Pastor Troy Evans Takes Top Spot in Grand Rapids Cooking Competition

Dr. Angela Seabright
Katrina Danko

| 2 min read

Honey herb salmon
Pastor Troy Evans demonstrated that guys can cook up healthy food without compromising flavor at the recent Let’s Talk Health Week Real Men Cook and Eat Healthy competition in Grand Rapids, an annual event presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
At the event, seven male celebrities from the community competed to prove whose healthy recipe stood out among the others. A panel of judges chose Pastor Evans’ honey herb salmon with sweet potato hash and green beans based on both the taste and ingredients of the dish. By a narrow margin, the audience chose Grand Rapids City Commissioner Joe Jones’ dish as the people’s choice winner.
The reigning dish takes its victory lap as the featured meal at Linc Up Soul Food Café in Grand Rapids. This haven for healthy, unconventional soul food will serve Pastor Evans’ recipe now through August 15.
If you’re not in the area to try the award-winning meal before then, or if you’d like to recreate this dish at home, Pastor Evans has shared some of his recipe for A Healthier Michigan readers below.
Sweet Potato Hash
Lightly blanch the sweet potatoes. Then add salt and pepper to taste as you mix them.
  • Olive oil
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Green, red, and yellow peppers
  • Yellow onion
  • Minced garlic
  • Turkey bacon
  • Salt and pepper
  • Low-salt herb seasoning
Honey Herb Salmon
Use the following ingredients for a marinade, glaze, and side sauce on the salmon.
  • Salmon (Use items below for marinade, glazing and side sauce then light salt and pepper)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Raw honey
  • Garlic purée
  • Brown sugar (optional)
  • Dill herb
  • Lemon
  • Dijon mustard
  • Horse radish mustard
  • Fish seasoning
Green Beans
Sautee the following ingredients together.
  • Whole green beans
  • Sliced mushrooms
  • Yellow onion
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Low-salt herb seasoning
Stop by Linc Up Soul Food Café in Grand Rapids before August 15 to taste this prize-winning dish.
Photo credit: Ján Sokoly

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