Posted by Sacramento Bee, CA on August 28, 2010 at 15:31:34:
August 27, 2010
Spinach, lemon chicken dishes soar in Foster Farms' contest
By Niesha Lofing
nlofing@sacbee.com
Two California cooks are one step closer to $10,000 after their dishes were ranked the best in the Foster Farms West Coast Chicken Cooking Contest's regional finals, held today at Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento.
The first annual contest, open to cooks in California, Oregon and Washington, garnered 2,000 recipes. The pool of entries were narrowed to 15 - five from each state - and regional finals were held to determine the top two dishes.
The final competition is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena.
I was among three of the judges who had to taste all five and decide which two would move on the final round. Adrienne Bankert, of KCRA, and Georgeanne Brennan, of The San Francisco Chronicle, also served as judges.
Hard day eh?
It was difficult to settle on just two winners, but in the end it was the panko-crusted lemon butter chicken with Israeli couscous salad by Rebekkah Leber of Hayward (pictured at left) and spinach stuffed chicken breasts by Alexandria Boswell of La Jolla (pictured at right) that emerged victorious.
Brennan, of Winters, said the spinach chicken breasts were her favorite of the dishes we tasted. A spinach lover, Brennan enjoyed the fresh dill, cheese and spinach stuffing and the striking color contrast of the greens against the white chicken meat.
"It just put it all together for me," she said.
The other semifinalists from California included Megan Bailey, of Monterey, for her pumpkin seed and wild rice chicken fajitas; Sandra Keefe, of Fullerton, for her black orange pekoe chicken breasts and Vee Lark-Williams, of Los Angeles, who submitted a recipe for crispy feta chicken croquettes with a mandarin orange sauce.
Leber and Boswell will receive $1,000 and will get a free trip to St. Helena for the final round.
The grand prize is $10,000 and a year supply of fresh Foster Farms chicken.
The contest is hoping to fill a void left by the National Chicken Contest, the nation's premier chicken cook-off. The contest was suspended in 2009 due to the economy.
The contest, along with the Pillsbury Bake-off and the National Beef Cookoff, boasted one of the most lucrative purses in the country.
Panko-Crusted Lemon Butter Chicken with Israeli Couscous Salad
Rebekkah Leber
Hayward, CA
Chicken:
4 Foster Farms chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
2 Tbls olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 Tbls lemon juice
4 Tbls butter
Israeli Couscous Salad
2 Tbls olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box (about 8 oz) Israeli couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Vinaigrette
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
2 Tbls lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup Feta cheese crumbles
In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs and panko in bowls or plate; dredge chicken in flour, then dip in eggs and coat lightly with panko. Place coated chicken into warm pan and sauté, turning, until chicken is done, about five minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside, keeping warm.
Prepare couscous by placing olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add couscous and brown for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock, bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Prepare vinaigrette by combining in small bowl, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add red onion and Feta cheese. Stir well to combine. Mix vinaigrette with prepared couscous and toss well to combine.
Prepare lemon butter sauce by melting together lemon juice and butter in microwave.
To serve, spoon couscous on plate or serving platter. Top with chicken. Drizzle with lemon butter sauce.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Alexandria Boswell
La Jolla, CA
4 Foster Farms chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 bag (10 oz) spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions to skillet and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add spinach to skillet, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until spinach is wilted. Transfer onion and spinach to large bowl. Add dill, Feta cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, salt and pepper to bowl; mix well to combine.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place eggs in small bowl and panko in pie plate. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Using sharp knife, slit each chicken breast along long side, cutting only about 3/4 of the way through. Divide spinach mixture into four sections and stuff each breast with a portion of the mixture. Dip breasts first in egg mixture and then in panko to coat. Place chicken on prepared pan and lightly coat chicken with olive oil cooking spray. Place in hot oven and cook 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
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