Three-course sustainable holiday feast from Junior Chef Showdown finalist Victor Chow

This holiday season settle in for a delicious three-course meal, and celebrate sustainable cooking with three incredible dishes by Junior Chef Showdown finalist Victor Chow.

Created with Cheese4Change, a national sustainability youth program created by Tre Stelle that awards cash prizes to students and schools that create sustainable recipes, the menu is a delicious reminder that meals can easily be more environmentally conscious.

All of the ingredients in Chow’s recipes fit one of the main categories for sustainable cooking: local, low-to-no-waste, healthy, ecologically responsible, and fair and accessible.

Chow’s recipes include the Feliz Navi-crab appetizer, with crab rangoon, Fa-La-La-Linguine and lobster tail, with double cheese zucchini, and Merry Mascarpone, with cookie crumble and cranberry sauce.

To learn more about Cheese4Change, visit their website. Winners for the competition will be announced on December 22, and again on April 22, 2023, with prizes of $500 for students and $5,000 to schools for their sustainable recipe submissions.

FELIZ NAVI-CRAB

Appetizer – Crab Rangoon stuffed with cheese in wonton wrappers shaped like stars (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 package of Wonton Wrappers (and a bowl of water on the side – used to make sides stick)
• 2/3 cup Tre Stelle Mascarpone
• 1/3 cup Tre Stelle Ricotta
• 1 cup Sustainable Crab Meat
• 2 tbsp. Finely Chopped Green Onions
• 1 1/2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
• Vegetable Oil (for shallow or deep-frying)
• 1/2 Fresh Lemon
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the Tre Stelle mascarpone, ricotta, and crab. Add Old Bay Seasoning, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place a small spoonful of mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Fold one corner to the opposite corner so there is one middle point and 4 corners. (Use water to make sides stick.) Repeat until there is a platter of crab rangoon.

In a pot of vegetable oil at 375F, fry the rangoon. Be careful not to crowd the pot. Remove when they are golden brown (about 5 minutes).

Sprinkle with salt and Old Bay seasoning, top with chives. Option to finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice over plate of crab rangoon.

FA-LA-LA-LINGUINE AND LOBSTER TAIL

Main Course – Double Cheese Zucchini Linguini with Broiled Lobster Tail (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Tre Stelle Bocconcini, grated or very finely chopped (pat dry before grating, season with salt)
• 1 cup Tre Stelle Mascarpone
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1 Shallot, finely diced
• 240 grams Linguini (about 4 servings)
• 2 Zucchinis, spiralled into noodle form
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil, finely chopped
• 1 clove Fresh Garlic, finely chopped or minced
• 4 Lobster Tails (pulled above shell, saddleback)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning or Paprika (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook linguini in a pot of salted boiling water until slightly firm. (Pasta will finish cooking in the cheese sauce mixture.)

While the pasta is boiling, start pan with butter over medium heat. Melt butter until slight bubbles form. Add garlic and shallots and cook until softened, about three minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic or the shallots.

Add mascarpone to pan and stir until melted. Slowly add bocconcini to pan while stirring to avoid clumping. Add chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add linguini and spiraled zucchinis to pan. Toss evenly in the sauce over low/medium heat. Add a small amount of pasta water if the mixture is too thick.

Brush lobster tails with melted butter, and season lightly with salt. In a pre-heated 350F oven, broil the lobster tails for about 12-15 minutes (depending on size of the lobster tails). Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning (or paprika) if desired.

Plate with pasta spiraled in a vertical pile and place lobster tail on top of pasta mound.

MERRY MASCARPONE

Dessert – Mascarpone Cream with Cookie Crumble and Cranberry Sauce (Serves 4)

Mascarpone Cream – Ingredients

• 1 cup Tre Stelle Mascarpone
• 1 cup Whipping Cream
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp. Lemon Zest (+1 tsp. for plating)
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split open for seed

Cookie Crumble – Ingredients

• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 3 tbsp. Butter (softened)
• 3 tbsp. Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/3 cup Milk (may not need all the milk)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split open for seed

Directions for Cream

Whisk cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form, then gently fold in the Tre Stelle mascarpone, vanilla and vanilla bean seed. Store in refrigerator until time to plate dessert.

Directions for Cookie Crumble

Cream softened butter and sugar with a mixer. Add flour and salt. Then add vanilla and vanilla bean seed and slowly pour in milk at small intervals and mix until there is just enough for batter to combine and not be runny or too liquidy.

Pour batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven of 375F for about 7 minutes. Flip the batter over, chop into smaller pieces or use round cookie cutter to cut out circles, and return the tray to the oven for another 7 minutes until slightly brown and crunchy.

Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into smaller pieces if desired (depending on plating preference). Set aside.

Cranberry Sauce – Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 cup Fresh Cranberries

Directions for Cranberry Sauce

Bring water and sugar to a gentle boil. Add cranberries and stir frequently for 10-12 minutes. Cook the sauce down to desired consistency.

For plating

Option 1 – Plate by placing cookie crumble on plate, add layer of mascarpone cream on top of cookie, layer with another cookie and mascarpone, finishing with mascarpone. Top with cranberry sauce and finish with lemon zest.

Option 2 – Plate dessert like a parfait. In a glass, start with a layer of cookie crumble, then mascarpone cream, then cookie crumble, then mascarpone cream, then top with cranberry sauce, and lemon zest.

Visit The GATE’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guides for more giveaways & holiday features.