Banking A Winner Can You Create A Culinary Masterpiece From Common Ingredients? The Food Bank Cooking Contest Proves It’S Possible.
Imagine having to serve 60, 80 or even more guests an appealing and tasty meal and make it with the not-exactly-exciting ingredients available from a food bank.
It’s not an easy job, but the chefs for various charitable agencies around town have whipped up some intriguing dishes over the years. They’ve used supplies from the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest, a nonprofit organization providing food to people in need throughout the Inland Northwest.
To celebrate creativity on a limited budget, the Second Harvest Food Bank (formerly known as the Spokane Food Bank) recently held its fourth annual “Agency Culinary Cook-Off” at Clinkerdagger restaurant. Several local social service agencies submitted dishes for the competition, and celebrity judges from around town put them to the test.
The winning dish - Picante Chicken - was created by Alex Arich and Rose Van Keuren from the Brownstone Work Release center.
This dish will be served at the Food Bank’s annual “Taking a Bite Out of Hunger” event next Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Spokane Arena.
More than 40 vendors, including Clinkerdagger, Luna, Luigi’s, Shutters Bristo, Just American Desserts and 4 Seasons Coffee will offer tastes of some of their favorite recipes. Area wineries and brewers will offer samples of beer and wine. An auction rounds out the evening with items ranging from cruises and travel certificates to a basketball signed by Gonzaga University players and jewelry.
Tickets for “Taking a Bite Out of Hunger” are $35 per person. For more information, call 534-6678, extension 233.
Picante Chicken Alex Arich and Rose Van Keuren, Brownstone Work Release
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups mild picante sauce
2 leaves fresh cilantro
2 cloves fresh garlic
Butter
Chili powder, granulated onion and garlic seasoning to taste
Marinade the chicken overnight in the picante sauce, cilantro and fresh garlic. After marinading, pat the chicken breasts dry and arrange in a baking dish. Brush with butter and season to taste with chili powder, onion and garlic. Bake at 425 degress for 30 minutes or until browned. Top with Chili Gravy (below).
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 288 calories, 15 grams fat (47 percent fat calories), 31 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, 97 milligrams cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 539 milligrams sodium.
Chili Gravy
1/2 cup oil
1 cup flour
Hot water, as needed
3/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine oil and flour and add hot water until desired gravy thickness is reached. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Serve over chicken breasts and top with shredded cheese.
Mulligatawny Soup Cally DeWitt, House of Charity
3 ounces margarine
6 ounces chopped onion
6 ounces diced carrots
6 ounces sliced celery
1/2 pound sliced green peppers
1 tablespoon curry powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Dash pepper
1 gallon chicken stock
2 quarts tomatoes, canned with juice
4 whole cloves
1 pound Granny Smith apples, chopped
1-1/2 pounds chicken meat, cooked and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Melt margarine in stockpot. Add vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings. Add stock, tomatoes, cloves and apples. Add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add parsley and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 25 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 75 calories, 3.4 grams fat (42 percent fat calories) 2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1,671 milligrams sodium.
Nick’s Mix ‘n’ Match Surprise Meatloaf Nicholas F. Goeghan, Shalom Ministries
15 eggs
2 pounds frozen ground beef, thawed
1-1/2 pounds frozen ground pork, thawed
3 pounds rolled oats (coarsely ground)
2 (15-ounce) cans applesauce
4 ounces beef base
3 ounces brown sugar
6 ounces prepared mustard
1/4 stalk fresh celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ounces seasoning salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground garlic
Gravy:
1 cup cooking oil
White flour
Water and pan drippings from meatloaf
1 (15-ounce) can applesauce
1 tablespoon beef base
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (optional)
Begin meatloaf the day before it is to be served so it can be refrigerated, which helps with slicing.
Hard boil 10 eggs. Drain and cover with cold water until ready to peel.
