The Sears Chef Challenge – Event 1
What an exciting weekend! I was selected to participate in the Sears Chef Challenge representing the Los Angeles area. Saturday May 8th was the kickoff event.The Sears Chef Challenge is taking place in four major cities across the U.S. – Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York and Chicago. There are twelve chefs, three per city, competing to win money for our favorite food related charities.
Competing for Charitable Organizations
For my food-related charity I chose The Saddleback Church Food Pantry. This food pantry is currently supporting more than four hundred families every month. Their mission is to provide food and spiritual encouragement to the needy in our community. People from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all faiths are welcome. Whether working in the warehouse unloading and sorting food donations, stocking shelves, assembling boxes or serving guest families, I volunteer with them each week and it’s a blessing to do so.
The winner of the first phase wins a $5000 donation for their food-related charity and an appliance of choice. If I win…no WHEN I win, thinking positively…that $5000 will help feed a lot of hungry families. Included with the first level win is a beautiful new Kenmore appliance of choice. I will choose a new Sears Kenmore refrigerator to donate to my second charity, The Sheepfold.
The Sheepfold has been helping homeless and abused women and their children for more than thirty years. Many have found shelter, safe refuge and a new beginning in life as a result of the Sheepfold ministry. This organization has helped thousands turn their lives around. I would love to give one of their special safe homes a new refrigerator! Check out their website.
Back to the Challenge
My first chef challenge was held at the Sears Cerritos store. Sears is providing a terrific setup for all of the chefs to cook on for the demonstrations. I was cooking on a brand new Jenn-Air Induction cooktop and it was really nice. We also had a Kenmore portable induction cook top to use. If you are not familiar with induction cooking, it has been used around the world for some time. Now that the technology is improving and costs are dropping you should start to hear more about it in the U.S.. It’s more energy efficient than regular electric, safe, fast and only the burner and pan get hot, not the entire cooktop because it works magnetically. Very cool, no pun intended.
We arrived two hours ahead for the setup and to meet the Sears support team. Everyone was so friendly, helpful and excited about hosting the first event. Next, the videographer and her assistant arrived. I was truly wired for sound between the videographer’s wireless microphone and the store setup!
Sears is taping every demo with the critical demo being week three. Our week three video will be put on the Sears Chef Challenge website. The area winner will be determined by web voting. Voting begins June 26 and ends July 10. Please vote for me every day voting is open! I’m competing with two very talented chefs for the Los Angeles leg of this phase so winning won’t be easy!
This Week’s Recipes
This week’s recipes were Thai Lemongrass Chicken in Lettuce Cups and Tahitian Ahi Tuna Salad with Coconut and Lime. Both recipes were easy, tasty, healthy and colorful. As we head into warm summer weather, having cool easy recipes in your repertoire is a good thing. And if you are not familiar with some of these ingredients it will help you to learn something new.
A big thanks to Chef Rachelle Boucher for the recipes. Rachelle authors the fabulous food and cooking blog, Drawn to the Kitchen with Chef Rachelle. Be sure to check out her blog. Chef Rachelle is also the Culinary Marketing Manager for Standards of Excellence, a subsidiary of Sears. I’ve shopped there for several kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects. It’s a place you can get lost in drooling over all of the gorgeous appliances, but a knowledgeable staff helps you choose the best options for your requirements.
Recipe Notes for Thai Lemongrass Chicken in Lettuce Cups
If you are not familiar with lemongrass, it’s a stiff, pale greenish-yellow stalk very common in Southeast Asian cooking. It has a lovely lemony fragrance and can be found in many regular grocery stores and always at Asian-style markets. If it has not been trimmed, cut off about a third of the top and the very bottom of the stalk. Then peel off an outer layer or two until you reach a lighter color. I find it’s easiest to work with a microplane zester rather than mincing with a knife as it’s a bit tough.
Kaffir lime leaves are another unique ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking. The shiny green leaves can be found both fresh and frozen. They have a unique sort of double eight shape and tropical lime fragrance different than regular or Persian limes. The lime fragrance becomes more predominant once you mince the leaves.
I could not find roasted rice powder in my local Asian market so I made it myself per Rachelle’s directions. I used white rice, toasted to a golden brown in a medium sauté pan over medium heat, cooled, then ground fine in a coffee grinder I keep for just grinding spices. The rice threw off a lot of smoke so open a window or turn on your vent system. Keep stirring or tossing it for an even color and toasting. Use ½ a cup of rice and store what is left in the pantry.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups and Ahi Tuna Salad
Thai Lemongrass Chicken in Lettuce Cups
Yield: approximately 3 cups.
Serves 4 as an entrée, 6 as a first course or 10-12 as an appetizer
Ingredients
1 pound boneless ground chicken (or turkey)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled and finely minced or zested with a microplane zester
3 large kaffir lime leaves, finely minced
1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (adjust to your taste preferences)
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon roasted rice, ground (or powder)
1 green onion, minced
6-8 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
12 mint leaves, finely chopped
1 large head butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried, leaves separated
Sliced green onion & sprigs of mint for garnishDirections
1) Heat a medium non-stick frying pan on medium high. Cook chicken in 2 tablespoons water, stirring constantly until just done. Drain well and add warm to a medium bowl with lemongrass and lime leaves. Stir to mix and set aside to cool.
2.) After chicken is cool add Sriracha, lime juice, and fish sauce and mix well. Stir in roasted rice powder, green onions, cilantro, and mint. Taste and adjust lime, fish sauce or herbs as needed. Serve cold or at room temperature on top of a bed of lettuce leaves. Garnish with green onions and mint leaves. For more color, try garnishing with finely diced red onion.
3) To serve as an appetizer, scoop onto mini lettuce cups or place in a shallow bowl on a decorative platter with lettuce leaves placed around.
Recipe Notes for Tahitian Ahi Tuna Salad with Coconut & Lime
Our second recipe was also light and clean tasting, healthy, tropical and no cooking required! The colors of this salad are as beautiful to the eye as they are tempting to the palate. Serve chilled in lettuce cups or in a martini-style glass for a more elegant presentation. Be sure to buy fresh, high-quality Ahi tuna from a reputable fish market. When you purchase it fish should always smell like the ocean, fresh and clean.
As Ahi can an expensive ingredient, using it as an appetizer or first course with a recipe like this is a wonderful way to stretch your entertaining dollars and yet serve an impressive and tasty dish.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups and Ahi Tuna Salad
Tahitian Ahi Tuna Salad with Coconut & Lime
Ingredients
3/4 lb. highest quality (sushi grade) Ahi tuna
1 large or 2 small heads of butter lettuce
3 medium tomatoes, approximately 1 pound (I use Roma tomatoes)
1 large mango, about ¾ pound
3/4 pound seedless cucumber, English or Persian
½ pound carrots, about 4 medium
4 green onions
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 medium limes)
1 can light coconut milk (shake the can well before opening)
1 tsp. kosher salt plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to tasteDirections
1) Leave tuna in the refrigerator until needed. Gather all remaining ingredients. Wash and dry all produce, starting with whole leaves of lettuce. Dry lettuce in a salad spinner or with paper towels. Gently roll dry lettuce leaves up in paper towels and place in a plastic bag. Chill in refrigerator until needed.
2) Gather a large bowl for tossing salad components. Cut tomatoes in half through the equator and using your finger, gently scoop seeds out of each half. Do not squeeze. Discard seeds and cut tomato into 1?2 inch cubes. Place into large mixing bowl.
Alternatively (how I do it) cut a small slice off the top of a Roma tomato. Cut the tomato into quarters lengthwise. Holding your knife parallel to the cutting surface, cut the seeds out and discard. Then cut the “petals” into small dice. This is a great way to dice tomatoes. Do what is easiest for you.
3) Cut the bottom 1/4 inch from the mango and peel with a vegetable peeler. Stand mango upright on the flat side and using a chefs knife, cut the usable flesh away from the large center fibrous oval seed that goes through the fruit. You should have two large slabs of fruit. Cut away any remaining fruit and cut mango into 1?2 inch cubes. Place into bowl with tomatoes.
4) Peel cucumber (or leave skin on) and cut in half through the middle to yield two short pieces. If the cucumber is large, cut each piece in half lengthwise for easier handling. Using a spoon, gently scrape out seeds. Cut into ½ “ cubes and add to large bowl.
5) Peel carrots and grate on largest holes of a box grater to yield approximately 1 1/2 cups of grated carrot, add to large bowl. Carrots can also be diced into ½” cubes. Add to large bowl.
6) Slice thin rounds of green onion (green parts only) and measure out ½ cup. Add ¼ cup to large bowl and save ¼ cup for garnish.
7) Remove tuna from refrigerator. Using a sharp knife, cut tuna into ½” cubes. Add to large bowl. Salad can be refrigerated for up to three hours at this point.
Before serving, whisk lime juice and coconut milk together. Add enough to bowl to dress salad and toss gently with clean hands. Season salad with salt and pepper. Offer extra coconut-lime dressing on the side. The salad can be refrigerated up to one more hour at this point if needed.
To serve, place lettuce leaves on plates or a platter and mound salad mixture onto leaves. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You are so darn cute! Of course I will vote for you…and am 100% behind you on the charities you want to support!
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Hi Allena. Your message came up under spam, but it does not look like you are a spammer. I’m fine with linkages as long as its not spam! Looks like you love cucumbers!