.
• Serve each pork chop with a grilled pineapple slice.

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Have your own recipes for pork chops? Have a comment or question for our executive chef? Let me know below!