Ingredients:

4 ounces soft goat cheese
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (25.5-ounce) jar Italian pasta sauce
3 whole garlic cloves
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Procedure:

Combine goat cheese, 2 tablespoons basil, and minced garlic; set aside. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each half to a 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among breast halves. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck in sides; secure each roll with wooden picks. Heat the pasta sauce and whole garlic cloves in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over pasta. Garnish with 1 tablespoon basil.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
6 egg whites
3 cups milk
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 16 ounce day old wheat French bread, cut into 16 slices
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
2 - 10 ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; set aside. Lightly spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Place half of the bread slices into the bottom of the dish. In a nonstick pan coating with cooking spray, saute the mushrooms, garlic, and onion until tender. Add the spinach and flour, stirring to mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Spread the spinach mixture over the bread evenly. Scatter 1 cup cheese and then top with remaining bread. Gently pour the egg mixture over the top of the casserole and then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350. When the oven is ready - bake for 40-50 minutes uncovered until puffed and golden.

Ingredients:

12 cups cauliflower florets
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place cauliflower in a large roasting pan or jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with oil; toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring every 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, thyme, tarragon, and garlic. Bake 5 minutes. Toss cauliflower mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

NEW YORK - We’ve had three seasons of U.S. Bravo’s “Top Chef” and each one has gotten arguably better as the network wised up and chose a smattering of chefs with real skills to populate the program.

What will the fourth season bring? Well, if the 16 contestants’ resumes mean anything, this year could be a dandy when it kicks off Wednesday on American television. Many of them have worked at some top-notch spots and appear to have real seasoning and one is from Canada, Lisa Fernandes of Toronto. (The show is not on Bravo in Canada although the first season was shown on The Food Network).

“I think this season is tougher . . . because the talent pool is deeper,” said Tom Colicchio, a well-known chef and judge on the show. “There are more contenders this year. These are good cooks without a doubt.”

Colicchio said Bravo couldn’t attract such talented people in the past because the show was taken lightly in culinary circles, and few with major cooking aspirations wanted to risk their reputation in a venue as derided as a back-stabbing reality show.

But that has changed.

“It has become respectable,” Colicchio said. “A lot of the chefs who came in season four probably wouldn’t have come out in season two. More and more talented chefs are coming out because the show is being taken seriously.”

One of the reasons they’re taking a chance on “Top Chef” rests with the guest judges. Last year, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud and Andre Soltner landed on the program, raising the stature of “Top Chef.”

“I think that has really legitimized the show,” said Colicchio, who owns the popular Craft steak houses.

Colicchio said contestants know they also have a shot at parlaying their fame into a restaurant like first-season winner Harold Dieterle. Colicchio doubts Dieterle could have opened Perilla in New York without the exposure he received by taking part in “Top Chef.”

Colicchio, who helped vet the resumes, said he looked for pedigree. He found plenty.

Many of contestants have the credentials to go all the way, and in some cases, the egos to make for good television.

Richard Blais, Andrew D’Ambrosi, Dale Talde, Spike Mendelsohn and Manuel Trevino all seem to have the moxie and experience to take the title. Like their victorious predecessors, they’ve worked in some decent kitchens and withstood the pressure.

Trevino rose to sous chef at Mario Batali’s Babbo, an Italian restaurant and one of New York’s best. He’s currently executive chef of a Mexican place named Dos Caminos. At Babbo, he worked with author Bill Buford for about a year.

Buford says Trevino, or Memo as he’s known, “has got a crazy amount of talent, can’t believe there are other chefs on the program who have more skills or (have) as much elegant lightness under pressure, and, probably most important, he has a genuine creative fire, a wildness that will result in his coming up with a dish so unexpected and brilliant that he will be a finalist, or else will result in some kind of equally unexpected flameout and make Memo just too damn hot too handle.”

Buford, who penned the book “Heat” while slaving away at Babbo, added that Trevino gives the show “unexpected cred.”

Like Trevino and Mendelsohn, D’Ambrosi is doing a stint at Le Cirque 2000, a legendary spot in Manhattan that recently revived its reputation after getting three stars in The New York Times (the paper took one away in 2006).

Talde is a sous chef at perennially packed Buddakan, a big operation that can turn out exceptional food when the kitchen is on its A game. He helped open restaurant Jean Georges Vong in Chicago, where the show takes place this season.

Mendelsohn works as the chef de cuisine at MAI-House. The Times named it one of the best restaurants in 2007. Mendelsohn could have some tricks up his sleeve after spending time at Les Crayeres in France, which has two Michelin stars, and Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, a famous bistro in Napa Valley.

