Challenge 2, Round 1 contestants share insights, recipes
Jill Robertson, Palatine
As soon I saw the basket ingredients I needed to use, I was reminded of one of my favorite meals from a place in Michigan and that I could use two of the four items. Spaghetti squash was the ingredient I would need to include, and I wanted to replace the traditional Tabbouleh in my favorite salad with the squash. I would use the other ingredients to bring out the rich Greek flavors of the recipe while also using some of my favorite ingredients. I have never eaten spaghetti squash in any way other than with a pasta sauce but I knew I was ready for a new experience and felt confident creating a new summer salad. The color of the dish is very inviting when you see it on the plate with the bright yellow squash, red tomatoes, black olives, fresh parsley, green onions, purple from the onion and the white feta cheese. I also added a little oregano to the flour dredge in the chicken to pull the Greek flavors through the entire dish. My friends came over to taste the dish and loved the color on the plate, the fresh taste and flavors of the dish. They commented about the way the flavors all complemented themselves in the salad.
Marie Bass, Mount Prospect
I prepared Mediterranean Chicken with Squash Fritters. When I received the list of ingredients - chicken, feta cheese, spaghetti squash and olives - I was pleased that these ingredients 'fit' together well. They are classic ingredients in Mediterranean dishes. My challenge was to develop a recipe that would be creative and delicious yet fit my personal cooking philosophy - fresh ingredients in a simple, non-fussy recipe that others would enjoy making. In planning the recipe, I had too many ingredients for the chicken marinade and had to cut back without sacrificing flavor. My other challenge: I was essentially making two dishes - the chicken and the fritters. The list of ingredients in my recipe was complicated until I managed to use many of the same ingredients in both the chicken marinade and the fritters (lemon, feta cheese, oil). As I cooked my dishes, I had to adjust the recipe ingredients to get the desired flavor. My first attempt at the fritters was disappointing. They were soggy. Rather than adjust the recipe ingredients, I included the technique for squeezing excess water from the squash. Overall, I am extremely pleased with my dish and my family loves it. It's easy to duplicate and tasty. Plating the dish attractively with olives and parsley for garnish was fun. In fact, this whole Cook of the Week Challenge has been fun!