Naperville cooks compete at national cook-off

As Margaret Murphy steps up to the stove Thursday as one of 25 contestants in the National Beef Cook-Off, one thing she will not be is nervous.

The Naperville woman, known as Muggy (Moo-gy) to her friends, will make her second appearance at the contest, sponsored by the National Beef Cattlemen's Association, and she said it can't go any worse than it did in South Dakota in 2005 when her cheese-filled meatballs earned her a spot in the finals.

"I had everything done and was sitting and waiting (to present it to the judges), so I put it back in the oven to keep it warm," Murphy recalled. "I forgot I had arranged fresh oregano on the top so beautifully and it just burned. I thought 'Oh, well, I'll just go down and have a margarita and play the slots.'"

She even stayed calm during the flight when the landing gear didn't engage and the flight crew had to manually put it down.

"I just don't get nervous," she said.

While a friend encouraged her to enter the 2005 contest, she didn't need a nudge this time around. She entered several recipes, but it was her Mexican Beef Stew Over Chipotle Sweet Potato Mashers, entered in the Nuevo Latino category, that struck a chord with the judges. Murphy seasons stew meat with cocoa powder and chili pepper and simmers it with tomatoes and bell peppers in a spicy broth. She serves the stew over sweet potatoes that have been infused with chipotle peppers and adobo sauce.

Other categories in the 2007 beef cook-off are New Dynamic Beef Dishes, Small Plates, Big Taste and Kids in the Kitchen, a category for child/parent teams. Some $110,000 in cash and prizes is on the line, including the $50,000 "Best of Beef" grand prize.

"Mexican is one of my favorite foods," said Murphy, who worked on her recipes while she was being treated for breast cancer. "I was not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself, so I played around with the recipes. I have six grandchildren who could eat all the mistakes."

Joining Murphy in Chicago at the competition, to be held at the James Hotel, will be 8-year-old twins Danielle and Riley Mitchell and their mother Shannon of Naperville. Neighbor and professional cooking "contester" Gloria Brady suggested the trio enter a family favorite: Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps with Wowee Sauce. All were surprised when the first-time entrants got tapped for the finals.

"I'm very excited but also kinda nervous at the same time," said Danielle, who counts Cookie Crisp as her favorite cereal and likes to help make dinner. Riley said she likes helping Grandpa bread fish sticks and likes mixing batter for waffles and pancakes for breakfasts at home.

"The girls love to cook; they're really looking forward to this," Shannon said.

A limousine will take Mom and the young chefs to Chicago while Dad and their 6-year-old brother stay home. The girls have told all their friends about their upcoming adventure; even the principal at Beebe Elementary School, where they attend third grade, has heard the news.

On contest day, Shannon will handle the task of browning the ground beef and green onions. Danielle said her job is to tear and dry the lettuce for the wraps and put the water chestnuts on the top.

"I like to put the ingredients in to make the sauce," Riley said of the pineapple juice, soy sauce and orange marmalade mixture. "It tastes so good you just want to say 'I love this sauce.'"

Maybe the judges will agree.

The competition

While the Mitchell twins are making their first cooking contest appearance, there are many veterans on the list of finalists. Kurt Wait, for example, is a past $1 million Pillsbury Bake-Off winner; Roxanne Chan, Diane Coates and Patrice Hurd know their way around the competitive cooking circuit as well.

Here are the National Beef Cook-off contestants and their dishes:

New Dynamic Beef Dishes

Michael Cohen, Los Angeles, Calif.: Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps

Veronica Callaghan, Glastonbury, Conn.: Pepper Steak Salad With Mango, Avocado and Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Barbara Estabrook, Rhinelander, Wis.: Turkish-style Sirloin With Roasted-Garlic-Fig Sauce

Diane Coates, Allendale, N.J.: Grilled Szechuan Steak & Bok Choy Wraps With Spicy Peanut Mayonnaise

