So my boyfriend actually told me I must learn to cook. Haha. Challenge accepted, Babe!

To be fair to myself, it’s not that I don’t know how to cook or that I don’t want to cook; I just don’t have the time or (usually) the patience for it. But since the boyfriend asked, I might as well take baby steps toward becoming a culinary queen…ONE DAY. Baby steps, remember?

So lately I’ve been attending all these food events that teach us new recipes, and one of them is the launch of Unilever Food Solutions’ first-of-its-kind culinary competition called Real Chef Challenge. The competition invites chefs and cooks to create new or revolutionize old dishes using Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise. Chefs and cooks across the country can send their entry recipe online from August 1 to September 30, 2015 on www.ufs.com/realchef. More details about the competition can be found at the bottom part of this post.

To make the media better appreciate the mechanics of the competition at the launch, we were challenged to create our own concoction using Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise and a wide variety of ingredients. It was more of an Instagram competition than anything (they didn’t really taste our creations, hehe), but it challenged me to create something I can give to my boyfriend.

He loved my #jessietrixiespread, which I described as a “boyfriend-friendly sandwich spread for non-domestic divas” like me, haha. Even if I didn’t win the competition, I did win as far as my boyfriend’s palate is concerned, and that’s what matters! He didn’t put it in bread, though; he used it as a vegetable dip. “It’s light, perfect for vegetable dips and good for snacks, including midnight snack, because it’s not heavy. I like the herby flavor,” he told me. I share the recipe below; tweak and customize it according to your taste:

#jessietrixiespread (or dip, if you wish)

3 dollops of mayo
1tsp coriander
1tsp parsley
3tsp chives
1/2tsp black pepper
3tbsp barbecue sauce
1/4 lemon slice
2tsp diced onions
1/2tsp Knorr Aromat All-Purpose Seasoning (or a dash of salt) to taste

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl using a wooden spoon (or an ordinary spoon, up to you) and serve or store in a small jar.

Lady’s Choice shared eight more recipes for dips, dressings, and sauces which I posted below. Just mix one cup of Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise with these ingredients or create your own! Feel free to share your own mayo innovation when you comment below or on Instagram using the hashtag #RealChef.

Remember: In recreating the recipes below, mix these ingredients with one cup of Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise.

1. Orange Sesame Dressing
10ml orange concentrate
15ml soy sauce
5g sesame seeds
5ml sesame oil

2. French Fry Sauce
30 ml catsup
10ml vinegar
2g black pepper

3. Bleu Cheese Dressing
15g bleu cheese
5g Knorr Lime Powder
2g chives

4. Remoulade
3g cajun powder
15g pickle relish
2g hot sauce

5. Lime Coriander
5g Knorr lime powder
5g coriander leaves
5g garlic

6. Srirachannaise
15g Sriracha
5g coriander

7. BBQ Mayonnaise
30ml Knorr BBQ Sauce
5ml Knorr Liquid Seasoning
2g black pepper

8. Mustard Aioli
15g grain mustard
15ml honey
5g garlic

Real Chef Challenge Mechanics

The contest is open to chefs and cooks who are in the Philippines and who work in food service establishments, including restaurants, hotels, caterers, and others. They have a choice to submit either a Hot Signature Dish or a Salad and Sandwich Combo recipe. Those interested must log on to www.ufs.com/realchef to sign up and submit their entries, then get their diners to vote. The top 24 finalists will be featured on Facebook for voting in October, and they will face off in November 2015 in a grand taste testing event to be attended by diners and culinary experts.

Apart from the prestige of being hailed the first ever Real Chef, the winners from both recipe categories will also receive a trophy, P100,000 cash, and TV exposure for their winning dishes and food establishments.

According to Chef Boy Logro, one of the Real Chef Challenge judges, he is looking for a dish that is unique, creative, and appealing to a diverse palate. Chef Boy is a TV personality and the Executive Chef of Chef Logro’s Institute of Culinary and Kitchen Services. Along with Chef Boy, Pino Kitchen Studio and Backyard MNL owner Chef Edward Bugia and UFS Senior Sous Chef Brando Santos will serve as the judges who will determine the best #RealChef mayo innovation dish from the Real Chef Challenge.

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