Wonderful Adventure at the World Food Championships

World Food Championships 2014 

This year WFC Grand Prize @ the Final Table was $100,000.00

http://www.worldfoodchampionships.com/news/431/san-diego-chef-crowned-2014-world-food-champion

What excitement last week November 12th - 18th.

2014 World Food Championship (9) Categories

• Barbecue
• Chili
• Sandwich
• Burger
• Dessert
• Bacon
• Recipe
• Pasta
• Seafood

The recipe category was based on the theme " Cheese". 

Judges were told that every recipe must feature and highlight cheese as the star of the dish.

 Kenmore Kitchen Coliseum 

My Signature Dish - This Isn't A Philly Cheesesteak

The Signature Dish is intended to allow the cook to put their best foot forward. Show the judges what you can do best with cheese.

After the signature round my sandwich put me in the Top Twenty coming in at # 13 with a score of 81.75%

Structured Build Dish  Picadillo w/Chili Cheese

The theme for Structured Build Dish was South of the Border. Mexican cuisine is a culinary favorite.  This round separates the proverbial "men from the boys"  by creating an even footing or structure, which will show our proven culinary skills.  After this round, my Picadillo earned me 87.875% and moved me from the Top 20 to the Top Ten 7th place.

Infused Ingredient Round - Cheese & Potatoes

Cheesy Potato Mushroom Gratin score 78.44%

The infused ingredient for the Recipe Category was Potatoes.  This round will show off a cook's culinary creativity and ability to pair featured ingredients in a manner that both creates an impressive finished product and also highlights cheese and potatoes. Now not expecting to make it to the top ten, I had to create a recipe on the fly to fix for this round.  My combined score for all three entries was 80.99%, which placed 4th in Top Ten Recipe Category.

http://www.worldfoodchampionships.com/scores/competition/7

I had so much fun doing this and I looking forward to next years 2015 World Food Championship which will be held in Kissimmee Florida November 1st - 8th 2015.

Eating Lean and Clean 2013 - Recipe #4

Black-Eyed Peas with a Healthy Twist

Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: 55 minutes    Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 4 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

• 1/2 Cup diced onions

• 4 Cups  Low Sodium Chicken Broth

• 4 cups Fresh black eyed peas, or frozen, defrosted and drained

• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

• 1/4 Cup chopped scallions for garnish

Directions for this recipe

1.  In a 3 - 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat; add olive oil, garlic and onion. Sauté until translucent.  Then add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

2. Add black-eyed peas, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30-40 minutes or until tender. ( Add a little water if necessary.  Then add red pepper flakes and let simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place beans in a serving dish and add chopped scallions for garnish.  Serve over steamed white or brown rice.  

 

Eating Lean and Clean 2013 - Recipe #1

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

Candied Sweet Potatoes is a family recipe that I needed to make healthier.  I took away the sugar and butter that made up the heavy syrup and substituted with Agave Nectar and Olive Oil.  When you roast the sweet potatoes in the oven lightly coated with olive oil and agave nectar with a little chili powder you will get caramelized potatoes with a little hit of spice.  You can also add fresh herbs that will take it to another level. 

Serving Size : 4 - 6            Prep Time:  15              Cook Time: 40 - 45 minutes

Ingredients

·       2 ½  pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

·       2      tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·       2      tablespoons agave nectar ( substitute for agave nectar is “Pure Maple Syrup”)

·       1      tablespoon of fresh squeeze lime juice

·       4     cloves garlic (minced)

·       1      tablespoon fresh grated ginger

·       1      teaspoon cinnamon

·       1      teaspoon chili powder

·       1      teaspoon nutmeg

·       ½     teaspoon all spice

·       ½    cup fresh scallions (chopped for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray cooking spray lightly on a large foil-line baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic fresh ginger and spices. Then add sweet potatoes; toss and coat well.
3. Place season sweet potatoes on to baking pan and spread them out into a single layer, so that they can roast evenly. 
4. Roast sweet potatoes in oven, stirring occasionally, for about  40 - 45 minutes or until they are golden brown, tender, and caramelized.  Remove from oven and season with a little salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Then place in serving dish and granish with fresh  scallions.
   

Note about agave nectar

Use ½ to 2/3 cup Agave Nectar = 1 cup of regular sugar. 

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave is a natural sweetener extracted from the core of the Blue Agave plant.

• Sweet, mild nectar is 25% sweeter than sugar (so more is less!)
• A perfect multi-purpose sweetener for beverages, fresh fruit and general table-top use
• Glycemic index of 39 or less; Natural sweetness without the blood sugar spike
• Blue Agave is non-crystallizing and quick dissolving. 

Blue Agave has a bright sweetness that quickly dissipates, perfect in baked goods, fresh fruit and smoothies, salad dressings and savory sauces. 


Cooking tips:

• Use as a one-for-one replacement for sugar, then adjusts to your own personal taste. Some chefs prefer to use 75% as much Blue Agave nectar as they would sugar in a recipe, but others prefer a straight 1:1 replacement.
• Reduce the other liquids in a recipe by up to 30%.
• Cook lower and slower: reduce your baking temperature by about 25 degrees and bake for a little longer.