Blais’ curriculum vitae is also impressive. According to Bravo, he “studied under luminaries such as Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Ferran Adria.” If he learned anything from those stints, the Atlantan could be formidable - though his knowledge of molecular gastronomy doesn’t guarantee victory.

OK, so what about the women?

In three seasons, a woman has never won. A female chef has come close, landing in the finals on the first and third seasons.

This season, half the contestants are women. And there may be a dark horse among them like Fernandes. She cooked at the popular Public in lower Manhattan, and now is doing catering gigs while waiting for the “right opportunity.”

“The female talent is huge,” Fernandes said in an interview. “All I’m gonna say is that we started out with more women than any other season and walking in there and seeing that many women definitely got my hopes up.”

But remember: The judges only care about one thing.

“I’m judging solely on who’s making the best food,” Colicchio said. “That’s it.”

[Source]

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons oil, divided
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2″ slices
3 tablespoons curry powder, divided
2 teaspoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon cardamom, ground
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
cilantro for garnish

Procedure:

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in nonreactive Dutch over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add half the chicken pieces and sprinkle with a generous 1/2 teaspoon curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot and heat until hot. Add the remaining chicken, sprinkle with another generous 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate. Add butter, onion and mustard seeds to the pot; cook, stirring, until the seeds pop and the onion begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, sprinkle with the remaining curry powder and cardamom(or cloves); stir to coat the chicken with the spices. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth, dried and fresh cranberries, ginger and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces slightly and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes more. Serve garnished with cilantro. Makes 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:

4 salted eggs (yolks only)
150 grams squid (calamari)
2 tablespoons sliced onions
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon shrimp oil
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
coriander leaves to garnish

Procedure:

Clean and chop the calamari into bite sized pieces. Put oil into a frying pan, over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, take just the yolk of the salty eggs and fry until half cooked, break up the egg yolks as you cook them, just like scrambled eggs. Add the calamari to the pan and fry it for a few seconds more until cooked. Remove from the pan and place on a serving dish, keep the pan ready to reuse to make the sauce. Chop the garlic and put into the pan, fry for a few seconds to release the smell. Add the fish sauce, sugar, shrimp oil, sliced onion and black pepper and fried for 1 minute. Pour this sauce over the calamari and egg mix before serving.Serve with Thai fragrant rice.

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal
2 fish heads
1 onion, chopped finely
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. ginger paste
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. cummin seeds powder
1 tsp. coriander seeds powder
3 dry red chillies
2 bay leaves
2 cardamoms
1/4″ cinnamon
4 cloves
3 black pepper
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. lemon juice
a pinch of hing
salt as per taste
oil for frying

Procedure:

Wash the dal and soak for half an hour. Pressure cook the dal with ½ tsp turmeric powder. Clean the fish heads and make into big pieces. Marinate the heads with ½ turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice. Keep aside for 45 mins. Heat oil for frying. Deep fry the fish heads till golden brown. Drain and keep aside. Remove the oil from pan keeping only approx 3 tbsp of it. Add hing, bay leaves, cloves, cardamoms, red chillies, and black pepper. Add onion and fry till transparent. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cummin powder, coriander powder. Add fish heads and simmer till they crumble. Add dal and 1 cup water. Let it boil till the required consistency of curry. Sprinkle garam masala. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup vertically sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups broccoli florets
cooking spray
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 1/2 minutes. Add broccoli; sauté 1 minute. Spread broccoli mixture into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Combine milk and next 8 ingredients (milk through eggs) in a large bowl. Pour milk mixture over broccoli mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° F for 40 minutes or until top is golden and a knife inserted in center comes out clean; let stand 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

4 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 4oz chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
cooking spray
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped onion
2 thyme sprigs
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups al dente cooked rice (about 7 mins short of being finished)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure:

Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage and chicken in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over high heat; cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add onion and thyme; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery, carrot, and broth; bring to a boil. Stir the pre-cooked rice into broth mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 7 minutes or until rice is tender. Discard thyme sprigs. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper.

Ingredients:

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced Canadian bacon (about 2 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups hot cooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) or other short pasta

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce and 1 chile(I used two as we like it spicy) from canned chiles; mince the chile. Place remaining sauce and chiles in a zip-top plastic bag; freeze for another use. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and bacon; sauté 4 minutes. Add onions; sauté 1 minute. Stir in the adobo sauce, minced chile, flour, chili powder, salt, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Gradually add milk; cook until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups cheese and cilantro, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to pan; toss well. Spoon the pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over pasta mixture. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until browned. Makes 6 servings.