Recipe for success: Dixon woman wins national organic recipe contest

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"You want us to taste WHAT?" was the general reaction when Alison Brantley asked her friends and family to test their palates on some original recipes she was creating for a contest. They were OK trying out Brantley recipes; they had done that before. She was always cooking and creating. But these were a little off the wall: Salmon, pineapple, and chocolate? Chocolate, basil, and shrimp? Tuna, green apples, and chocolate? Brantley was their friend, however, so they came to her house to taste these dubious delicacies. "The recipes got mixed reactions at first when I revealed the ingredients, but much to my guests' surprise, they loved them," Brantley said. "All of the elements come together beautifully (in the chocolate basil shrimp). Pungent basil, spicy chili oil, sweet shrimp, sinful chocolate and a perfect crunch." The tasters picked the chocolate basil shrimp as the best. Brantley entered the recipe and won a top spot in the nationwide Green and Black's Organic Chocolate Challenge. Brantley, who lives in Dixon, was chosen from among hundreds of cooks as one of the top five contestants. The rules were pretty simple: The recipe had to include Green and Black's Organic Chocolate and no more than five ingredients. It had to be an original recipe. Brantley said she knew if her entry was going to win, it would have to be something very different. She did not want to make a dessert. "Actually, I got inspiration from a credit card commercial that showed a chocolate-covered chili pepper," Brantley said. I knew I wanted a chocolate and a spice - a sweet and a spice, my favorite taste. I knew I was going in that direction. "I got it in my head it had to be seafood and chocolate,'' she said. "I really love gourmet cooking and having several different elements work together. I love to cook with fresh ingredients, daring combinations and bold flavors." Her chocolate basil shrimp is a beautiful hors d'oeuvre presented in the form of a flower made from a wonton and a large single shrimp. It is partially covered in chocolate on a drawn-on stem with Thai basil leaves presented on a white dessert plate. Real Thai basil has a thicker, larger leaf with more flavor, she said. "But if you can't find Thai basil, you can substitute regular leaf basil; it is close enough," Brantley said. She finds Thai basil, chili oil and other organic products at an Asian market in Rockford, Golden Market on Broadway. She hasn't found an Asian market in the Sterling-Dixon area. Sometimes organic products can be found at the area farmers markets. Brantley joined the other four winners in June for a trip to New York City, where they rubbed elbows with some of the most famous chefs in the country, cooking with TLC's "Take Home Chef," Curtis Stone, and attending the annual James Beard Foundation Awards gala, referred to as the "Oscars of the food world." "That was a "black-tie event, red-carpet," Brantley said. The five cooks and their guests also visited Times Square and several other sites in New York. Brantley has been cooking since she was a teen. She learned to cook at the side of her grandmother, who was more of a "down-home" cook. "For the last 7 years, I have been leaning toward the gourmet and organic cooking," Brantley said. "I use organic food when I can. I feel it is a better choice because it has not been chemically enhanced. It is simple and pure." When she cooks for her friends and family, which she loves to do, they know what to expect. "Once I start cooking, they know I will be in the kitchen for at least 3 hours, she said. "I make everything from scratch, and I chop everything fresh." Brantley, 26, is a Realtor in the Dixon area. She is available to speak about her winning recipe and discuss her taste for organic food, which is growing every day. "Today's day and age is a time where many Americans rush from the moment they wake, taking on overwhelming schedules and responsibilities, marching uphill to propel careers, satisfying family and friends, finding still enough energy to maintain a healthy lifestyle," Brantley said. "This is why I'm so grateful for organic products. They bring back an element of simplicity to life. Chock full of wholesome nutrients and an unbeatable taste. With so many pollutants in the world, our food should not be one of them. Organic products are rapidly becoming more increasingly available and vast every day." Tip of the week When working with hot peppers, wear protective gloves and do not touch your face or any sensitive skin until you have removed the gloves and washed your hands. The prize-winning recipe: Chocolate basil shrimp 8 squares of wonton wraps 25 Thai basil leaves (found in Asian markets, it's a bigger, spicier leaf) 8 large butterflied, precooked shrimp 5 tablespoons chili oil 3 ounces Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush wonton wraps with 2 tablespoons of chili oil. In a mini-muffin pan, twist wonton wraps into cups, making a flower-like shape. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven. Meanwhile, heat shrimp in 2 tablespoons of chili oil, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, just to warm. Rinse and dry basil leaves. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and mix in remaining chili oil. With 2 ounces of chocolate, spoon chocolate halfway down on the sides and in the center of each wonton cup, reserving enough chocolate to top shrimp. Place 2 basil leaves per cup and 1 shrimp. Drizzle remaining chocolate across shrimp. With remaining melted chocolate, draw a stem on 4 appetizer plates and decorate with a few small basil leaves. Place 2 cups a stem making "blooms." Makes 4 servings. Winning entries satisfy an organic lover's sweet tooth Here are the other winning entries in the Green and Black's Organic Chocolate Challenge. There were five finalists in the competition, including the aforementioned Alison Brantley of Dixon. There was no top winner named, just the five finalists, in no particular order. Organic banana chocolate cherry brownies Erika Allen, Cupertino, Calif. "When I created this recipe, I knew that I wanted it to be made of all organic ingredients. The end product turned into a flourless Organic Banana Chocolate Cherry Brownie. Most of my friends and family had never had a dessert made of all organic products, so when I had them try my dessert, they were impressed. They also were impressed by how few ingredients were in it. They loved the taste of the chocolate, cherry and banana all together." 