17
Mar

Platinum Chef Challenge Round-up!

Well, I know you have all been waiting for it. You want to see all the yummy and creative dishes made with butternut squash, barley, cumin, chickpeas, and vanilla! It may sound like a stretch to some but these talented cooks stepped up to the stove and created some tasty treats.

Steph made two great sounding dishes: a butternut barley risotto spiked with vanilla and a cumin-spiced hummus. Though it takes longer to cook (I concur!) she seemed to like this change to the typical arborio used for risotto.

Kate of Paved with Good Intentions was very excited to hear about the return of Platinum Chef. After passing the bar, she is back with a bang! Never one to turn down a good soup, she saw the ingredients as making the perfect pot. Her butternut broth with barley is kicked up with all the platinum chef goodies and looks extremely satisfying and delicious!

Meghan of Joy Through Cooking admits this was her first time working with barley and chickpeas, but that’s never something to inhibit a Platinum Chef. A little research and you can be good to go! She took a classic beef barley soup and kicked it up a notch with butternut squash, chickpeas, and cumin. For dessert, she served a pumpkin rice pudding , a little healthier than normal because of the barley in place of white rice. Yum!

Stefany at Proceed with Caution is another loyal Platinum Chef. She used cumin as her inspiration for a Middle Eastern – inspired meal: stuffed cumin chicken. This honey and spice glazed chicken, stuffed with a mixture of barley, chickpeas and spinach, served with a squash-yogurt sauce wasn’t her cup of tea, but it sounds delicious to me!

Dani of Make No Little Meals is a new Platinum Chef but she cooks like a seasoned pro. She even combined this challenge with the recent Master Baker challenge, adding cinnamon to the list of ingredients. Her concoction of a Moroccan bastilla, or phyllo-topped pie, sounds deliciously spicy and different. Plus I just have to point out that we share a favorite restaurant in Epcot, how cool is that?

This time around, I would like to institute a new tradition that I think will help keep the Platinum Chef Challenge going strong. I will pick one of the lovely ladies from this round to choose the five ingredients for the next round. This time around, I pick Kate! I’m really intrigued by her dish this time. I love soup, especially butternut soup, but I’ve always had it as more of a bisque or puree, not a broth. Thanks for sharing something new, Kate!

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4 Responses to “Platinum Chef Challenge Round-up!”

  1. 1

    Kate — March 17, 2008 @ 5:39 am Reply

    I’m totally speechless. And already feeling the pressure of having to pick 5 ingredients…….

  2. 2

    Danielle — March 17, 2008 @ 12:02 pm Reply

    Cara–it is by far one of my favorite plaes to eat there–it is tied with San Angel Inn in the Mexician pavillion for me I think. But the entire pavillion of Morocco is amazing–not that I’ve been there for real but it feels like what I’d expect the country to be like. When I’m in the back I TOTALLY forget that there is so much more up front that isn’t Moroccan!

  3. 3

    Gretchen Noelle — March 22, 2008 @ 1:55 am Reply

    Lovely round up! I had several ideas flowing through my mind but not one of them ever solidified. Oh well, wait and see what next month holds, right?

  4. 4

    Danielle — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Cara–it is by far one of my favorite plaes to eat there–it is tied with San Angel Inn in the Mexician pavillion for me I think. But the entire pavillion of Morocco is amazing–not that I've been there for real but it feels like what I'd expect the country to be like. When I'm in the back I TOTALLY forget that there is so much more up front that isn't Moroccan!

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