Okay Neighbors, sharpen those knives and put on your thinking caps! Are you ready for a throwdown???? Oops, sorry, that's another show!

Here comes the first Community Kitchen Recipe Contest!

Some weeks ago, our own Sarge (Kim) shared a recipe that she made up, complete with pictures and she called it a 'Pot of Yum'. You can read the thread HERE.

Fast forward to Sunday evening, our Marla posted a new recipe that she had simmering away and called it a 'Pot O' Yum' as well. You can read that thread HERE.



It was then suggested by Kim that since there were probably lots more Pot's of Yum out there, we should have a recipe contest. Personally, I thought this was a wonderful idea. So, today I implement the first Community Kitchen recipe contest. Here are the rules:



All recipes must be posted by midnight, March 31st. That will give folks plenty of time to search their recipes and their heads to make up their own pot of yum.



All recipes must be original (let me be more specific here, by original I mean that you can take an existing recipe to use as a base, but you must add ingredients or substitute ingredients to make it your own recipe).



Be specific in your amounts. Don't just say a handful or a pinch. Don't just say a can, tell me how many ounces is in that can.



Don't forget to add to the recipe the number of servings the recipe makes.



Ingredients can be anything edible. I can find the nutritional value for ANYTHING!



Nutritionals aren't necessary, I will do that myself.



So, the contest is that you make your own pot of yum and post it here by the 31st. I will test the recipes personally unless there are too many and in that case I will appoint a couple of people to help me and I will test the best of the recipes they test. In the end, the decision is mine. When I decide who the winner is and the 1st and 2nd runners up, I will post the contest winners. Remember that a cooking contest will take a bit longer than other contests that we have here in the neighborhood. I can't cook and taste that many recipes in one day. Hopefully within a week to 10 days, the winners will be announced. When I decide what the prizes will be, I will post them to hopefully sweeten the pot.



We already have three recipes:



Kim's Pot of Yum

Marla's Pot o' Yum

Sandi's Pot of Yum



Here's hoping for lots of entries!

What a great idea. How fun!!!

Whoa! I'm thrilled to see my idea come to be...you WERE paying attention :-) Gosh, I do adore you...you know that, right? I hope that you offer all these Pots of Yum, that you make to taste, to your local church or something...I know that my POY had my freezer full. Maybe all contestents should send you a box of freezer containers!

Fun, fun, fun!!

Welcome to POY2008!!!

YAY!!! I love this!!
OK..one question...how many entries can we submit?


Here is my Pot of Yum!

Pork Chile Rojo

Serves 6

In a slow cooker add the following ingredients:

4-lb boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed (can use beef instead)
1 1/2 Tbs of chili powder
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Jalapeño (seeded and chopped) ** I use a Serrano, but I like it extra spicy!
2 cups of water
1 (16oz jar of salsa) I use Rojo medium, found in the refrigerated isle)
1 (10oz) can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove pork and using two forks pull the meat into strips. Serve with low carb tortillas. i enjoy the meat without the tortilla..yum-o!

Now there you go! I love the idea smiles. Your recipe sounds very good.

Kim, I was thinking that I would pare down each recipe and not make so much if it feeds an army like yours did. FYI, since it turned back into a polar ice cap here in north FL this morning, I have my Bob's Red Mill and am going to play with it for a new POY for the family tonight. I am only going to use 1 1/2 cups of the mix and we have a lot of lean Easter ham left so I will add it and some fresh veggies, make the guys some cornbread and we will have a comforting hot and thick soup for dinner.

Keep the entries coming neighbors!

Looking out the window at the ice on my pool, I have to feel sorry for your FL polar ice cap. NOT! LOL

Can it be any recipe or does it have to all be cooked in one pot?

Denise

I has to be cooked in one pot. It can be on the stove, in the oven or in a crock pot, but it has to be one pot.

Oh, sounds like fun! Yummy fun! I hope to get a recipe in before the contest closes.

Celadon! I'm droolin' here but don't know why! Bob's Red Mill? POY??? (is this some Hawaiian delight from Meliss?)
Please explain to the novice here.

And I'm goovin' on these recipes! Yumm Yumm Yummy!

