Category Archives: Giveaway

Gluten-Free Baked Onion Rings + Twitter popchips Giveaway

Written on July 22, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway, Snack

When I was a kid I never liked onion rings. When everyone else was going for bags of Funyuns, I chose potato chips. I didn’t even care that they were fried; they had the word “onion” in them so how could they be good?!

Well, I grew up and so did my taste buds. Now I love onions sautéed, caramelized—however you make them. And when I had my first taste of onion rings in England they were surprisingly good.

popchips sent me a Summer supply of their tasty all natural snacks, and when I started looking at recipes on their facebook wall these onion rings grabbed my attention. If there’s anything better than potato chips, it’s onion rings. And baking them in a batter with low-fat popchips means they’re better for you than the original, too.

Gluten-Free Baked Onion Rings

Ingredients:

2 onions, sliced and separated
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or non-dairy substitute
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup potato chip crumbs*
1/3 cup almond flour

*I used 1 .8oz bag of original popchips and 2 .8oz bags of salt & pepper.

Line 2 sheets of baking trays with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the eggs, milk, and vinegar. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour and potato chip crumbs. It’s best to use the finest crumbs you can so running them through a food processor is recommended.

With one hand, lift the onion rings and dredge them in the wet ingredients. Take it and put it in the breading, tossing to coat with your other hand. Using the dry hand, place it on the lined baking tray. Repeat this process for all of the onion rings.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve slightly warm with ketchup.

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I wasn’t sure if these would actually taste good. They’re “healthy”, free of grains and low in fat. They’re easy, too, compared to actually frying the onion rings which would require a lot more attention cooking.

The verdict?

I had no problem finishing them all. I don’t think it’s too soon for another batch.

popchips wants to give away a Summer supply of popchips to one lucky person on Twitter! To enter, simply tweet between now and next Friday, the 29th, “I snack healthy with ________ @popchipsboston @wannabechefevan” answering the question with your favorite healthy snack or favorite popchips flavor and you’ll be entered to win.

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Perfect Foods Bar Giveaway(3 Winners)

Written on May 5, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway

I’m really excited to be able to bring you this giveaway today. If I were Oprah, I’d be shouting “Favoorite Thiiiiiiings” in that vibrato voice she does so well(actually, I am doing that but no one needs to hear it).

I Love Perfect Foods Bars. 95% of marketed protein/energy bars are terrible, whether it’s too much refined sugar or just a lack of real food. These are part of the other 5%. I love them because they are:

Sweetened with honey
High protein
High plant-based fat
Rich in vitamins and minerals
Organic ingredients you recognize
Gluten-free

And, most importantly, they’re tasty, too! No chalky taste or texture here. They taste just like, well, peanut butter and honey.

They’re especially great for athletes on-the-go who need to get in extra wholesome calories. I know if I didn’t snack at times when I’m running a lot I’d need to cook and sit down to 5 or 6 full meals a day and who has the time for that?

The Giveaway

Perfect Foods is giving away a box of their famous bars to 3 US readers in the flavor of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment for each method of entry below that you do(If you’re already a Facebook fan or twitter follower, that counts, too!).

Tell me what flavor you’d choose if you won(my favorites are the original and carob chip)
Like Perfect Foods Bar on Facebook
Like The Wannabe Chef on Facebook
Follow @PerfectFoodsBar on Twitter
Follow @WannabeChefEvan on Twitter

I’ll choose the winners Tuesday night and alert them by email, so make sure to leave a valid email along with your name. Good luck!

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Better-Than-Boxed Brownies and a CSN Store Giveaway

Written on February 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Giveaway

Today is the first day of February, the time to (hopefully) start enjoying the outside more by cleaning off the swing set, taking out bicycles, and ignoring that little thing called Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate a new month than with brownies?

When I ran yearbook bake sales in high school, the one food that went without exception were brownies made from a box. People just like them. Once you get to a certain level of cooking/baking, serving a box mix feels like a stab through the heart. Instead, we make recipes that rival boxed brownies. These are just as sugary and fudgy as the ones you get from a Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker mix. They’re also the same that I used in my grasshopper brownies but the recipe is good enough that it needs its own post. I mean, don’t they just look that good?

Better-Than-Boxed Brownies

Ingredients(Makes 16 2’-inch brownies):

1 1/4 cup flour(I used gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4oz(1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and mixing it with the cooking oil. Next mix in the water, sugar, extract, salt, and cocoa powder. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.

Grease an 8×8 baking pan and pour in the batter. Cook for 25 minutes until the center is just cooked. Wait until they have cooled to cut.

Giveaway

The people at CSN Stores have offered one US/Canadian reader a $35 gift certificate to any of their online stores. There are 3 simple ways to enter; please leave a separate comment for each one.

1. What’s your favorite childhood dessert? or what dessert are you looking forward to eating this month?

2. Follow me on Twitter(or just say if you already do)

3. Like me on Facebook(or just say if you already do)

This giveaway ended February 5th

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Goji Gourmet Giveaway

Written on January 8, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway

Last year, I sampled a small company’s superfood-packed cookies and fell in love with their taste and texture. At the time, they were only available in certain parts of New York and online, but now Goji Gourmet is sold across the country and still growing strong. They sell bite-sized cookies filled with whole grains, real ingredients, and—of course—their trademark goji berries.

