Lifelong Kent resident Marci Adelsman has always been a bit of a tinkerer.

So it wasn’t too surprising when the Kent-Meridian High School grad started playing around with the ingredients for a recipe she’d once seen on the “Barefoot Contessa” cooking program.

And after a year of tinkering, Adelsman wound up with something completely different from what she’d started out with: her own recipe for a chicken-salad dish, which she called Chicken Tender and Brown Rice Salad.

But here’s where the surprise comes in.

On a lark, Adelsman sent the recipe to a cooking contest. To her amazement, she was chosen as a Washington semi-finalist in the first-ever Foster Farms West Coast Chicken Cooking Contest, netting her $100 and a chance to vie for a win at regionals.

Her recipe for Chicken Tender Brown Rice Salad was selected as one of five finalist entries in the contest. In addition to a $1,000 cash prize, Adelsman will travel Sept. 17 to compete in person at the Culinary Institute of America, in California’s Napa Valley.

Adelsman was still somewhat in disbelief over how far her humble salad had gone.

“It was very random that I even submitted it to the Foster Farms cooking contest,” said Adelsman, who is a full-time licensed massage therapist and aesthetician at The Loft Salon and Spa in Black Diamond. “It still kind of makes me laugh.”

She may be laughing about the recent turn of events, but Adelsman is serious about her recipe, which combines a variety of healthy ingredients and can be easily changed for people sensitive to sodium in their diets.

“I love it,” she said of her dish, which has been a favorite at family gatherings. “I think it has amazing flavor and texture.”

If she were to win the $10,000 prize, Adelsman had a number of thoughts on how she’d spend it.

“It’s $10,000 I wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said. “I would like to give back to some of the clients who have been so good to me.”

She’d also like to purchase an electric massage therapy table, something she’s had her eye on for a while.

In the meantime, Adelsman is not about to quit her day job, to pursue a career as a celebrity chef.

“I absolutely love what I do,” she said, noting she’s been involved in massage therapy for the past 18 years and in aesthetics services for the past nine. She also is considering going back to school to get her a nutrition degree, which would tie in with the healthy lifestyles that her two vocations also are geared toward.

That also would tie in nicely with her recipe that follows, which is full of healthy ingredients.

The winning recipe

Chicken Tender and Brown Rice Salad

1 1/4 pounds Foster Farms Chicken Tenders

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

In medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, add to pan and saute 4-6 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. When chicken is cooled, dice into 3/4-inch cubes.

In large serving bowl combine brown rice, celery, red onion, green onion, almonds, Parmesan cheese, cranberries, basil and parsley. Stir well to combine. In small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, apple-cider vinegar, honey and mustard. Stir well to blend.

Add chicken to rice mixture. Slowly add dressing to cover, tossing to coat well.