Another Recipe Without a Video

This past week was the final week

for Philadelphia's Cooking Creme Challenge.

And alas, I did not have time to submit.

I figured I entered the first two weeks, so that gives me a decent shot.

I really try to not let my cooking and craft contests

interfere with my family or Etsy work.

But we all gotta eat, right?

So I did come up with a recipe for the final flavor, Santa Fe.

It's not fancy, but it's pretty tasty

and it's quick (about the length of time a baby will happily sit in a swing).

Here is my

We All Gotta Eat - Santa Fe Pasta

*1 Tbsp. EVOO

*8 ounces of spiral pasta

*1 medium white onion, chopped

*1 tsp red pepper

*1 lb. lean ground beef

* 1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Creme - Santa Fe Flavor

* 14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package

(boil water, drop in, cook, drain..you know the drill)

2. While your pasta is cooking, in a large stockpot

heat EVOO over med-high heat.

3.Add onions to the pot, and saute until softened.

(about 5-7 minutes..don't scorch them!)

4. Add ground beef and red pepper to the pot.

Cook until browned.

5. Mix in Cooking Creme and chopped tomatoes.

Cook until heated through.

6. Toss in pasta and mix until well combined.

7. Enjoy!

Cooking Creme Challenge - Extended

Bueller, Bueller?

Come on ya'll, no one entered an entry into

my Philadelphia Cooking Creme challenge.

Alas, I will extend it until midnight tonight

in the hopes that someone will want to stump me.

Please leave a note on a type of ethnic food that you

think would be very hard incorporate

Philadelphia's new Cooking Creme into.

What is Cooking Creme?

It's like a spoonable cream cheese, but more cream than cheese.

You check out my first two videos on YouTube

(link on right)

I've made a traditional beef stroganoff and an Asian pizza.

If I'm sadly empty handed tonight,

my game plan is to attack East Indian food.

So come on..

hit me with your best shot

and let me prove to you how versatile this new product is!

A Cooking Contest Tutorial and A Challenge

This evening as I prepared my sample meal for the

Philadelphia Cooking Creme challenge,

my husband was watching "The Worst Cooks in America".

I wondered to myself how some people go through life not cooking.

It's one thing to not know how to debone a duck like Julia Child,

but to not know how to make simple meals seems incredible to me.

Granted I've always had interest in the culinary arts,

and only at the last minute decided to not pursue the Cordon Bleu.

However, I mainly learned by watching my mother cook

and out of need in the several years I lived on my own before getting married.

As I ramble on more and more on my blog and Facebook about

my cooking contest endeavors, lots of people have asked me how

one creates a unique recipe.

Now that I can understand as a daunting task,

as it was to me up until a couple years ago.

Cooking IS a science, and to ask someone to create their own recipe

can feel like asking them to create water.

But it's not that hard,

and it's fun!

Believe me, I wouldn't spend my precious spare time

creating recipes if I didn't get enjoyment from it.

There are mishaps...oh yes.. but that's gives my hubs and I

something to laugh about.

So here is a little tutorial on how I came up with my next

Philadelphia Cooking Creme recipe entry.

It may not be "the" way to create a recipe,

but it works for me and we loved the results.

Coming into this challenge I knew I wanted to

try a different type of ethnic food for each flavor.

This week I wanted to do an Asian style.

So that was my first step - choosing a style.

Next thing I wanted to do was show how one

can easily cook with the Creme in recreating family favorites.

I choose a Friday favorite in this house - Pizza.

That was my next step - choosing the entrée.

I once ate a Thai chicken pizza long ago

that had a to die for spicy peanut sauce.

That was my main inspiration this week

and then I went on my own...

Choose an inspiration.

I used a ready made pizza crust - I wanted this to be a quick dinner.

As a mom of 2 under the age of 3, um..yeah time is of the essence!

I had the fabulous Savory Garlic cooking creme,

no need for many other seasonings - it's all in there!

And my inspiration piece assisted - the peanut sauce.

Lots of fresh foods for vitamins and taste.

I decided to make them personal sized pizzas.

Pizza is one of those fabulous foods that is really easy to

personalize and make your own without a lot of fuss.

((Translation - my hubby & I like spicy, our toddler does not)

Top it off with good ol' cheese..

Mmm.. cause everything is just better with cheese..

And tada, a super easy scrumptious meal that

I created on my own!

I don't reinvent the wheel.

I go with what I know taste good and I experiment..a little.

If it still seems intimidating, I propose this.

Go to one of your favorite every week family meals.

Be it pizza, spaghetti, burritos, etc..

and change 2 things.

Make a different kind of meat, try a new seasoning..

Make it yours and I promise you,

you will be on your way to creating your own recipes.

Yes, there will be flops.

But, keep a sense of humor and a martini near by.. and you'll be fine!

I will be filming this recipe later this week with my hubby

(as long as the girls nap!!)

And will be posting it on YouTube (link on right side)

and of course on the Philadelphia contest page.

I hope you try my Asian inspired pizza once the Philadelphia Cooking Creme

comes to your local grocery store.

It is fabulous!

It is so fabulous, I pose this challenge to YOU!

Choose what you think would be the most difficult type of ethnic food

for me to create a recipe for with Original Cooking Creme.

I want to prove to you how versatile this new product is!

You have till January 15th to submit your answer.

Then I will choose what I have the hardest time with.