MOUNT PLEASANT – Roscommon Spice Girls, Sarah Morley, Tessa Heliin and Samantha Karoub, attended a Teen Chopped competition in Mount Pleasant recently, which was offered through the MSU Extension 4H.
The girls, along with their dishwashing team, Trey Heliin and Mathhew Morley, were the only team representing Roscommon County.
They were given a basket of ingredients they had to use to make a dish, including 1 pound of pork, one kind of cheese (their choice), a head of cauliflower, butternut squash and whole wheat bread. The morning of the competition they were also given a mystery ingredient – Autumnberry Jam, a locally grown product made from the berries of an Autumn Olive tree.
Prior to the competition, the girls had met together three times over a few weeks to perfect their dish. Once they were introduced to the mystery ingredient, they had one hour to create an entrée and side dish OR an entrée and appetizer.
Team Spice Girls created “The Juicy Lucy!” In their introduction, they stated – if Big Boy can name their pork Jim (referencing Slim Jim) they could name theirs Lucy, and boy was it juicy!” The burger was stuffed with cheddar cheese and was served open face on a cauliflower bun. They used the mystery ingredient, Autumberry Jam, by reducing it over high heat with balsamic vinegar to reduce the tanginess of the berry and adding sugar to thicken and bring the sweetness forward. It made an incredible glaze for their burger that tied all of the flavors together. With their open face burger stuffed with cheddar cheese, they also served a basket of Butter Nut Squash Chips garnished with coarse salt and fresh chives.
The team finished in just under an hour, ready to give their presentation. Part of the presentation was the way they handled public speaking as they presented their dish to the judges and audience.
While they did not place, they are looking forward to seeing their scores. The judges had barely any critique and loved their clever plating. One judge told the girls that she could sit and eat the whole plate! Best of all they had a great time doing it.
