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Party time! VT’s 2007 reader recipe contest winners are real crowd-pleasers.
If you’ve ever begged a hostess for an incredible recipe or hunted down a potluck participant to get the skinny on a delicious dish, then this year’s winning recipes are for you. Of the hundreds of Easy Entertaining recipes we received, the winning six not only impressed us with their simplicity and creativity, but they were good enough for tasters to request the recipes even before the contest results were revealed.
The big thing the winners have in common? They love a challenge. This year, the trick was to find new ways to incorporate sponsored products into enticing, innovative dishes. First-prize winner Laura McAllister used a Szechuan sauce to turn a classic Southern relish into an exotic salad. Margie Slowen’s vanilla-laced Chimp Cakes prove you don’t need eggs or dairy to come up with a decadent dessert. Shane A. Hotakainen tapped into the Asianfusion trend and came up with a vegan Thai pizza that rivals anything an upscale pizzeria could make. And it took some pretty creative thinking to use yogurt in a stuff ed-pepper recipe, rice in a blended soup, and cereal in a savory hors d’oeuvre.
But don’t take our word for it. Try the recipes for yourself. Make them for a party, take them to a potluck, then sit back and wait for some impressed guest to seek you out for the recipe.
1st Place
SZECHUAN BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD
Serves 6 ● Vegan ● 30 minutes or fewer
Laura McAllister devised this spicy dish to please her salad-loving family. “I’m always trying to come up with something new for them so food doesn’t get boring,” she explains. “The kids love eating the salad wrapped in tortillas—it’s also great served over baby spinach that’s been sautéed in a small amount of olive oil.”
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
2 14-oz. cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced (2 Tbs.)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 avocado, cubed (1 cup)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. San-J Szechuan Sauce*
2 tsp. sugar
- Toss together black-eyed peas, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic in large bowl. Toss avocado with lemon juice in separate bowl. Add avocado to black-eyed pea mixture.
- Whisk together oil, vinegar, Szechuan sauce, and sugar in bowl used for avocado. Toss black-eyed pea mixture with Szechuan sauce dressing.
PER SERVING: 223 CAL; 5G PROT; 14G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 20G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 438MG SOD; 6G FIBER; 3G SUGARS
2nd Place
CHIMP CAKES
Makes 18 cakes ● Vegan
A longtime vegetarian who recently went vegan, Margie Slowen drew her inspiration from two beloved family members. “My great-grandmother created the original banana bread recipe, and in an effort to preserve the tradition after I became vegan, this was one I updated,” she explains. “I added the chocolate chips for my sister when she was seven months pregnant. She craved chocolate in everything!”
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup Sucanat
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. Simply Organic Vanilla Extract*
1/4 cup soymilk
3 small ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
6 oz. vegan chocolate chips, such as Sunspire (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin-tin cups with paper cupcake liners. Whisk together fl ours, Sucanat, and baking soda in large bowl. Combine applesauce, oil, and vanilla in separate bowl. Fold applesauce mixture into flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Stir in soymilk and bananas. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Fill prepared muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then unmold onto wire rack to cool.
PER CAKE: 237 CAL; 2G PROT; 11G TOTAL FAT (2.5G SAT. FAT); 34G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 79MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 18G SUGARS
3rd Place
THAI CHIK’N PIZZA
Serves 8 ● Vegan ● 30 minutes or fewer
Why Thai for a pizza topping? “I’d been seeing lots of Asian-Western food hybrids but very little that was vegan, so I thought I would change that,” Shane A. Hotakainen explains.
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
1/4 cup natural salt-free peanut butter
1 Tbs. San-J Reduced Sodium Tamari Sauce*
1 Tbs. sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste
1 Tbs. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. tamarind concentrate
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 1-lb. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
4 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3/4 cup diced Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips*
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 small shallot, quartered and thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Sriracha hot sauce, optional
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together peanut butter, tamari, sambal oelek, sugar, tamarind concentrate, garlic, curry powder, oil, and ginger in small bowl.
- Roll dough out to 12- x 17-inch rectangle on lightly fl oured work surface. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spread peanut butter mixture over dough. Sprinkle with mushrooms, Chik’n Strips, bell pepper, and shallot.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes, then sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired.