Mix the thawed ground meats and place in a mixing bowl. Add 5 raw eggs, ground oats, 1-1/2 cans of applesauce, beef base, brown sugar, mustard, celery, onion, seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce and ground garlic. Thoroughly mix all ingredients to a relatively stiff, moldable consistency.
Transfer mixture to a 12- by 24-inch baking pan. Wet hands and form a 5-inch wide loaf along the length of the pan. Partially split the loaf along its centerline. Arrange the boiled eggs (peel, first) end-to-end within the split. With wet hands, compress and seal the seam and all surfaces of the loaf. Brush with remaining 1/2 can of applesauce, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1-1/2 hours or until nearly done. (To add moisture during baking, brush with a mixture of 1/3 cup au jus mix, another 15-ounce can of applesauce, 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 10 quarts of water.) Refrigerate overnight and slice next day to reveal “surprise” egg in the middle.
Place slices overlapping in a baking pan and cover. Cook in a 350-degree oven to complete cooking. Serve topped with gravy.
To make the gravy, heat oil in a cooking pot. Stir in sufficient flour to form a roux in the consistency of a light paste. Stir in water and any drippings from the meatloaf pan to produce desired gravy consistency. Continue heating while adding applesauce, beef base, brown sugar, seasoning salt and mustard. Check taste and adjust ingredients as necessary. Gravy should be simmered before serving and stirred occasionally.
Yield: 60 servings.
Nutritional information per serving (meatloaf): 195 calories, 8 grams fat (37 percent fat calories), 11 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 717 milligrams sodium.
Nutritional information per serving (gravy): 44 calories, 4 grams fat (82 percent fat calories), less than 1 gram protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, less than 1 milligram cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 86 milligrams sodium.
Piggy Pie Jack Alban, Teen Challenge
3 cups diced onion
1 cup bacon fat
5 pounds ground pork
4 cups water
Flour
1 cup milk
Chicken base to taste
6 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced carrots
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 pounds pie dough
Saute onion in bacon fat until translucent. Add pork and fry until done. Pour off fat, reserving for gravy.
To make the gravy, use the reserved fat and an equal amount of flour and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup milk and enough water to make gravy. Correct taste by adding chicken (or ham) base. Use half the gravy for inside the pie and half for the top of the pie.
Combine cooked meat, vegetables, seasonings and half of the gravy and form into balls about 5 ounces each. Place each ball on a 5-inch round of pie dough, cover with a 7-inch round of pie dough and seal.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Top with remaining gravy and serve with peas.
Yield: About 70 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 204 calories, 13 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 7 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, 27 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 372 milligrams sodium.
Clam Chowder Riverview Youth Center
10 pounds potatoes, diced or cubed
4 (10-ounce) cans condensed milk
1 tablespoon dried onions or garlic
1 cup chicken gravy mix
1 (40-ounce) can chopped or minced clams
1 cup low-fat milk, if needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes for 10 minutes or until done. Drain off 3/4 of the water. Add 2 cans condensed milk and dried onions. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cans condensed milk and the dry chicken gravy mix.
When the milk and gravy are mixed, with no visible lumps, add to the potatoes. Drain the can of clams. After the potato and sauce have thickened, add the clams. (To thin the chowder, add low-fat milk.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: 15 to 20 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 600 calories, 9 grams fat (14 percent fat calories), 31 grams protein, 101 grams carbohydrate, 78 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 732 milligrams sodium.
Turkey Wrap Ken Richter, Union Gospel Mission
5 pounds diced turkey
1 pound chopped onions
48 tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
3 pounds lettuce
6 medium tomatoes
12 ounces olives
24 ounces salsa
2 pounds cheese
16 ounces guacamole
3 pounds sour cream
Cook turkey, saute onions, mix together and heat. Dip tortillas in hot vegetable oil to soften. Drain well and add turkey mixture to center of each tortilla. Add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, salsa and cheese. Roll and fold snugly. Top with additional salsa and garnish with guacamole and sour cream.
Yield: 48 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 474 calories, 20 grams fat (38 percent fat calories), 27 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrate, 79 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 653 milligrams sodium.