2012 Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest Grand Prize Winner
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Courtesy of Sugiyarti Jorgenson, Kodiak, Alaska

• 1 pound ground chicken, white meat only
• 1 cup finely shredded sweet potato (about 1 medium)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• Cilantro leaves
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• Apricot Ketchup, recipe follows

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, sweet potato, cilantro, salt, garlic powder, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, and cumin. Form mixture into 4 (3/4-inch thick) patties.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add patties, and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 165°.

Serve patties on buns topped with spinach, cilantro, tomato slices, and Apricot Ketchup.

Apricot Ketchup
MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Courtesy of Holly Clegg
Printed in Summer 2012 

Intrigue your taste buds with peaches, ginger, and black beans in this sweet and savory dish.

• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/4 pounds Louisiana peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained


Preheat grill to medium-high. Season chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Combine peaches and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

Grill chicken breasts until internal temperature reaches at least 155oF, about 4 minutes per side.

Spoon reserved peach mixture over chicken and serve.


MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Adapted from The Lodato Family Cookbook by Frank Lodato Jr. and Julie O'Day Lodato

• 8 chicken leg quarters
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 3 slices ham, chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
• 2 pounds pork sausage
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fig Sauce, for serving, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Debone chicken using a sharp knife. Lay chicken legs skin side down, cut around thigh first and scrape around the bone freeing the meat from the bone. Move to the joint and cut around it, freeing the meat from the joint as well as the leg bone. Break the thigh bone off at the knuckle and discard bone. Make sure you have the meat loose from leg bone. Move to the foot side of the leg and cut about one inch of the end knuckle off with a cleaver, then push the leg bone through to form a pocket for the stuffing.

In a large frying pan heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms and ham. Brown sausage and add it all together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix and let cool.

Flatten chicken with a mallet. Wash and dry the pieces, then set them skin-side down on a tray. Stuff the mixture into chicken quarters. Roll skin around and shape like a Tee Pee with chicken bone sticking up. Bake at 350ºF about 40 minutes or until done.

When finished, you can get creative and put a small chef's hat on top of the chicken leg. Serve this dish with the legs sitting up, if possible. An optional step is to coat with Fig Sauce.

Fig Sauce

• 1 (17-ounce jar) whole figs in syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup roasted fowl drippings
• 1 1/4 cups finely chopped onions, in all
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock, in all
• 1/2 orange seeded and thinly sliced

Drain syrup from figs and reserve. In a large skillet combine fig syrup and sugar and mix well. Cook over high heat, stirring and adding butter until mixture caramelizes and turns very syrupy, about 18 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place drippings in a 1-quart saucepan. Add 3/4 cup onions and next 6 ingredients and sauté over high heat until vegetables start to wilt, about 3 minutes, suturing occasionally. Stir the vegetables into the caramelized fig sauce and add 2 cups stock, stirring well. 

Turn heat to high and cook 15 minutes more. Add orange slices and cook 5 minutes. Add 1 cup stock and remaining 1/2 cup onions and cook 10 minutes more, stirring. Remove from heat.

Strain contents and reserve liquid. Puree strained solids in a food processor until smooth. Add puree to reserved liquid, stirring well. Turn heat to high and cook until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in figs and simmer about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture in a sauce, about 18 minutes more. Remove from that and serve over duck or chicken.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Courtesy of Brian LeJeune
Originally published in April 2012 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 12 slices bacon
• 4 jalapeños, sliced 1/4 inch 
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon favorite Louisiana hot sauce

Cube chicken the width of the bacon slices. Make a pocket in the center of each chicken cube and insert a jalapeño slice. Wrap bacon around chicken cube once, cutting off excess, and skewer with a toothpick.

Mix salad dressing and next 2 ingredients together and pour over chicken cubes. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least an hour. When ready to cook, drain off marinade and grill over a barbecue pit until browned and fully cooked, about 6 minutes. Serve.

Serves: 10
Courtesy of: Rev. Msgr. J. Anthony Luminais

Ingredients

1 gallon oyster water
1 cup roux
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
5 pounds cut hen
2 pounds cut andouille sausage
1 gallon Louisiana oysters, with their water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Gumbo filé, to taste
Cooked rice

Instructions:

Bring oyster water to a boil. Dissolve in cold roux and boil for approximately 1/2 hour. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and parsley. Boil an additional 1/2 hour. Add then and andouille. Boil an additional 1/2 hour. Turn off heat, let cool, freeze, if desired. When ready to use, allow to thaw. Heat on low. At a low boil, add oysters with oyster water, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper and filé to taste. Serve over rice.