PER SERVING: 257 CAL; 11G PROT; 11G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 29G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 497MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 5G SUGARS
Honorable Mentions
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MUSHROOM BASKET APPETIZERS
Makes 44 baskets
“Crispy on the outside, savory and satisfying on the inside, these easy little hors d’oeuvres are elegant enough to pass around on a silver tray,” raves VT editor in chief Elizabeth Turner. Trouble is, a technical glitch made it impossible for us to know the identity of the brilliant creator of these tasty bites with “just the right amount of crunch,” as Lori Rodriguez, assistant to the VT publisher, described them. The innovative use of a sponsored ingredient and the party-perfect presentation still make it a winner worth sharing with readers.
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
1 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped (3 cups)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. spicy horseradish mustard
4 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tbs. garlic salt
1 Tbs. seasoned salt, such as Season-All
4 cups Nature’s Path Flax Plus Multibran Cereal*
44 wonton wrappers
44 whole almonds
Thyme sprigs for garnish, optional
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 12-cup mini-muffi n tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion, and sauté 6 minutes, or until soft. Stir in wine, mustard, 2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and seasoning salt, and remove from heat. Crumble cereal over mushroom mixture, and stir to combine.
- Press one wonton wrapper into each prepared mini-muffin-tin cup. Spoon mushroom mixture into wonton wrapper, and top with a pinch of Parmesan cheese and an almond. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Remove cups from mini-muffin tins, and keep warm. Wash, and coat tins with cooking spray once more, and repeat filling and baking cups with remaining wonton wrappers, filling, cheese, and almonds. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
PER BASKET: 48 CAL; 2G PROT; 1.5G TOTAL FAT (0.5G SAT. FAT); 8G CARB; 1MG CHOL; 245MG SOD; 1G FIBER; 1G SUGARS
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ORZO-STUFFED PEPPERS
Serves 6
Judy Hickman Armstrong, 52 Prairieville, La.
A bunch of red bell peppers in her fridge motivated Judy Hickman Armstrong to whip up this dish. “I’ve combined leeks, orzo, and bell peppers before,” she says. “I thought Key lime yogurt would make a great variation of a traditional stuffed bell pepper.” The verdict from VT food editor Mary Margaret Chappell? “Anyone who uses fresh marjoram gets a gold star from me—it’s so uncommon and so good.”
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
6 large red or yellow bell peppers
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1 leek, white and pale green parts thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3 Tbs. fresh marjoram leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 6-oz. container Stonyfi eld Farms Key Lime Yogurt*
1 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
Lime quarters and zest for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8- x 12-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Slice tops from peppers, and set peppers upright in prepared baking dish.
- Heat oil and butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in orzo, tomatoes, marjoram, salt, and cayenne pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add 2 cups broth, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in yogurt and 3/4 cup cheese.
- Spoon orzo mixture into peppers. Top with remaining cheese, and set stems atop peppers. Pour remaining broth around peppers. Cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Garnish with limes and zest.
PER SERVING: 313 CAL; 12G PROT; 14.5G TOTAL FAT (5.5G SAT. FAT); 36G CARB; 19MG CHOL; 823MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 11G SUGARS
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CASABLANCA CARROT SOUP
Serves 6 ● Vegan ● 30 minutes or fewer
Roxanne Chan, 63 Albany, Calif.
Roxanne Chan gets cooking inspiration from her garden: “I had an abundance of carrots—the challenge was to find a way to use the Mahatma rice creatively with them!” Chan suggests serving this soup with your favorite flat bread and a spinach salad. VT creative director Bill McKenney recommends making extra so you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
* indicates a sponsored ingredient
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. carrots, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
2 green onions, minced (2 Tbs.)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon*
1/2 tsp. Simply Organic Ground Turmeric*
1/2 tsp. Simply Organic Ground Cumin*
1/4 tsp. Simply Organic Red Pepper Flakes*
2 14.5-oz. cans low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups carrot juice
1 cup cooked Mahatma Natural Long Grain Brown Rice*
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
Sliced almonds and mint sprigs for garnish, optional
- Heat oil in large pot over mediumhigh heat. Add carrots, onions, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, and red pepper flakes; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, until carrots are very tender.
- Purée carrot mixture with carrot juice, rice, and mint in blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Return to pot to warm, if necessary. Serve hot or chilled, garnished with almonds and mint.
PER SERVING: 145 CAL; 2G PROT; 5G TOTAL FAT (0.5G SAT. FAT); 22G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 186MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 5G SUGARS
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at a glance
The 1st place winner was not a winner at a recent pot luck party. I chose to make the Szechuan Black Eyed Peas salad as my contribution to a recent pot luck party. It didn't seem to hit the spot with people because the bowl/platter was still "full of beans" at the end of the evening. Sorry you chose that for a winner. It sure wasn't a winner at our party.
B Gillispie - 2008-02-01 14:22:39