Wright Iron Chef 2012

Any of you that have followed my blog at all has heard me talk about our Wright Iron Chef competition over the years.  Anytime we have family in town for any particular occasion (other than those who are normally around) or just when we think about it and want an excuse to get together for some fun we have an Iron Chef competition.

In years past we have gathered everyone together and each person gets to put a suggestion for a secret ingredient into a hat.  Then someone draws out what the official secret ingredient is and we all go running.  We have an hour to shop and an hour to cook whatever it is that we want to but it must include the secret ingredient.  We all have assigned kitchens around the Bountiful/Centerville area that we cook at.  In years past we have had pasta, sausage, broccoli slaw and asparagus as secret ingredients and it's been fun to see what everyone makes with those things.  Each year someone is the winner and they get to keep the Mrs. Fields apron for the year and sign their name as champion.

This year since Tera and Erick were going to be here from Germany, and my parents also, we asked if they would like to do Iron Chef while they were here.  My parents were in charge and decided to change things up this time, so that we could spend more time together instead of apart cooking.  They decided to give us the secret ingredient early.  The guys were in charge of choosing and "making" the main dish with the secret ingredient - potato.  We could make it any time before noon on Saturday when we would all be meeting to eat.  Then they put the girls in charge of our first Cupcake War.  They love to watch the show "Cupcake Wars" on tv and wanted a yummy dessert.

Here are my Banana Cinnamon Cupcakes with Nutella Centers baking in the oven.

Since Bump was in charge of our main dish and since the secret ingredient was potatoes something would be wrong with him if he didn't choose to make potato salad.  It was pretty yummy.  Being a Williams now I have had a lot of practice making potato salad.  In the Williams family potato salad IS love.  Bump took these close up pictures of some of the dishes.  Here is his potato salad.

 Tera and Erick tried to steal the show with their incredibly yummy, juicy, smokey brisket (on top of a baked potato. . .:)

Tracy got creative with a potato pizza.  She found some purple potatoes and used them with some good alfredo sauce and veggies for a veggie pizza that was pretty tasty. Steve had stake conference duties, so Tracy's partner was her daughter, Jessica.  Tracy did the main dish, Jessie did the cupcakes.

 We didn't get a picture of Jared and Casi's yummy potato soup, but it was really good and probably a close second in the competition.  The winner was this yummy dish by Lee.  It was hashbrowns with onions and peppers.  It looks pretty basic and not too thrilling, but I can't even begin to describe the amazing flavor that it has!  He uses some bullion somehow that really pulls the flavor and everything was cooked to perfection.  I thought is was the clear winner even though I wasn't the judge.

 She wasn't the judge either - Jessica's baby, Avery. What a cutie!

 Here are the judges getting ready to sample the feast.  From left to right (for the food) Tracy's veggie pizza, our little potato salad, Tera and Erick's brisket. . . and baked potato, Jared and Casi's soup, Lee's hashbrowns, and then Tera and Erick tried to cheat some more by doing a whole different type of brisket, but this time it had fresh cut french fries on the side with two different dipping sauces.

After trying everything and announcing that Lee won that round again. . . (if you notice the names on the apron Lee and Trish win every other year.  They know how to cook that's for sure!). . .then the judges moved on to the cupcake wars.

A cup was placed next to each cupcake presentation and my mom gave 2 coins to each grandchild.  They got to come one at a time and put a coin in the cup that they thought looked the very best.  So, the kids got to judge on the best looking cupcakes and my parents then judged on the taste.

Trish did some yummy chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, Jessica made some lemon cupcakes with blackberries, Casi made owl cupcakes (they won in the best looking department according to the kids), Tera made some Reeses Peanut Butter Cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and a peanut butter cup in the middle of chocolate cupcakes, and I made very ugly looking Banana Cinnamon Cupcakes with Nutella centers and Cinnamon Buttercream frosting.  I tried to frost cute faces to make them more appealing to the kids, and I didn't get the least votes!  :)

It was a good thing that my parents could then judge on the flavor because I knew mine at least tasted heavenly!  I did end up winning for the cupcake flavor and somehow Bump and I were named the Iron Chef Champions for this year.  Maybe because Lee and Trish had won before, or maybe because my cupcakes were just the best thing of the day.  For whatever reason we got the apron and are the Wright Iron Chef champs for 2012.  You can find the recipe that I used HERE from the blog Your Cup of Cake with great pictures from someone that can actually frost cupcakes.  I'll also post the recipe at the bottom of the post.

 Thanks to all of the competitors!  The food was fabulous (I am so glad that I don't have to judge) and the great company was even better!!  I have such a fun family and it's always a treat to get together!  Can't wait until next time!!

Banana Cinnamon Cake:  From the Blog Your Cup of Cake

3 eggs

¼ cup oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

1 box White Cake Mix

3 medium bananas mashed well (2 large)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutella (Buy a small jar and you will have leftovers)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

      1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners (yields 30).

      2.    In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk and sour cream.

      3.    Add cake mix (sift in for easy mixing) and mix until combined.

      4.    In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla.

      5.    Add banana mixture to cake mix bowl and stir. 

      6.   Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and place about ¾ teaspoon of Nutella on top of each uncooked cupcake. (The batter is light, so the Nutella will sink to the bottom while it bakes, but feel free to swirl it with a toothpick a little bit.)

      7.    Bake for 15 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

      8.   Buttercream:  Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add cinnamon, vanilla and powdered sugar. TIP:  Never melt your butter or cream cheese.  Add a little powdered sugar at a time until you reach your desired consistency. 

9.   Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with cinnamon sugar and banana slices.