Skip To Main Content
November 4, 2020 - By Hawke Media

Quarantine Cookoff Recipes From Hawke Media’s Marketing Pros

Around the office, or should we say, through the Interwebs, we’ve been trying to keep our Hawke Media community together and having fun during this time in quarantine. We’ve been hosting weekly company happy hours, quiz games, drawing games, cooking classes, and now even COOK-OFFS. With a few worthy judges looking on, we asked our cook-off competitors to cook for one hour using the items they had in their kitchens.

It turns out, sharp marketers make sharp cooks! Here are the results of the competition and a look at the recipes so you can make some of this deliciousness yourself.

First Place: Matt’s Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Gelato

(Note: I usually will double or triple the recipe and freeze leftovers in Tupperware.)

Ingredients


– 3 bananas
– 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, but I love peanut butter so I throw in more
– 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
– A handful of chocolate chips
– 1 tablespoon of honey


Instructions


– Peel and chop your bananas and stick in the freezer.
– Once bananas are frozen, throw all the ingredients into a blender/food processor and get to blending.
– Depending on how many portions you’re making and the size of your blender/food processor, you may need to work in batches.
– Ya done!

When Serving


– I like to add strawberries or other fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, some chocolate chips, and peanuts for added crunch on top.

Lizzie’s Key Lime Pie

30 minutes, plus cooling and chilling. Makes one nine-inch pie. You can use pre-ground graham cracker crumbs to make the crust or finely grind about 10 whole graham crackers. To serve a crowd, try the slab pie variation below and cut into bars.


Ingredients


– 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
– 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
– 6 medium limes
– 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
– 4 large egg yolks
– 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
– ¼ cup sour cream


Instructions


– Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a nine-inch pie plate (not deep-dish) with nonstick cooking spray.
– Make the crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir until moist crumbs form. Transfer to the prepared pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate (but not over the rim).
– Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Leave the oven on.
– Make the filling: finely grate 1 tablespoon zest from the limes into a large bowl, then halve the limes and squeeze ½ cup juice (you may not need all six limes). Add the condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk until all the egg yolks have been incorporated and the zest is speckled throughout the mixture. Pour into the cooled crust.
– Bake until the filling is set around the edges and the center wobbles slightly when touched, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely at least two hours.
– In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and sour cream with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or by hand, until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat. Pile the cream on top of the pie and swirl and swoosh with a spoon or rubber spatula. Refrigerate the pie for at least three hours before serving.

Citta’s Garlic Chicken with Lime


Instructions


– Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
– Heat oil in a pan (medium heat). I used large Dutch oven because I don’t need to transfer it to another serving plate after.
– Add chicken, skin-side down to render the fat out (8-10 mins). Flip the chicken carefully and cook until golden brown (5 mins).
– Add both halves of the head of garlic, cut side down, and scallions to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Cook until scallions are lightly browned.
– Add some lime juice (2-4 tbs), soy sauce, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and partly cover. Cook until chicken is completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, and then you’re DONE.
– For serving, scatter sliced scallion over chicken and some lime zest.

Robert’s Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Steak


Ingredients


– 2 Yellowfin tuna fillets
– 2 tbsp olive oil (Mediterranean blend)
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tsp lemon pepper
– Dash of salt


Instructions


– Mix all ingredients but the salt into a marinade.
– Plop fillets into a marinade for 1-2 minutes (just so they’re coated).
– Cook in non-stick or coated skillet on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes a side (if you like it rare to mid-rare).
– Salt as you turn.
– If you want to make sure it’s done through, cut burner off afterward and cover the pan with a lid to let it steam.

Rainbow Carrots w/ Maple & Red Pepper Glaze


Ingredients


– 1 16oz bag of rainbow baby carrots
– 2 tbsp olive oil (any blend)
– 3 tbsp tree sap maple syrup (use refined sugar variant if you want to make it gross)
– Crushed red pepper flakes
– Dash of salt
– Dash of pepper


Instructions


– Preheat oven to 425°.
– Wash then dry carrots.
– In a clean bag or covered bowl, coat carrots with all of the olive oil, 1 tbsp of maple syrup, a dash of salt and pepper, and as many red pepper flakes as you desire.
– Move carrots on tin foil over oven-safe pan, then bunch up tin foil into a bindle so that the carrots are resting in the pan covered.
– Cook on high for 8-9 minutes.
– Pull out of oven, pull tinfoil back down to expose carrots, and pour the remaining 2 tbsp of maple syrup PLUS more red pepper flakes onto them.
– Put back in the oven for 5-6 minutes, then cut oven off.
– Wait ten or so minutes for it to carry over, then remove.

Kenemore’s Cheesy Mac & Sausage

In 2016, Kraft quietly changed their ingredients to be as healthy as Annie’s or Amy’s. 🙂

Ingredients

– Kraft Mac & Cheese
– Sausage

Instructions

– Before cooking, pour out 10 percent of the pasta (to make the final dish more cheesy).
– Cook Kraft Mac & Cheese.
– Add sausage.
– Bon appetit! 

Kenemore’s Homemade Ice Cream

While I’m home, I wanted to relay the ice cream recipe that I love so much.


Ingredients


– 2 3/4 cups milk
– 1 cup heavy whipping cream
– Pinch of salt
– Splash of vanilla extract
– Between 1/2 and 1 full cup of sugar


Instructions


– Add whatever fruit you like (if frozen thaw it in some water for just a few minutes before adding to a food processor or hand-chopping) to this bad boy.
– Come back in 20 minutes and it’ll be ready for consumption!