Gourmoo Cookoff Challenge + Giveaway!

Remember my Snickers Smoothie I made for the Lactaid Contest for Foodbuzz last fall?

I had so much fun with that contest and had a great time interacting with the people from Lactaid, so when they contacted me a few weeks ago to be involved with their Gourmoo Cookoff on Moovision (which promotes recipes using Lactaid Milk and other low-lactose ingredients) , I immediately said yes.

Me? Be involved with spreading the news about a cooking contest? There was no way I was saying no : )

The Gourmoo Cookoff consists of five episode challenges: Appetizer, Side Dish, Entrée, Dessert and the Wild Card finale.

For this week, I’m hosting my own “Gourmoo Cookoff Dinner Party Challenge” to correspond with the Entree Challenge.

My mission? To watch the video below, share my thoughts about the dishes made, and tell you what recipe/dish that I would have entered into the challenge if I was competing. Fun, right?

I was actually pretty impressed with the dishes the contestants came up with! Laurie, Morena and Robert used seafood, which I would have never thought to do in a contest using lactose-free milk. I was really happy to see such colorful presentations. I know I’m bad about having meals at home sometimes that are all one color and just aren’t horribly attractive, but each dish had colors that popped and interesting ingredients to show off the versatility of Lactaid Milk.

After watching the video and hearing about each dish, I have to say that I was most intrigued by the Harvest Pot Pie (baked in a pie pumpkin – such a great idea!) and the Kim Chi, Scallop, and Bacon Pasta. I obviously didn’t get to taste the dishes, but those two seemed like the most creative to me and they used the milk in smart ways with their dish ideas.

I thought Laurie’s fish looked beautiful – I loved the crust (and the fact that she also had side dishes, which no other contestant offered), but I could see where the judges might miss where she used the milk since her main dish wasn’t super creamy or milk-based. But the creamed onions sounded interesting and are something I’ve never tried.

I love risotto, and I bet Robert’s dish was delicious with the creamy rice and crab meat, but I didn’t love his presentation. I think there were just a few too many pieces of vegetables on top – I like that he used some to add some color, but it would have been better scaled down just a touch.

Overall, I think the contestants did amazing! They each used the Lactaid Milk in different ways in their recipes and really showed some new ideas and techniques of using milk for those that are lactose intolerant.

I’m just impressed by all of them. I can’t imagine being in a cook-off like this, having it filmed and still getting your food ready.

Now if I was competing in this challenge, I have a tie of recipe ideas: either a super creamy and loaded baked potato soup OR a creamy pesto and alfredo pasta with peas and bacon.

I love everything about potato soups: fun toppings to add flavor and color, creamy texture, and the comforting feeling you get when slurping up a big bowl on a cold night.

But I also love a good pasta, especially with a thick alfredo sauce filled with milk and parmesan cheese and a little brightness from some fresh pesto and peas. Both would be easy to make and easy to serve – two of my requirements when cooking ; )

So, what does any of this have to do with you guys??

You have the chance to enter a GIVEAWAY!

Courtesy of Moovision, I am giving away a $50 gift card and an assortment of Lactaid Milk coupons to one lucky BranAppetit reader.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this blog post about what entree featuring lactose-free milk YOU would make for this challenge.

For additional entries:

Tweet “I entered @BranAppetit’s giveaway for @Moovision’s #GourmooCookoff Challenge!”

 

The contest closes on March 8th. Good luck!!



PS: Don’t forget to update your readers and blogrolls to www.branappetit.com!

21 comments

  1. I love this contest! I am very much lactose-intolerant. I live off the lactaid supplement pills and lactaid milk. So I could totally use some coupons! :) I would make chicken and broccoli fettuccine alfredo with lactaid milk. Yummy!

  2. I tweeted your contest!

  3. since i’m a cheese lover, i would try for a lactose free macaroni and cheese!

  4. AHHH I would LOVE to win this. My entire family is lactose-intolerant and have been huuuge Lactaid fans for as long as I can remember. I always substitute Lactaid in my recipes for mashed potatoes and casseroles, and you can’t even tell the difference. 1% Lactaid is my favorite for some reason. Their chocolate milk isn’t bad either.

    OMG I wanna win so bad.

  5. I would use the milk to make a veggie pot pie.

  6. i’d make awesome creamy mushroom soup!

  7. What a fun contest! Those recipes sound so yummy.

    I’d make a thick and creamy alfredo pasta bake. Since i’m lactose intolerant this giveaway sounds awesome to me!

  8. My mom and sister are lactose-intolerant so this would be great! I’d like to make a quiche with the milk, one with leeks and swiss chard. And then for dessert, perhaps a custard pie :)

  9. ooh i’d make some sort of frittata or baked egg dish!

  10. I would use the lactaid to make french toast. I would use the lactaid in replacement of milk. I love to make french toast and my friend is lactose intolerant and I want to make her french toast for her birthday on March 12th.

  11. I tweeted about the giveaway! (@gogirl001us)

  12. Kim Chi, Scallop, and Bacon Pasta?! Wow!!! That sounds amazing.

    I’m gonna say I wanna make cornbread. It’s the best heart-warming food ever.

  13. Cool contest! I’ve never used Lactaid milk, but would love to give it a try! I’d probably want to use it in my spinach and potato soup (http://www.itzyskitchen.com/2010/03/light-spinach-potato-soup.html). Hope you have a good day :)

  14. i’d like to make a creamy custard

  15. probably some kind of creamy banana pudding.

  16. oh wow, milk in risotto? very cool. i’d probably use it to make a cream sauce for a mac n cheese, perhaps of the crab variety? Or maybe that’s just what I’m planning to do soon.. hehe :)

  17. i would make of mac and cheese w/ plenty of veggies (that aspargus looked great)

  18. I’ll do much better in the dessert round because I love to bake! So for entrees I like to keep it simple; I would make a broccoli and cheddar soup with lactose-free milk!

  19. Pingback: Recipe Roundup

  20. I would try the lactose free mac and cheese. It sounds good and I have never tried it before.

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