I've been having a blast playing around on G+ lately...and getting to know some of the G+ people and local power-users. From brunches to pumpkin carving, Google keeps us busy with all kinds of fun activities.
But tonight's event was hands down the best! I got to participate in an After-Thanksgiving Cook-Off with two other food bloggers in a live Goggle Plus hangout. The event was hosted by Austin foodie Mary Helen Leonard from Mary Makes Dinner. The challenge was to go beyond the standard Turkey-Day leftover fare (sandwiches, turkey tetrazinni and such) and create a delicious meal using common leftover food.
I had a great time coming up with my recipes (they came to me at about 2 a.m.! A plus to insomnia!
Since we're vegetarian, there's no turkey to play with. And the Tofurky is always gone by the end of the meal. So I came up with a way to use the veggies and stuffing that I always over-make.
The soup was made up of chopped veggies from the vegetable tray (peppers, celery, carrots), extra onions from when I was cooking the stuffing, leftover corn, leftover mashed potatoes and extra cherry tomatoes from the salad. Adding some Southwestern spices into the mix (cumin, garlic, onion powder, chili powder, cilantro) gave it just the right amount of flavor. Then I finished it off with some cream for the perfect after-Black-Friday-shopping comfort.
The soufflés were a way to use up some of that stuffing and the sweet potato casserole. I blended the sweet with some heat, by adding Cayenne, chili powder, hot paprika, and fresh black pepper, then whipped it up with a couple of eggs and some egg whites. The stuffing went into muffin cups, and the soufflé cooked on top. The result was just what I hoped...crunchy, savoury crusts filled with smooth, slightly spicy puffs.
It was crazy getting ready for it, but once the event started, my natural "hamminess" kicked in, and I had fun! My daughter was camera operator...and part time food thief as she snatched the leftover mash potatoes, and grabbed the final bowl of soup right after food taster Natalie put down her spoon! My other kids were watching remotely, so it became a family event (right down to my other daughter's G+ comments of "Mommy! Mommy! Mom!!"
If you want to see the video (I haven't even seen it yet!) check it out on Google+ Then please vote for your favorite chef. Of course, I'm hoping it's me, but we can still be friends even if don't (or not! LOL!)
Here's the voting link on Mary's blog...G+'s are great and much appreciated, but that's not the voting that counts for this!
1 comment:
Haven't taken the g+ plunge yet, but maybe it's time!
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