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Food

Cooking up a $1-million idea

By Times Staff
Published March 8, 2006

The Pillsbury Bake-Off isn't much about baking anymore, or at least baking from scratch, because most dishes use convenience items. Nothing wrong with doing some cooking simply, especially when it could make you $1-million richer.

Because General Mills, the parent company of Pillsbury, owns many food businesses, contestants had a wide variety of foods to choose from for their dishes, including products from Old El Paso, Yoplait, Nature Valley and Green Giant.

These are the recipes from the Tampa Bay area finalists in the 42nd Bake-Off to be held March 21-22 at the Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando. You can find all 100 at www.pillsbury.com/bakeoff Start cooking now and you can judge for yourself.

Tomato-Crab Bisque
1 can 19-ounce Progresso Vegetable Classics tomato basil soup
1 can 7-ounce Old El Paso chopped green chilies
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup drained refrigerated pasteurized crab meat (about 3 ounces), flaked
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

In 2-quart saucepan, heat soup and green chilies over medium heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; beat in whipping cream with wire whisk until blended. Cook just until thoroughly heated (do not boil).
Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave crab meat on high for 30 to 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated.
Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with ¼ cup crab meat and parsley.
Serves two.
Source: Robin Spires, Tampa

Granola Sweet Rolls on a Stick
1 7.3-ounce can Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (5 rolls)
1 6-ounce container Yoplait original 99 percent fat-free French vanilla yogurt
4 Nature Valley cinnamon crunchy granola bars (2 pouches from 8.9-ounce box), finely crushed (¾ cup)
1 large banana
5 10-inch round wooden sticks with one pointed end
Preheat oven to 375 degree. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Separate dough into 5 rolls; set icing aside. Place rolls on cookie sheet. With sharp knife or 1- to 1¼-inch cookie cutter, cut hole in center of each roll; set roll cutouts aside.
Place yogurt in shallow bowl. Place crushed granola bars in another shallow bowl. Peel banana; cut off small slice from each end and cut remaining banana into 5 equal pieces. Place banana pieces in yogurt; stir with spoon until coated. Roll banana pieces in crushed granola bars to coat well. Place 1 coated banana piece in hole in each roll, making hole larger if necessary. Set remaining yogurt aside.
Thread stick through side of each roll, through banana and out other side of roll. Slide roll down stick about 1/3 of length. Thread 1 reserved roll cutout onto stick.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown and dough around center of roll is no longer doughy. Cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir reserved icing into remaining yogurt for sauce. If desired, cut off sharp ends from sticks with kitchen scissors. Loosen rolls and remove from cookie sheet. Serve with yogurt sauce for dipping.
Makes 5 servings.
Source: Robin Ross, St. Petersburg

Mojo Black Bean-Chicken Pizza
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ cup mojo criollo marinade or zesty Italian dressing
½ small red onion, cut into very thin strips
¼ teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
¹/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 15-ounce can Progresso black beans, drained, rinsed
1 6-ounce can refrigerated grilled chicken strips
1 13.8-ounce can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, mix cilantro, marinade, onion, salt, pepper, beans and chicken. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.
Meanwhile, lightly spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting in center, press into 15- by 11-inch rectangle. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Spread chicken mixture over partially baked crust to within ½ inch of edges. Sprinkle both cheeses over top. Bake 8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown around edges. Cut into 8 rectangles. Makes 8 servings.
Source: Ginny Solomon, Brooksville
 

[Last modified March 8, 2006, 16:20:59]