Even though these cookies are “healthy”, they are filled with flavor. This past week, I tried making a copycat recipe which I have to say is really good, but not quite as soft as the original(I’ll post the recipe soon). Now I have the chance to share these amazing cookies with you.

Giveaway

All 5 Flavors Pack One commenter will win an 5-flavor pack from Goji Gourmet. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. I’ll randomly pick a winner on Friday, the 14th. There are 3 ways to enter.

1. Comment on which flavor of Goji Gourmet cookies sounds most appealing to you.

2. “Like” Goji Gourmet on Facebook

3. Follow Goji Gourmet on Twitter

If you’re on Facebook or twitter, you can like or follow me, too, for kicks and giggles(I’m good for giggles). Good luck!

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Holiday Giftaway

Written on December 3, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway, Holiday

With it being December now, it’s safe to say the holiday baking season is upon us. I’ve already tried my hand at a few cookies and given out chocolate as a gift, and we’re only 3 days into the month!

I love giving food as a gift because you can really personalize it to a person’s taste. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make a Holiday bark with the recipient’s favorite candies melted into chocolate.
No time? Whip up this fudge in 5 minutes—just don’t tell them that.
Make a host or hostess their favorite baked good.
Keep roasted nuts out when company comes to snack on.
Buy a loved one a subscription to the Cheese of the Month Club or Bacon of the Month Club
Order one of Oh Nuts! Holiday gift baskets.

Giveaway

1 reader will win a $25 Holiday gift certificate to Oh Nuts! The winner will be randomly selected from the comment section the morning of Friday, Dec. 10. You can enter 3 times. Please leave separate comments for each entry.

1. Go to the Oh Nuts! Christmas gift baskets page. Choose your favorite Christmas Gift and leave a comment with the name and URL of the gift you like the most.

2. Go to the Oh Nuts facebook page and post on the wall the URL and name of your favorite Christmas Gift, including the phrase “I am here via The Wannabe Chef”

3. Follow @ohnuts and Tweet “Win a free Christmas Gift from http://bit.ly/dUpizt Follow @ohnuts & Retweet to enter”

Good luck!

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Baking With Yogurt Giveaway

Written on November 17, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway

Yesterday involved a lot of baking. It’s definitely on the shortlist of things I love to do. First you get to experiment with flavors and ingredients, then you get to eat it—what’s not to love?

Baking so much, you pick up lots of little tips and tricks, like how yogurt can replace up to 1/2 the oil in any bread recipe without impacting the flavor or texture. I baked this gingerbread using yogurt(recipe to come tomorrow), and now I’m giving you the chance to bake with yogurt, too.

The Giveaway

One commenter will win the same Stonyfield pack I received filled with a spatula, 2 recipe sets, and coupons worth $60 in value. I’ll pick a winner next Wednesday(the day before Thanksgiving!!), so be sure to leave an email account so I can notify you if you win. Please leave a separate comment for each mode of entry.

Entries:

Tell me what your favorite baked good is. Pumpkin pie? Brownies? Gingerbread? I want to know.
Leave a link either to one of my recipes or any other recipe around the web that appeals to you which uses or could use yogurt to substitute out some fat.
Like The Wannabe Chef on Facebook
Tweet “Win a baking prize pack from @Stonyfield and @WannabeChefEvan http://tinyurl.com/33fokp3 #giveaway”

Good luck!

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A Rice Cooker Love Story(Giveaway)

Written on October 27, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway

Once upon a time(a little under 2 months ago), I moved into the place where I now live. I didn’t know what would be there waiting for me, and after finding my bearings I was left with a stove, an oven, and a frying pan. For a wannabe chef, this simply wasn’t enough; something was missing. At the same time, I remembered having a CSN stores gift certificate I won to spend on anything from wardrobes, to yoga mats, to—you guessed it—rice cookers.

After a conversation with some good friends, I decided that this was the missing piece of my puzzle. I looked at design after design and knew I was going to need something powerful(read: expensive). Luckily, after sales and my coupon I got this model rice cooker at over 50% off.

After making this big purchase, my biggest worry was how would I like it? Would I even use the darn thing? In short, it was everything I could have asked for. I never thought I needed a rice cooker; I don’t even eat rice all that often. But since the purchase I’ve used this almost every day cooking quinoa and adding in leftover protein and produce. It makes a mean savory pumpkin quinoa in 20 minutes flat and has to me to class on time. And I can tell this machine will last through the years.

Giveaway

I’m happy to have the opportunity to pay it forward and offer one reader their own gift certificate worth $45 to get whatever’s missing from their life. There are 2 ways to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each mode of entry.

Tell me what you might get with your gift certificate. If you’re in the market for a rice cooker, I can surely recommend one 😉
“Like” the new The Wannabe Chef page on Facebook

And, though this isn’t a mode of entry, if you subscribe through some sort of reader please remember to switchover to the new feed since the old one will stop working in 20 days. Good luck and I’ll pick a winner next Monday, Nov. 1st.

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