Cel, more ideas about ditching the Easter ham please. Thanks all!

Wooops! DUH! Pot O Yum = POY!
Sorry so dense...
And I googled Bob's Red Mill...
Interesting site..
Do you use the gluten free or what products do you like?

Silly Mick!


I vote for Marla's Pot O' Yum. Wait a tick... I can't vote! Dang it.

mickee, I have used Bob's products for years. I don't specifically look for the gluten free ones but when he has them available I will choose them. It was Kim that let me know about the veggie soup mix because she used it in the original pot of yum. I also buy barley and other specialty grains. If I can't find them in the store locally, I will just order them online.

As for the ham, chop up a bunch of it in bitty chunks with no fat and freeze it in 2 ounce portions to add when you make coddled eggs in the Maxime coddler. I lightly poke the yolks and use the big one so I can add other stuff when I take it out of the water. I add whatever takes my fancy. For breakfast, a bit of cheese and some chopped fresh tomato. For lunch, leftover veggies and parmesan.

Another thing to do with the leftover ham is to cube some and make a casserole with yellow squash. There is a good recipe in this weeks recipes in the Community Kitchen. The picture is without the ham added but it is good as a main dish if you add ham and other vegetables to it.

Of course there is the traditional pot of beans with the ham bone if you have one. We just use a couple of large chunks of ham if we got one with no bone. We make pinto beans so I can make my own refried beans and freeze them for enchiladas and such.

I have a feeling that MF's POY will be created in a wee bitty coddler... POY for One!

CAK - I completely agree with you.

OMG Kim! That is too funny!!!!! Please don't give her ideas! She will probably do it and take a picture of it to boot!

OK everone....This is my entry to the cooking contest

Sensational Reuben Casserole a la Aseret...!

1 lb. thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef (cut into small bite size pieces)
2, 8 oz cans of sauerkraut (well drained)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 lb. swiss cheese sliced & shredded
Thousand Island dressing (1/2 cup) low-fat/light


In a small bowl, mix together the drained sauerkraut & 1 tsp. of caraway seeds.
Spray a medium casserole dish with some Pam & place a thin layer of the sauerkraut on the bottom of the dish, followed by 1/2 of the pastrami or corned beef. Lay down a layer of sauerkraut again. Pour a small amount of Thousand Island dressing over it. Place 1/2 of the shredded swiss cheese over this...Now add another layer of pastrami/corned beef...next a layer of sauerkraut, followed by some more Thousand Island dressing. Place the remaining swiss cheese on top.
Place in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 20-25 min until cheese is nice & bubbly.

This really hits the spot...!
A great twist on a Reuben sandwich! (Our German style Lasagna! LOL) My family like some rye bread with it!
Of course you can increase or decrease the amount of ingredients to your taste..More/less sauerkraut, you can eliminate the caraway seeds, add more/less Thousand Island dressing, more/less pastami/corned beef...

ENJOY!

Aseret, sounds yummy! Thanks for posting it. Can you please let me know how many servings it makes?

In case anyone is interested and can't find Marla's original post that started this whole idea, here are both hers and Sandi's recipes that are added to the mix:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Marla's Pot O' Yum

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 14
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb. extra lean ground bison
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
15 ounces garbanzo beans, canned -- organic
15 ounces black beans, canned -- organic
12 ounces coconut milk -- light
32 oz. low sodium chicken broth
2 small sweet potatoes -- chopped in large chunks
1/2 medium onion -- cut in large chunks
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 dash salt
fresh ground black pepper - to taste
LOTS OF CURRY POWDER!!!!!!

You can add veggies, spices... whatever you want. Cook in a crockpot or a stockpot on the stove! It freezes really well too.

S(Internet Address):
"http://www.livingafterwls.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6447&hl="
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Per Serving: 276 Calories; 15g Fat (48.0% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 385mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sandi's Pot O' Yum

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 14
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds extra lean ground beef -- browned in big meatball sized chunks and throughly drained
2 carrots -- peeled and chopped into long bites
1 pound green beans -- but they gotta be the big fat Italian ones, please!) also, you may use a 12 ounce can
1 large yam -- peeled and cut into 2" cubes
14 ounces stewed tomatoes -- canned, diced and partially drained
2 cloves garlic -- if you don't like it, leave it out

Mix together in a dutch oven and bake at 350 degrees covered for an hour or until the yams are nice and tender. This makes enough for you and your honey for a week of dinners, or a week of lunches.

S(Internet Address):
"http://www.livingafterwls.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6447&hl="
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 186 Calories; 11g Fat (51.7% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

There were a couple of things that I had to change to make this recipe correct. The corrections are made here and the nutritional information is correct too.

I had some of my POY for lunch. It was WICKED YUMMY!

Now, here is the Pot of Yum that I made for us for dinner tonight:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Barbara's Pot of Yum


Serving Size : 8
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Veggie Soup Mix
1 pound ham bones
4 ounces smoked turkey sausage
2 ounces salt pork
1 large onion -- chopped
3 large celery ribs -- chopped
2 large carrots -- peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 quart low sodium chicken broth

This morning when I made this, I put the broth in a large stockpot with the ham bone and the chicken broth and brought it up to a boil, reduced to simmer and covered it while I was preparing the rest of the ingredients. I chopped the salt pork into 1/4 inch dice and redered the fat in a low heat skillet. I put the pork in the soup. I put the vegetables and garlic in the skillet (drained off almost all the fat first) and cooked them for about 3 minutes til slightly tender. Then I added the turkey sausage cut in bite sized pieces and browned it. All that went into the pot along with the red pepper flakes, simmered for 30 minutes and it was done. Very yummy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Oh, and of course I am disqualified from the contest for obvious reasons! I think I may just put this recipe in the newsletter this week!

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 245 Calories; 12g Fat; 19g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 416mg Sodium.

I have a recipe but instead of Pot of Yum it is Pan of Yum or better know in Texas as
Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach thawed
1 large onion chopped
2 jalapenos, seed & chopped or I just use canned. probably about 1/4 to 1/2 c
1 10 3/4 oz cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz light or fat free sour cream
1 tsp cumin
1 12 oz nacho cheese tortilla chips
6 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 8 oz shredded 2% mexican cheese blend

Drain spinach well between papertowels. In large bowl combine spinach, soup, onion, jalapenos, sour cream and cumin. Spray Pam in a 13x9" dish. Layer chips, chicken, spinach mixture and cheese. Repeat ending with spinach mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle top with more cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
Serves 8-10 people. Freezes well.

Denise

Thanks Denise, there's another recipe to add to the mix. You go neighbors!

Celadon..what a great idea! I will see what I come up with!!

Celadon

This recipe will serve 6 to 8 WLS!
It will serve 4 adults with normal stomachs!

Of course, this recipe can be doubled & ingredients can be adjusted according to taste & preference.
I also want to try freezing individual portions for myself...I will let you know how it turns out!

Yeah, this is fun and all, but I really don't like to compete. If you want to try my recipe, that's cool, but please, don't consider it a part of a competition. Thanks. I appreciate all that goes into making the hood a fun place to be!

Appreciate it!

Okay neighbors, it is day 2 of the Pot Of Yum Recipe Contest. Put on your aprons and get to cooking, I need more entries!

Great contest!!! I am now officially hungry and wish I had the ingredients for the Reuben Casserole - I've been in love with Reuben for many years now.

Here is my entry.

Baked Chicken with Bacon, Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

Ingredients:
1 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound bacon cut to 1/2-inch dice
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
16 pearl onions, peeled
24 white mushrooms, trimmed
1 cup dry white wine
15 springs assorted herbs (such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram and sage)
1 to 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash the chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and bacon over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Cook until the bacon has browned and rendered enough fat to coat the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, leaving as much fat as possible in the pot.


Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown all over in the bacon fat, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (You may need to do this in batches.) Return the bacon to the pan, along with the garlic, onions, mushrooms, wine and herb springs. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes.


Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and vegetables from the pot to a warm platter. As you do, discard the herb sprigs. Skim any grease from the surface of the sauce, and then whisk in the flour or cornstarch to thicken it, if desired.

Return the chicken to the pot and serve family style from the center of the table, or divide the chicken pieces among 4 plates, spoon a good assortment of vegetables over each portion, and top with some sauce.