7 ounces (2 bars) Green & Black's Organic Cherry Chocolate 2 ripe organic bananas 2 organic brown eggs (separated) 1/4 cup organic butter 1/2 cup organic sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan. Cut chocolate into small pieces. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium-size heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside. Separate eggs into two bowls. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar to the egg yolks. With a hand mixer, beat egg whites until they are soft peaks; set aside. Mash 1 banana and add to the egg yolks/sugar mixture. Slowly mix together the banana mixture with the slightly cooled chocolate. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour batter into pan and place in the oven and bake for about 17 to 20 minutes. Before serving, cut up the extra banana and put on top of brownies. Roasted jalapeno peppers stuffed with Brie cheese and raspberry preserves Melissa Moore, Littleton, Colo. "My friends and family were extremely excited to hear that I was going to create a recipe that offered organic items along with a decadent organic chocolate. Most people associate chocolate with a dessert, something served after a meal, so I wanted to think outside the box and create something that you could start your meal with. I came up with roasted jalapeno peppers stuffed with Brie cheese and raspberry preserves." 4 jalapeno peppers 2 ounces Brie cheese 5 tablespoons organic raspberry preserves, divided 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 2 ounces Green & Black's Organic Dark 7-cent chocolate Preheat toaster oven to 450 degrees. With a sharp knife, split each jalapeno pepper down the center, but do not cut all the way through. Clean peppers. Place peppers on a piece of foil and roast peppers in toaster oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until skins are slightly browned. Remove peppers and let cool for 3 minutes. Reduce toaster oven to 350 degrees. Take thin slices of Brie cheese and place into the peppers. Top off with raspberry preserves. Place peppers back on foil sheet and bake in the toaster oven for an additional 10 minutes or until Brie cheese is slightly melted. Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water. Gently stir until chocolate is thoroughly melted. Once melted, add teaspoon of olive oil. Stir until oil and chocolate are combined. Dollop a small amount of raspberry preserves onto a plate, place the peppers on top of the preserves, then drizzle the chocolate sauce over the peppers. Serve immediately. Serves 2. Chocolate espresso dream parfaits Sonali Ruder, New York, N.Y. "With this dish, I showcase chocolate in a triad of forms - solid chocolate wafers, liquid chocolate ganache, and whipped chocolate espresso mascarpone cream. The combination of chocolate and espresso is classic and the hazelnuts add a delightful crunch. When my husband and friends tasted my dish, they couldn't believe it only had five ingredients." 7 ounces Green & Black's Organic Espresso Dark Chocolate 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon confectioner's sugar 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts Make the chocolate wafers: Cover the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking tray with aluminum foil and tuck the ends under, making sure the foil is tight. Melt 2 ounces of chocolate over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the foil and spread it evenly with a spatula into a rectangle, approximately 6-by-8-inches in size. Place the tray in the refrigerator and chill for 7 or 8 minutes until set. With a sharp knife, cut the chocolate into 3/4-inch-wide strips widthwise. Place back in refrigerator and chill for 1 hour. Make the chocolate espresso mascarpone cream: Melt 3 ounces of chocolate over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place the mascarpone cheese and 3/4 cup heavy cream in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until firm peaks form. Gently fold in the melted chocolate until evenly distributed. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve. Make the chocolate ganache: Chop the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium-size metal bowl. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth; set aside. Remove the baking tray from the refrigerator and dust the chocolate wafers with 1 teaspoon confectioner's sugar. Gently peel the wafers off the aluminum foil. To assemble the parfaits, divide the chocolate espresso mascarpone cream into two martini glasses. Drizzle with chocolate ganache. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chopped hazelnuts on top of each. Place two chocolate wafers in each glass. Serve extra wafers on the side. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings. Lemon, cardamom and white chocolate fool with raspberries Camilla Saulsbury, Nacadoches, Texas "I developed this recipe for a baby shower last spring. It is so easy and elegant (I tripled the recipe and served it in wine glasses); friends were clamoring for the recipe, and were delighted to find it required so few ingredients and so little time to prepare. I'm crazy for cardamom and love the way it compliments the white chocolate and lemon. One bite tastes like a spoonful of spring." 6 ounces (from two 3.5-ounce bars) Green & Black's Organic White Chocolate, coarsely chopped 11/2 cups chilled whipping cream, divided 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 3/4 cup jarred good-quality lemon curd, divided use 1 pint fresh raspberries (room temperature for best flavor) Process chocolate in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat 1/2 cup of the cream in heavy small saucepan until very hot (but not boiling). With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Using electric mixer, beat remaining cup of cream in medium-size bowl to stiff peaks. Beat in cardamom and 1/4 cup of the lemon curd. Fold into chocolate mixture. Evenly spoon half of mousse into four decorative glasses or tumblers. Spoon the remaining lemon curd over each, then top with remaining mousse. Use the tip of the knife to gently swirl the lemon curd with the mousse, then chill until set, about 4 to 6 hours (or make up to a day in advance) Just before serving, gently crush the raspberries in a small bowl, then spoon raspberries with their juices over the chilled mousse and serve. Makes 4 servings.