“Pan-seared Mississippi catfish on a bed of river rice” sounds like a dish you’d read
about on one of Jeff Black’s menus, but that recipe is from ten-year-old
Reed Lindsey, one of the 54 kids to win Michelle Obama’s second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. The
First Lady teamed up with cooking website Epicurious as part of her
Let’s Move! campaign, asking 8- to 12-year-olds across the nation to work with parents and submit
lunch recipes that were “healthy, affordable, original, and delicious.” A winner was
selected from every state, three territories, and the District out of 1,300 entries,
and the aspiring chefs who took first place will be treated to a “state dinner” lunch
at the White House on July 9 with several of their dishes included in the spread.
So what did the Washington contingent come up with?
Emma Scielzo, a ten-year-old from Chevy Chase, won for her chicken masala wraps, while
Campbell Kielb, eight, of Sterling took first place in Virginia for orange chicken lettuce wraps.
Nine-year-old
Ingrid Lamberg from DC had one of the most creative submissions, cooking up Inga Binga’s Salmon
Salad. Read on for the rest of the winning entries (Sneaky Chili Surprise! Super Rescue
Soup!), and check out some of the recipes on Epicurious’s contest site.
And the envelope goes to . . .
Rowan Bean, 9 (Seward, AK): Alaskan Ceviche with Mango
Kindall Sewell-Murphy, 10 (Selma, AL): Kale Broccoli Chicken and Apple Salad
Emma-Kate Schaefer, 8 (Fayetteville, AR): Confetti Spring Rolls—Orange-Cilantro Sauce
Alexandra Nickle, 10 (Phoenix, AZ): Banana’s Black Bean Burritos
Rose Scott, 12 (Menlo Park, CA): Pork and Tofu Lettuce Cups
Nicholas Hornbostel, 8 (Edwards, CO): Sushi Salad
John Breitfelder, 9 (New Canaan, CT): Quinoa “Risotto” With Shrimp and Kale
Braeden Mannering, 9 (Bear, DE): Tortilla Bowl Deluxe
Nicole Medina, 10 (Miami, FL): Summer Salmon
Regan Matthews, 12 (Atlanta, GA): Sweet Potato Turkey Sliders
Eleanor Cowell, 8 (Honolulu, HI): Curried Chicken Salad and Taste of the Tropics
Corrine VanderGaast, 9 (Tipton, IA): Stone Curry with Brown Rice
Adam Wirth, 8 (Boise, ID): Veggie Barley Salad with Orange Honey Vinaigrette
Taddy Pettit, 10 (Oakwood, IL): Black Bean Wrap With Jicama—Grilled Corn Salsa
Lydia Graham, 9 (Carmel, IN): Sneaky Chili Surprise
Olivia Neely, 10 (Lenexa, KS): Fun Mini Pizzas With Veggies and Cauliflower Crust
Regan Strehl, 11 (Lexington, KY): Raisin Bran Muffins
Brynna Robert, 12 (Metairie, LA): Sweet and Spicy Stir-Fry
Shefali Singh, 12 (Falmouth, MA): Shefali’s Scrumptious Spring Rolls
Emma Scielzo, 10 (Chevy Chase, MD): Chicken Masala Wrap
Noah Koch, 9 (Waterville, ME): Vegan Powerhouse Pesto Pasta
Jacob Hirsch, 8 (West Bloomfield, MI): Picky Eater Pita Pizza Pockets
Kaitlyn Kirchner, 9 (Madelia, MN): Garden Stir-Fry
Henry Oates, 8 (Adrian, MO): Confetti Peanut Ginger Party Pasta
Reed Lindsey, 10 (Booneville, MS): Pan-Seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River
Rice
Joshua Garrigues, 8 (Bozeman, MT): Healthy Vegetable Fried Quinoa
Vijay Dey, 12 (Chapel Hill, NC): Spring Rolls
Charli McQuillan, 8 (Oxbow, ND): Asian Fajitas
Bence Brown, 9 (Omaha, NE): Terrific Tuna Casserole
Olivia Beauchesne, 12 (Nottingham, NH): Liv’s Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich
Goldie Siegel, 8 (Clifton, NJ): Hawaiian Turkey Sliders With Mango-Pineapple Salsa
Louis Teich, 10 (Las Cruces, NM): Spinach Frittata
Isabella Gross, 11 (Henderson, NV): Chex Chicken and Bellaberry Smoothie
Peter Murphy, 8 (Manhasset, NY): Super Rescue Soup
Anisha Patel, 11 (Blacklick, OH): Kickin, Colorful Bell Peppers Stuffed With Quinoa
Ogden Johnson, 10 (Tulsa, OK): Taco de Camaron
Audrey Russell, 10 (Portland, OR): Salmon Fried Rice
Ganesh Selvakumar, 9 (Broomall, PA): Lentil Spinach Soup and Mint Chutney
Samantha Mastrati, 12 (Cranston, RI): Italian Garden Salsa With Crunchy Chicken Tenders
Corbin Jackson, 9 (Mount Pleasant, SC): Bring it On, Brussels Sprout Wrap!
Owen Kerkvliet, 9 (Huron, SD): Hidden Veggie Lasagna
Makenna Hurd, 9 (Mascot, TN): Makenna’s Bodacious Banana Muffins
Devanshi Udeshi, 12 (Sugar Land, TX): Slam Dunk Veggie Burger
Cecily Asplund, 10 (Provo, UT): Lucky Lettuce Cups
Campbell Kielb, 8 (Sterling, VA): Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Colin Hurliman, 9 (Burlington, VT): Champ’s Maple BBQ Turkey Burgers
Amber Kelley, 10 (Woodinville, WA): Nummy No-Noodle Lasagna
Liam Kivirist, 11 (Browntown, WI): Wisconsin Solar Oven-Simmered Chili
Jessica Wolfe, 9 (Shepherdstown, WV): Spicy Tofu Lettuce Cups
Breeze Petty, 11 (Thermopolis, WY): Scrumptious Chili With Zucchini Cornbread
Ingrid Lamberg, 9 (Washington, DC): Inga Binga’s Salmon Salad
Genzo Gonzales, 11 (Saipan, MP): Kangkong Pomegranate Salad
Aliana Piñero, 9 (San Juan, PR): Yummy Eggplant Lasagna Rolls
Sakari Clendinen, 8 (St. Thomas, VI): Zucchini Pancakes and Passionfruit Banana Smoothie
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
