Cook of the Week Challenge - Find out who will advance to round 4
This story has been updated to include comments by Cook of the Week Challenge judge Argie Karafotias.
In round three of the Cook of the Week Challenge, our intrepid home cooks received secret ingredient bags containing Pure Lemon Paste from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas; Greek yogurt from Golden Brunch; orzo; Tacchino Arrosto Oven Roasted Italian Turkey from Greenridge Farm; and Pumpkin Seed Oil from NOW Foods.
Their efforts produced tacos, salads, potpie, soup, gyros, pesto and more. While each week the cooks come up with ever more complex and creative things to eat, judges use a numerical score sheet to determine who won't advance to the last semifinal round. Dylan James of Hawthorn Woods won't be going on to round four.
This week the judges are Argie Karafotias, owner of Golden Brunch in Arlington Heights; Elizabeth Schuttler, 2017 Cook of the Year; Suzy Singh, a chef with NOW Foods, Robert Kempa, executive chef at Chandler's Chophouse; Beth Nielsen, vice president of culinary at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas; and Ahmed Azizy, executive chef for the Westin in Itasca.
Oscar Chapa
Blue Mediterranean Turkey Tacos and Orzo Fideo Soup
Schuttler: Outstanding! I'm hungry looking at the picture! I enjoyed the recipe for the homemade tortillas.
Singh: Yum! Mediterranean tacos - yes, please. I love the use of Mediterranean flavors to create a delicious dish that the whole family can enjoy. Remember that every component on your plate needs a purpose. I wished you used a mystery box ingredient for your cucumber pico de gallo.
Kempa: Cucumber pico de gallo - this is a very creative and flavorful take on regular pico. I love the blend of Hispanic and Mediterranean flavors. This recipe is well thought out and shows good use of ingredients.
Nielsen: Good homemade tortillas are the best, but many home cooks might not want the fuss. I think each would be good dishes, although I'm concerned about the taste of tzatziki on the same plate with spicy pico de gallo. I'm not sure they're a good pairing.
Azizy: This is an outstanding presentation with a focus on details. Making the tortilla is a good idea. Good work.
Karafotias: The use and melding of the ingredients here are excellent. You made a wonderful choice in creating a light pico de gallo, which is essential to get that Mediterranean flavor. Good work.
Mark Clemens
Roasted Turkey Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce and Lemony Orzo Salad
Schuttler: Overall very creative and this recipe is easy to follow. Great job highlighting the mystery ingredients. I wish the contestant would have gone a different direction on the presentation. It looked too simple.
Singh: These ingredients are perfect for a Greek gyro. I'm pleased you created this dish as it all makes sense. I like the use of pumpkin seed oil and lemon paste in the tzatziki sauce. I wish you seared the turkey on the stovetop with organic pumpkin seed oil. Using the oil would elevate the flavor of the turkey and add more textural contrast to the gyro.
Kempa: Tzatziki and gyros go hand in hand. This is definitely a healthier version of one of my favorite Greek foods. And it looks like a quick and simple recipe that would be good anytime.
Nielsen: This looks like a relatively simple recipe, and tasty.
Azizy: The gyro is a good idea. Making a homemade bread to go with it instead of the ready-made pita bread would be a plus here.
Karafotias: This dish would be easy to prepare and would make a light and flavorful meal. I wish you had chopped the ingredients for tzatziki and not used a food processor. By cutting the tzatziki ingredients, you get a more textural sauce.
Roberta Fahey
Greek Turkey Salad with a Lemon Orzo and Served With a Tzatziki Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Schuttler: I liked the home cook's use of the mystery ingredients. This recipe is very easy to follow. Toasting the orzo was a great idea, but plating the dish could be a little cleaner.
Singh: I love the idea of toasting the orzo to develop the flavors of the pasta. I wish you used the organic pumpkin seed oil instead of butter to enhance the flavor of the pasta. I like the salad with tzatziki cucumber yogurt sauce but wish you had plated it with the sauce on the salad instead of on the side. Overall this looks like a delicious dish, and I'm officially craving a Greek salad.
Kempa: This is a beautiful presentation. The use of the special ingredients was well balanced and included in every part of the dish, which gives a consistent flavor with every bite.
Nielsen: There are a lot of ingredients here, and that might scare off the average home cook. It looks absolutely delicious though! I can't wait to try it.
Azizy: The selection of a salad for this recipe is a good idea, although I would use the sauce in the salad instead of on the side. I suggest working on a clean presentation.
Karafotias: This dish presents as light and fresh tasting. It's also easy to prepare. You had a terrific idea in grating the cucumber.
Dylan James
Turkey, Pumpkin, and Orzo Pot Pie with a side of Cranberry Lemon Chutney garnished with Crushed Pecans and Pumpkin Seed Oil
Schuttler: I loved the idea of a potpie. This is an excellent job of thinking outside the box. I would have omitted the pecans on the side and added the pumpkin seed oil to the potpie mixture. This recipe might be a little tough to follow for a home cook.
Singh: I am super impressed that you made the dough using the organic pumpkin seed oil, but I wish you used this oil instead of butter. This oil would be perfect in the roux as well as the mirepoix and provide even more flavor to the dish. Remember to keep it simple; you can elevate the characteristics of the mystery box ingredients without overcomplicating the dish.
Kempa: This is an interesting-looking dish that would delight on a cold night. I would have liked to see the orzo mixture included inside the potpie and then drizzled with the cranberry chutney for a nicer presentation.
Nielsen: Potpie is excellent comfort food, but not very creative. I'm sure it's tasty, though!
Azizy: Turkey potpie is a good idea. It will be tasty if executed correctly and the cranberry chutney is a unique choice for this dish. Good job.
Karafotias: The cook here created an impressive recipe and presentation. You made good choices of ingredients, and they all blend nicely.
Darla Pitts
Creamy Lemon Pesto Orzo with Oven Roasted Turkey, Asparagus & Tomato
Schuttler: This looks fantastic! Lemon pesto sounds amazing. This is an excellent use of mystery ingredients and looks easy to prepare.
Singh: Now this is what I am talking about! I love the use of the organic pumpkin seed oil to sauté the turkey. Genius use of the pumpkin seed oil to emulsify the pesto as well. This dish is light but filled with flavor.
Kempa: This is a well-balanced dish - flavorful yet simple to prepare and execute.
Nielsen: I love the bright, fresh colors. This is pretty easy to make as well.
Azizy: Lovely presentation. The use of the ingredients suggests this dish will taste great.
Karafotias: This recipe would be an easy dish to make for both small and large parties. The finished dish does lack a bit of color; the lemon garnish is not enough for a wow. By adding more color, I believe you would make this more appealing and a draw to both the eyes and appetite.
Ann Wayne
Turkey Crepes with Pesto & Orzo Risotto Stuffed Mini Peppers
Schuttler: Very creative! Excellent idea to make homemade crepes. I liked the multiple uses of the lemon paste. Instead of a main dish and side, I might have added orzo to the crepe filling for easier preparation.
Singh: I am "Fall"ing in love with the lemon herb pesto. The use of the organic pumpkin seed oil in the pesto sauce is perfect for the season. Although, the orzo in the mini peppers seemed disjointed from the rest of the dish. Next time try to focus on one complete meal instead of separate dishes.
Kempa: An interesting take on crepes and I love the use of yogurt in the pesto to give it a delicious creaminess. This would be great as a fall brunch item. As for plate presentation, a drizzle of pesto directly onto the plate would have made it stand out a little more.
Nielsen: I love the bright, fresh colors. This is pretty easy to make as well.
Azizy: The crepe idea is a good choice. The stuffed peppers are a nice touch, but I'd recommend a different sauce.
Karafotias: On the whole, this is a very creative dish and plating. It would not be easy to make for, say, entertaining. I believe the strong flavors - pumpkin seed oil, lemon paste, mint, basil and garlic - might overcome each other and, in the long run, not mesh well.