Vegetarian Chef Challenge yields fresh ideas

The culinary team at Lee Health System in Fort Meyers, Fla., is well aware of the benefits of a plant-based diet, but they also realize that in order to get customers to take notice, they must create veggie options that are delicious and exciting.

This is where the annual Vegetarian Chef Challenge comes in. For the third year, chefs from all four of the health system’s acute-care locations have gotten creative with veggie dishes and competed in an event that elevates meatless dishes, and raises awareness about the healthier options available every day.

This year, the competition dovetailed with the American Heart Association’s Healthy eating day on Nov. 2. 

Chef Rachel McGhee and Chef Jack Brown

This year, four competitors, all chefs in food and nutrition services from different locations: Jason Goetz of Lee Memorial Hospital, Rachel McGhee of Cape Coral Hospital, Jack Brown of HealthPark Medical Center and Cathy Berner of Gulf Coast Medical Center.

In the first round, each chef traveled to the other locations and prepared two plant-based dishes (one hot and one cold), and customers voted on their favorites. The theme this year was “Be Colorful,” and the cooks delivered on that, coming up with plant-based food that was flavorful and fun.

A few of the standout vegetarian dishes from the first round:

Retail customers (mostly employees) at each of the hospitals cast thousands of votes for their favorite dish. The two dishes with the most votes were Brown’s tostadas and McGhee’s skewers.

Those two advanced to the next phase of competition, the Grand Champion Cook Off, where they prepared two new dishes for a panel of judges, including a local restaurant critic, a local student who’s been on a weight-loss journey and representatives from the hospital’s health board and the American Heart Association of Southwest Florida.

McGhee made a gluten-free vegan Alfredo. Brown prepared a vegetarian version of the sushi favorite California roll with pickled veggies and roasted eggplant.

Vegetarian California roll

Brown won the top prize, the “Vegetarian Champion” trophy and restaurant gift certificates. He attributes his success to his one of his top go-to meatless ingredients.

“One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant,” Brown says, adding that he often uses it in ratatouille and eggplant Parmesan, two vegetarian dishes that often show up as the daily vegetarian special at his location. 

All the hospitals have a concept called Veggie Fare has been taking off in the past few years, Altier says. The big draw there is customization. There’s a blueprint of either a salad, wrap or sandwich, and customers can go from there with fresh vegetable and alternate protein choices. And if they’d like to add chicken to their Caesar salad, that’s also available. Many of the new vegetarian recipes that came from this contest will find their way onto the menu at that concept.

“The covers done at Veggie Fare have grown threefold since we opened,” he says. “We want to lead people towards a better choice. We raise awareness with a challenge like this, and let them taste vegetarian food. Sometimes folks are just afraid to try. They just need a little encouragement.”