Because they were not allowed to see their ingredients before the contest, the chefs and cooks did not develop recipes for their dishes. Use their improvisational ideas to jump-start your own dinner hour. Beef
Each team had about 2 pounds of chuck roll (also labeled as stew meat). Most teams cut and pounded the meat to soften it up and allow it to cook quicker. The winners cut the large roast-like piece of meat into bite-sized pieces, trimming out the fat and tougher parts. Chef Aaron Johnson tossed the trimmings with the oil-vinegar-garlic marinade to add more flavor to the lean cubes.
Broccoli
Take the green “trees” beyond steaming by tossing florets in a vinaigrette or some orange- butter sauce. Serve them chilled as a salad with sliced radishes.
Cantaloupe
Chopped, sliced, or baked, this Colorado- grown fruit is a sweet treat all by itself, but add vanilla-scented whipped cream, a drizzle of honey and a sifting of cinnamon, and you’ll have an easy, company-quality dessert.
Corn
Roasted on the stove top, cut and blended into a chowder, or incorporated in a stuffing, corn brings sweetness and crunch to a main course. It pairs well with citrus and chile flavors. Try making a summer soup with cubed potatoes, diced onions and carrots, cream and chipotle-flecked butter.
