Judges decide which cook tackled turkey best
We're nearly halfway through Round 1 of the Cook of the Week Challenge.
The Sweet 16-style cooking contest has yielded some interesting recipes thus far — and today we offer up more. But first, we revisit last week's matchups.
In Challenge 3, Mike Baron of South Elgin went head to head with Susie Mingee of Port Barrington using English Hollow cheddar from Green County, pita from Grecian Delight, ground turkey and spinach.
The voting was close, but Mingee's Rainbow Chili edged out Baron's breakfast pizza.
In Challenge 4, Theresa Wemlinger of Prospect Heights was matched up with Chelsea LaValle of Deer Park using garlic infused coconut oil from NOW Foods, avocado courtesy of the Westin, Itasca, turkey breast and red cabbage.
That matchup proved to be a turkey taco faceoff, and LaValle's version was deemed the best by judges.
Today, you'll see recipes made by cooks in Challenge 5, Chuck Federici of Hanover Park and Kim Bradley of Glen Ellyn, whose secret ingredients were butternut squash from Whole Foods Market, dried apricots from Terri Lynn, Inc., couscous and boneless chicken thighs.
Challenge 6 cooks, Pat Kutchins of Lake Zurich and Jack Mac Intosh of Itasca, used fennel courtesy of Marquardt Buick, cabernet sauvignon from Binny's Beverage Depot, beef tips and black-eyed peas.
A panel of judges grades each recipe based on creativity, perceived taste and appearance and use of the mystery ingredients. The final four cooks will meet in person for a live cook-off Nov. 2 at the Westin, Itasca. Get your tickets for the event at events.dailyherald.com.
Savory Turkey Breakfast Pizza — Mike Baron
Jamie Andrade: I would have liked to see a bit more creativity. Pizza is a relatively safe choice. Ground turkey lacks the fat needed for flavor and the addition of fresh herbs was a great idea. Adding the egg mixture to the pita while wet sounds a bit messy to me, but overall it seems easy enough to prep and a good alternative breakfast option to your usual eggs and bacon.
Lauren Blumer: I think that both of these lovely recipes had some great aspects to them. I will definitely be looking forward to cooking these recipes for my family. I was impressed with the overall outcome and really liked the idea of combining the ingredients into a pizza. These ingredients were perfect for it. The crust was a great use for the pita. I also thought the use of ingredients was very good. Each ingredient had an important purpose. For my perceived taste, I think that it would have a flavorful taste. The herbs mixed with the turkey would give the meat a very nice flavor. I also think that this was generally easy to make. The directions were clear and easy to follow. It may be a bit challenging for someone just learning to cook, but overall, it was not too complicated. I really liked this recipe and will be looking forward to making it for others.
Jimmy Nicolau: The breakfast pizza overall looks good and taste will be appetizing. The utilization of the ingredients was predictable. I would have liked to see the pita bread used in a different manner. Overall, it was a good application, but safe. Next time think out of the box.
Rainbow Chili with taco pita points & cheese stars — Susie Mingee
JA: With the fall approaching, chili was a good way to go with these ingredients. The pita points seem a bit of an afterthought. I may have spun it as a tailgate snack and spooned the chili into the toasted pitas. The cheese star is a bit heavy as well; shredding would have been a better option. Overall, I could see myself serving it to friends on game day.
LB: I was pleased with this recipe. Chili is always a great way to combine delicious ingredients. I thought that overall, the use of the ingredients was good. One suggestion that I can make for next time is to try serving the chili and pita in the style of chips and salsa. The reason for this is so that the pita is well incorporated into the dish, rather than just a garnish. The combination of vegetables with herbs will give the chili a fresh and vibrant flavor. While the end product of this recipe is definitely worth the wait, it can be a process to make. There are many ingredients to prepare, but all great chili recipes require this. It looked extremely appetizing and looked just as if it was fresh out of the kitchen at a restaurant. I was very pleased.
