Cook of the Week Challenge Round 2
The last four Cook of the Week Challenge contestants share their thoughts on creating recipes with their secret ingredients.
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract, pork chops, ricotta cheese and beets
Mary Beth Riley: My first reaction to the ingredients was how much I liked each one individually, but how could I use them all together? The added challenge of only using eight additional ingredients was also really thought provoking. Due to the restrictions, I decided to go with one flavor profile and chose the Oktoberfest theme. I had never made spaetzle in my life, but thought if the Italians can put ricotta in gnocchi, why can't the Germans put it in spaetzle? I'm happy with the flavors of this dish, and I was delighted to deliver a recipe with a nod to my German roots
Penny Kazmier: I was happy to see the beets and pork chops on my list, as I like both ingredients, but pairing them with ricotta cheese and vanilla was going to be interesting. The first thing I did was call a couple trusted “foodie” friends to share my new list and they offered some ideas, along with some great cookbooks for reference. The best thing I did was to go shopping in several stores and farmers markets where I found some great varieties of beets and picked up most of my other ingredients. I love fall and think pork, apples and pumpkin are essential to any fall menu and tried to incorporate these items into my meal, along with my favorite ingredient, goat cheese.
Fortune Fish Salmon, Trade East Citrus Grilling Rub, sweet corn and pumpkin seeds
Mark Clemens: When I first saw my new list of ingredients I was immediately pleased. I take pride in preparing fish for people. Their sometimes ambivalent attitude changes when they realize what a great food stuff it can be. I saw the pumpkin seeds and immediately knew I had to go with a mole as I enjoy the many versions of this classic Mexican accompaniment. I was able to double-up on the jalapenos and onions in both the salsa and the mole which allowed me to make the shorter ingredient list go farther. I knew by Friday night that I would eat this recipe again as neighbors and family thought I hit a perfect balance.
Antonio De Pau: When I got the list of the ingredients for this challenge, the main ingredient (salmon) opened my mind to a variety of dishes: salmon with pasta, risotto or just pan-fried in butter. Because the second ingredient was the Trade East Citrus Grillin Seasoning, I could see my competition being steered toward grilling. I ended up choosing an easy and tasty way to prepare the salmon. This recipe brings me back home to Naples (Italy) with memories of a fishing trip on a lake where we caught a variety of fish, one of which was trota salmonata (salmon trout), the color and taste is very similar to steelhead salmon. We brought the fish back to the house we were staying in, and scrounged to find what we could use to cook it. Outside there were lemon and orange trees, so we utilized those fruits. We then found some honey and onions and decided to put them all together. The result was a Mediterranean taste for this delicious colorful fish. I hope you enjoy the simplicity and tastiness of this dish.