25th Lentil Festival seeks recipe submissions for 2013 cook-off

The 25th anniversary of the National Lentil Festival is looking for recipes from across the country for this year’s competition, “The Legendary Lentil Cook-Off.”

Every year, the cook-off receives creative and delicious recipes. In 2012, it received 127 recipes from 32 states and Canada. New this year, the festival invites the top five finalists to prepare their recipes at the festival. These will be tasted by a panel of celebrity judges and by the first 100 festival goers. The first place winner will be crowned with an official National Lentil Festival chef’s hat and goes home with $2,000. Second place is awarded $1,000 and third place wins $500. There is an additional $100 prize for the “People’s Choice Award.”

Each recipe submission will be pre-screened by a panel of food experts, who will select the top five recipes. All recipes will be rated on ease of preparation, flavor, texture, creativity, appearance and use of lentils. The top five recipes will be prepared and tested for accuracy before the finalists are chosen. All recipes are required to have one half cup of dry lentils or one cup cooked lentils and are limited to a maximum of 15 ingredients. Recipe submissions must be postmarked by June 17.

The celebrity judges include Jeanette Dunn of Sizzlen Cuisine Magazine; David H. Heemann of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living Magazine; Adam R. Hegsted, Executive Chef of Coeur d’Alene Casino; Marilyn Lysohir, owner of Cowgirl Chocolates, and Robin Leventhal, Top Chef Cheftestant.

A 2013 National Lentil Festival Cook-Off Recipe Booklet will be produced for sale online and at this year’s festival. This compilation of lentil recipes is a great resource of the many uses for lentils. Lentil tacos, lentil pizza and lentil brownies are just a few examples of the unique creations talented cooks from across the nation have shared with the festival in the past.

Pullman is located in the Palouse region, which produces the highest quality lentils grown in the world. Lentils are allowed to dry naturally on the vine and then harvested in late summer. Lentils are low in fat and sodium, and have no cholesterol or gluten. A one-half cup serving of cooked lentils has 20 grams of complex carbohydrates, four grams of dietary fiber, nine grams of protein and 115 calories. Lentils are one of the richest sources of folic acid found in nature.

The Natural Lentil Festival is organized by the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, City of Pullman and Washington State University. The Legendary Lentil Cook-Off is sponsored by the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council and groceries for the cook-off are provided by Dissmore’s IGA.