The Hungry Howley Cook-Off Challenge: The Appetizer Round

So....the verdict is in!  The first ever Hungry Howley Cook-Off Challenge Champion has been decided!  But we'll get to that later.  It was a very exciting and stressful 4.5 hours- thats right, it took 4.5 hours for us to make it through concocting an appetizer, entree and dessert each using our secret ingredients.  We allowed for a bit of rule bending, but adjusted our grading scale to reflect the rule-bender's lack of following the instructions!


The night proceeded as follows:
1.  Get home from work.  Finalize shopping list.
2. Rush like mad through the food store amid the after-work, pre-dinner rush of sweaty, cranky shoppers.
3. Get home and unload the goodies.
4. Open the food processor and put it together (first time users since the wedding shower almost a year ago!)
5. We battled.


Now- as I am the more competitive of us both, I wanted to hold us to a time limit for each course.  My hubby said that was a no-go, since we are novices in the kitchen.  (Speak for yourself!)  So, we settled on no time limit, but that the courses had to come out in appropriate order.  So naturally, the appetizer round was created first.  I was debating shooting for scoring creativity points or taste, and I went with creativity.  Naturally the taste factor is huge, but I had time to make that up with my entree and dessert (which I was sure were winners).


I decided to go with Veggie Cream Cheese Penguins, very sophisticated.  

Penguin Man!

The only rules for the appetizer round were that it was to be uncooked, and must contain our Personal Secret Ingredients (mine carrots, his chocolate).  


What You Will Need: (Serves 2; 6 Individual Penguin snacks)


1 baby carrot
2 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Scallion, chopped
12 Medium Black Olives
6 Toothpicks


I started with one baby carrot, sliced into 6 small slices (to make 6 penguins).  From each slice, I made a small "V" shape cut, and kept the small carrot triangle aside.

Then I took 6 olives and sliced them in half, lengthwise.
I chopped about half a scallion, and mixed it with the cream cheese. 
Then, I began to assemble.  The cream cheese mixture goes inside each of the olive halves.  The halves then get pushed back together to make a delicious little olive and cream cheese sandwich!  Stick your olive sandwich onto your carrot slice.  You now have the feet and torso of your penguin man.


Next, take the other 6 olives and lay them horizontally on the top of your olive sandwich, forming his head.  The bottom of the olive (with the "x") should face forward.  Now take your little carrot triangle that you cut from the feet circles, and stick it in the X to form his beak.

Viola!  

We were graded on a scale determined by Creativity, Taste, and Execution of special ingredients.  I was awarded a 4/5 for creativity, and I must say, they were pretty tasty too!  I can't stake claim for the idea for these little guys; I only modified it a bit and spiced up my cream cheese to include the scallions.  

Evan took a much more traditional route for an appetizer, but wow was it good!  His challenge was to use chocolate, and to not cook his ingredients.  We let him slide a bit since he did melt his chocolate down to form the vinaigrette, but boy am I glad he did!  Take a look at this delicious treat...

It.  Was.  Amazing.  He calls it his Arugula and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Salad.  He could have called it whatever he wanted, I had 2 of them.  


What You Will Need: 

Salad:  
Arugula leaves
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano Cheese
1/2 cucumber
2 cups strawberries, halved
black pepper to taste


Dressing
2 squares of a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar


First, wash your arugula, and arrange it on 2 plates.  Slice the cucumber into quarters, and then place on the arugula.  Wash and plate your strawberry halves on top.  Season to taste with black pepper (less is more). 


For the dressing, pour your balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan with your sugar.  Heat on medium low until dissolved completely.  Remove it from heat and throw in your chocolate squares.  Let it cool for a few minutes at room temp; your chocolate with melt into the vinaigrette mix and will make a delicious dressing!  
*Note- do not place your dressing in the refrigerator- it will harden!
Drizzle your vinaigrette onto your salads and shave some pecorino romano on top.  So-o-o good!!


Now, I was going to give Evan a 5/5 for this, but he insisted on being modest because he "cheated" by cooking his dressing.  So at the end of the appetizer round, we were tied 4-4 on our meals.  Next, it was onto the entree course....stay tuned....!!