Michelle Benthin, Gates, Ore.: Cajun Beef Southwestern Salad

Nuevo Latino Beef Dishes

Christine Riccitelli, Incline Village, Nev.: Nuevo Chipotle Beef in Butternut Squash Boats

Norma Fried, Denver, Colo.: Aji-Beef Short Ribs With Golden Herbed Quinoa

Patrice Hurd, Bemidji, Minn.: Spanish Beef Dips With Caramelized Manchego Onions

Roxanne Chan, Albany, Calif.: Calypso Beef Soup

Margaret Murphy, Naperville: Mexican Beef Stew Over Chipotle Sweet Potato Mashers

Kids in the Kitchen

Teresa and Catherine Ralston, New Albany, Ohio: Hoisin BBQ Steak-on-a-Stick With Pineapple Salsa

John and Morgan Hanrahan, Olympia, Wash.: Buffalo-style Beef Tacos

Shannon with Danielle and Riley Mitchell, Naperville: Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps With Wowee Sauce

Tracy and Bradley Schuhmacher, Penfield, N.Y.: Greek Meatball Subs

Shannon and Tanner Kohn, Simpsonville, S.C.: Mu Shu Steak and Apple Wraps

Small Plates, Big Taste

Deborah Biggs, Omaha, Neb.: Tapas-style Pepper-Steak "Parfaits"

Lori Falce, Osceola Mills, Pa.: Caprese Polenta Burgers

Lisa Huff, Clive, Iowa: Smoky Cilantro Pesto Beef Crostini

Kurt Wait, Redwood City, Calif.: Ginger-Maple Steak With Napa Cabbage and Grilled Onions

Angela Buchanan, Longmont, Colo.: Adobo Beef Tacos With Pickled Red Onions

-- Deborah Pankey

Mexican Beef Stew Over Chipotle Sweet Potato Mashers

2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1 to 1½-inch pieces

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon ground ancho chile pepper

1-2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1½ cups frozen mixed red, yellow and green bell pepper blend

1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1½ cups ready-to-serve beef broth

1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½-2-inch pieces

1-2 tablespoons butter (optional)

1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper

Combine flour, cocoa and ancho chile pepper in large bowl. Add beef and toss to coat evenly with flour mixture. Remove beef; reserve any excess flour mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown ½ of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining beef, adding remaining 1 tablespoon butter if needed. Remove beef from stockpot; season with salt and black pepper.

To the pot add bell peppers; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and reserved flour mixture. Return beef to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1¾ to 2¼ hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Meanwhile prepare Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking liquid. Return potatoes and reserved cooking liquid to saucepan; add butter, if desired, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, salt and ancho chile pepper. Mash potatoes until just blended and slightly chunky.

Serve stew over sweet potatoes.

Serves six.

Cook's notes: For less heat, remove seeds from chipotle peppers.

Nutrition values per serving: 377 calories; 12 g fat (6 g saturated), 36 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 30 g protein, 83 mg cholesterol, 827 mg sodium.

Margaret Murphy, Naperville

Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps With Wowee Sauce

1 pound ground beef

½ cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons reduced sodium or regular soy sauce

Pepper to taste

8 large lettuce leaves (such as Bibb, leaf or iceberg)

¾ cup sliced water chestnuts

¾ cup shredded carrots

Wowee sauce

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained

½ cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons reduced sodium or regular soy sauce

Combine Wowee Sauce ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into small crumbles. Pour off drippings, if necessary. Add green onions and soy sauce; season with pepper, as desired. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Evenly spoon beef mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Top with equal amounts of water chestnuts and carrots. Spoon some Wowee Sauce over top. Wrap lettuce around filling. Serve with remaining sauce.

Serves four.

Cook's note: Three-fourths cup crushed baked tortilla chips may be substituted for sliced water chestnuts.

Nutrition values per serving (using 95 percent lean ground beef): 389 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated ) 35 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g fiber, 40 g protein, 114 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium.

Shannon, Danielle and Riley Mitchell, Naperville