Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of (#MC) Mom Central Consulting for Lay’s. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
How do you come up with you creative recipes? For me, I get inspired by an ingredient and start thinking of the things I can pair it with to bring out a unique flavor profile. For instance, when I created my Apple-Pear Shortbread Bars I wanted a flavor distinctly Autumn inspired. Apple and pear pairs wonderfully together, and adding the crumbly topping and drizzle enhanced the delicious flavors. On the flip side, when I put together my Avocado, Kiwi & Pomegranate Salad with Blackberry-Lime Dressing I was looking forward to Spring and summer and wanted a delicious sweet salad to compliment the tart pomegranates.
I love to pair ingredients that either compliment each other because they are similar in flavor (apple and pear) or balance one another out by being opposites (pomegranate and avocado). Sometimes I go a bit overboard and add quite a few extra ingredients for additional flavors and zing, which can make things fun. When I think of my most creative recipes where I’ve challenged myself with different varieties of ingredients or techniques, these are the ones that stick out the most in my mind.
From Left to right, top to bottom:
Healthy Tuna & Avocado Bowls, Dessert Calzones, Coconut Cherry Kiss Cookies, Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Dippers, Avocado, Kiwi & Pomegranate Salad with Blackberry-Lime Dressing, Apple-Pear Shortbread Crumble Bars
All of these recipes are favorites for a variety of reasons, but I feel they were creative with their ingredients as well as delicious! When it comes to creative ideas, I’m bouncing ideas off of my family all the time. Sometimes they get super excited about my ideas, and other times they’ll look at me crazy because some of my combinations make them question my sanity. They always like my recipes though, so I feel I’m always pushing their taste buds to the limit, which is fun! Another creative one in my house is D-Man. He’s my right-hand-man in the kitchen and he has a passion for food. Sometimes he comes up with some wacky flavor combinations that surprise me as well. I get a joy out of watching his interest in food and cooking and knowing that his passion follows mine.
Currently we’re discussing some fun and creative flavor combos for the Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” contest.
I’ve already entered with a Buffalo Chicken and Ranch flavor combination but I’m thinking we should do another that’s got that sweet and salty balance. We’re still writing down ideas to submit, so it’s a good thing we still have time. You can enter too! Fans nationwide can submit their ideas for the next great Lay’s potato chip flavor for the chance to win a $1 million dollar grand prize (see rules)! The judging panel will be made up of chefs, foodies and flavor experts who will narrow the contest down to four finalist flavors. The four finalist flavors will then be fully developed by Frito-Lay’s culinary experts and unveiled Summer of 2014 and sold nationwide. After that, it’s up to fans to vote for the finalist flavor they would like to see remain on store shelves, and the finalist behind the winning flavor will take home the million dollar grand prize (see rules)!! The kicker is that this year you can choose which potato chip form you’d like for your recipe – Lay’s Original, Lay’s Kettle Cooked, and/or Lay’s Wavy. The contest is open until April 5, 2014, so hurry up and get your favorite flavors locked in! You can enter at dousaflavor.com by submitting a flavor name, up to three ingredients, and a brief description for that chip flavor. You just may be the grand prize winner!