JN: The chili is a great dish to make with the ingredients. I like the toast points with the pita. Cheese was used in a good manner. I would like to see the presentation a little out the box. Overall flavor is good.
Teriyaki Turkey Tacos/Mexican Avocado Chocolate Mousse — Terri Wemlinger
Dan Rich: In what will go down in COTW history as the Turkey Taco Battle, this contestant did a very nice job with their use of the mystery basket ingredients. The tacos look very moist, tasty and the fusionist approach to the Tex-Mex/Asian dish is always of intrigue. I really like the finish of the toasted sesame seeds on the plate, however the snow peas (pea pods) pushed the fusionist concept a bit too far for me. I'm not certain that it works on the plate or the palate. A little rice next time? Most impressive was the contestant's ability to make the avocado chocolate mousse and have it be a part of the overall meal. Understanding how mystery basket ingredients work together is a true key in the COTW competition. A pearl of wisdom for the next competition would be to kick it up a bit. Turkey tacos are a bit too ordinary for the COTW challenge. I would have killed to see a turkey rouladen (a German dish, usually thinly sliced meat wrapped around some sort of filling) with a braised red cabbage, using the avocado inside the rouladen to keep the turkey a bit moist and to give it a little COTW flair.
Maggie Ziph: This meal is absolutely full of flavor. It does seem somewhat eclectic and unfocused. The mystery ingredients ought to really lead the dish and come together to enhance each other. The teriyaki taco is both appealing and exciting, but the two-day marinating time is something of a barrier. I love the idea of avocado mousse as a healthier dessert option. Very sweet.
Mike Burton: I was hungry instantly after reading this recipe. I love teriyaki and the thought of an avocado mousse is intriguing. This recipe will require adequate time to properly prepare. The Teriyaki Turkey Taco is a very nice recipe. Allowing the turkey to marinade over a couple of days will really capture the flavor of the sauce. Now, back to the intriguing part, the Mexican Avocado Chocolate Mousse. I love it! What a great idea with the added bonus of being gluten and dairy free. I will absolutely be trying this out at home.
Southwest Turkey Tacos with Grilled Veggie Slaw — Chelsea LaValle
DR: Turkey Taco Battle, part deux: The contestant did a nice job with the mystery basket ingredients. I loved the way the recipe describes the southwestern rub. One can tell that this challenger holds a real passion for their work in the kitchen. I have two concerns about the dish. The first is the obvious simplicity, which makes me question if the contestant reached far enough into their bag on this dish. This is a great make-at-home-during-the-workweek sort of dish, but I feel that it may lack the complexity needed to truly compete in the competition. Secondly, one can “over-avocado” a dish. The fat in the avocado can be a real detractor from the star of the plate (the turkey), which is the likely focus here. Gorgeous plating — I loved how meticulous you were with your presentation. For the next round, let's push the envelope a little more.
MZ: I love the textural contrast between the crunchy taco shell and the creamy avocado puree. This dish elegantly combines all four mystery ingredients in a fun and fresh way. The sweetness of the corn and pepper in the slaw and the acidity of the lime are a great balance for the earthiness of the cabbage and richness of the avocado.
MB: Coming up to Illinois from Texas, I have seen my fair share of southwest tacos. I love turkey and I have to admit, I absolutely love turkey, pork or beef with a dry rub. For the rub, it was an interesting choice to use garlic infused coconut oil combined with staple ingredients for a good rub. My mouth was watering reading all of the ingredients that make up the slaw. I love the combination of jalapeño, corn off the cob, red cabbage, red pepper and avocado. The turkey on the other hand, appears to only receive the rub and the avocado purée inside the tortilla. This recipe sounds great, however, this is not a quick throw-it-together entree. The result looks wonderful and I am sure the taste of the various ingredients from the cilantro to the jalapeño to the turkey will make your taste buds dance with a little kick at the end.