Woman Cooks Up $1 Million Recipe -- Her Salsa Couscous Chicken Wins First In Pillsbury Bake-Off

Ellie Mathews is a published short-story writer but her most profitable writing venture to date was jotting down a recipe.

Mathews, 52, has won $1 million for cooking up a couscous and chicken concoction which judges in the national Pillsbury Bake-off said was the best of the best.

The Seattle woman will get $50,000 a year for 20 years as the grand-prize winner in the cooking contest, held yesterday in Orlando. She won for her quick-to-fix Salsa Couscous Chicken, a dish spiced with cinnamon, cumin, garlic and other seasonings.

She flew to Los Angeles today to tape ABC-TV's Rosie O'Donnell show, on which she's scheduled to appear Thursday.

She doesn't know yet what she'll do with the money, a calm-sounding Mathews said by phone from Orlando today, adding, "I hope to use it responsibly."

She called her husband, Carl Youngmann, 54, a Seattle consultant on medical devices, with the big news shortly after winning.

"I don't think it's struck her yet," Youngmann said today, while admitting that he was excited about all the hoopla.

"She's usually low-key about her cooking efforts," he said. "She'll say, `This might not be very good.' "

Mathews was among 100 cooks competing in the contest, which requires contestants to use specific Pillsbury-owned brand products in their entries.

After submitting her recipe earlier by mail and being named a finalist, she joined the other contestants in front of stoves.

It's not her first win. She also won a state beef contest, as did her husband.

Mathews says she learned to cook "by trial and error," and making lots of "disastrous" mistakes. ------------------------------------------- Pillsbury Bake-off Contest winner Salsa Couscous Chicken

4 servings

3 cups hot cooked couscous or rice (cooked as directed on package)

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 chicken thighs, skin removed

1 cup Old El Paso Garden Pepper or Thick 'n Chunky Salsa

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons dried currants

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. While couscous is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add almonds; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove almonds from skillet with slotted spoon; set aside.

2. Add garlic to skillet; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until browned, turning once.

3. In medium bowl, combine salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon; mix well. Add to chicken; mix well. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, stirring occasionally. Stir in almonds. Serve chicken mixture with couscous.