2008 Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest

The fourth annual Cooking Light Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest captured the attention of more than 3,000 home cooks from across the country, who submitted their best original recipes to compete for a $20,000 grand prize. Participants created light dishes in one of four categories: starters and drinks, family dinners, side salads and side dishes, and desserts. Qualifying recipes had to incorporate one of 10 products from this year’s sponsors: Al Fresco Sausage, Annie’s Naturals Dressings/Marinades, Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables, Bush’s Best Beans, Eggland’s Best Eggs, Kerrygold Cheeses and Butters from Ireland, Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar, Newman’s Own Pasta Sauce, Stacy’s Pita Chips, and Swanson Broth.

Our food staff reviewed more than 3,000 recipe entries to select the top contenders and chose 12 finalists, three in each category. The recipes met our staff’s standards for taste, appearance, nutritional content, and mainstream appeal, as well as appropriate use of the sponsor product. Then, the finalists traveled to our Test Kitchens in Birmingham, Alabama, to prepare their recipes for a judging panel of independent food professionals, who selected the top dishes. Four category winners each took home $5,000, and the grand-prize winner was awarded $20,000, plus a $5,000 category prize to donate to her charity of choice.

Palate pleaser

Devon Delaney, of Princeton, New Jersey, won both the family dinners category and overall grand prize for her festive, spicy Ranch Steak Bruschetta Salad. Head judge David Bonom praised the dish for its “play on what most people would consider an appetizer. The fact that it was an entrée with a very easy preparation and made great use of the sponsor’s products was impressive.” The judges also appreciated its well-balanced flavors, such as the unexpected use of ground coffee as a rub to complement the beef and the hit of spicy horseradish sauce added to the mild ranch dressing. “The reader did her homework and created something that not only impressed us but pleased our palates as well,” says Bonom.

Delaney, a computer teacher at Princeton Day School, credits her sister for encouraging her to submit her recipe to Cooking Light. “I first saw the magazine on my sister’s coffee table. After reading it, I knew it was exactly the way I love to cook,” she says. “The contest was right up my alley because I often revamp a recipe for a lighter, healthier makeover.”

Delaney says she has been preparing varied versions of her smoky, lightly spiced salad for years, depending on the ingredients she has on hand. “My mom used to make a variation of this meal while I was growing up,” she says. “She topped a bed of lettuce with toast and some leftover protein, mustard, and salad dressing. I borrowed that idea and made it my own.” In her update, Delaney opted for a premium cut of meat, fresh tomatoes, and peppery arugula.

Winning combination

As the primary cook in her family, Delaney enjoys experimenting. “I may begin with a general recipe, but I always improvise with additions, different cooking methods, adjustments, and substitutions,” she says. For Ranch Steak Bruschetta Salad, Delaney embellished a cowboy-ranch theme, adding spices and smoky, bold flavors characteristic of Southwestern fare. “This result is fresh tasting, easy to prepare, colorful, and presentable for guests. And it keeps fat and sodium in check.”

Delaney was awarded $20,000 for her grand prize–winning creation and $5,000 to donate to the charity of her choice: the Margaux Powers Scholarship Fund at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut.

The recipe for her easy entrée salad is featured here, along with the other category-winning dishes. We’ll present the other eight finalists’ recipes in upcoming issues.