The Peanut Institute teamed up with the citizens of Plains, Georgia, to sponsor the annual Plains Peanut Festival Recipe Contest. Over 250 recipes from 24 different states were received. Food editors served as judges to select the Grand Prize winner from all categories which included: snacks and appetizers, salads and main dishes, breads and muffins, and sweets and desserts. The grand prize winning recipe received $250 for Grand Prize and an additional $150 for the top winner in their category. This year’s Grand Prize went to Elizabeth McLoud from Perry, Georgia for her recipe Georgia Peanut Salsa. All recipes contain at least one cup of peanut product.
The top winner in the Salads and Main Dishes category was a delicious baked chicken dish titled Chicken Peanut Crunch by Jean Jackson of Columbus, Georgia. In the Sweets and Desserts category Apple Peanut White Turtle Bars won with a wonderful combination of peanuts, peanut butter and apples. The recipe was submitted by Patricia Harmon of Baden, PA. Banana Peanut Sour Cream Bread by Clarie Spriggs of Valdosta, GA, was the top winners in the ever-popular Breads and Muffins category. And finally in the Snacks and Appetizers category was one of the most interesting recipes and also the Grand Prize Winner-Georgia Peanut Salsa submitted by Elizabeth McLoud of Perry, GA.
Runners-up in the Desserts category were a Heavenly Peanut Torte by Kathy Beyer of Stockbridge, GA, and Weekend Special PBJ Strata by Sharon Lesan of Bethel, AK. In the Salads and Main Dishes category, the runners-up included Peanutty Pork Salad by Terry Ann Moore of Oaklyn, NJ, and Two Sisters Peanut-ty Broccoli Salad by Lois Freeland of Powder Springs, GA. Runners-up in the Snacks and Appetizers were Peanut Butter Turkey Rolls with Rice Vinegar Dipping Sauce by Devon Delaney of Princeton, NJ, and Peanut and Gravy over Shish-ka-bob by Ronda Tucker of Ten Mile, TN.
This year Honey-Mustard Peanut, Apple and Pepper Slaw recipe was awarded the most Nutritious and received $100. The recipe was submitted by Sherry Little of Sherwood, AK. Peanuts and peanut butter are some of America’s favorite foods. Chefs and consumers alike are finding new and exciting ways to include versatile peanuts and peanut butter into their daily diet. Creative recipes incorporate peanuts and peanut butter into everything from stews and salads to cakes and pies.
And there is more good news. A growing body of nutrition research is showing that frequently eating small amounts of peanuts and peanut butter can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 50%.
In addition to a significant amount of heart healthy monounsaturated fat, peanuts and peanut butter contain protein, phytosterols, vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and fiber, all of which are thought to benefit health.
The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles.