Here are some of the recipes that garnered a $250,000 scholarship for Sabre Springs resident Amanda Nunez from the Art Institute of San Diego last week. Nunez, 18, was victorious among 23 high school seniors from across the United States who competed in Dallas to be named the Art Institute's Best Teen Chef 2007.

Nunez earned her entry into the national competition in March, taking first place in a San Diego teen chef competition. "I'm just glad to be the winner," she said in a North County Times interview in Tuesday's paper. "It worked out just as I had been practicing."

TORTILLA SOUP

3 cups chicken stock

2 ounces tomato sauce

2 tomatoes, seeded, diced

1/2 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 serrano chile, diced

1/2 sweet potato, cubed

4 ounces cubed cooked chicken

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tortilla, cut into strips and fried

1 small avocado, cubed

1 ounce cheddar or jack cheese

Heat stock and tomato sauce over medium heat. Add diced tomato, onion and garlic. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add bell pepper, serrano chile and sweet potato. Let simmer another 15 minutes. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Serve with garnish of cubed avocado, cheese and tortilla strips. Serves 4.

MEXICAN RICE

7 ounces long-grain rice

14 ounces chicken stock

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

3 ounces carrot brunoise (fine dice)

1 1/2 ounces butter

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken stock in a pan over medium heat. Melt butter in sauce pot. Add garlic, onions, carrot and saute for 2 minutes. Add rice and stir constantly until rice is opaque and evenly coated with butter. Add hot stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes. Serves 4.

SAUTEED PORK MEDALLIONS WITH TOMATILLO PESTO

3 tomatillos

4 sprigs basil

1 ounce pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon garlic

3 ounces vegetable oil, divided use

1 1/4 teaspoons chicken stock

Four pork medallions (3 ounces each)

2 sprigs thyme

Make Tomatillo Pesto: Blend together the tomatillos, pine nuts, basil and garlic. Drizzle in 2 ounces oil slowly while blending and set aside for the pork.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 ounce oil in saute pan. Saute pork with thyme in the pan for about 3 minutes. Flip medallions over and cook another 3 minutes until golden brown. Finishe the pork in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes. While pork is in oven, deglaze saute pan with the chicken stock and add the tomatillo pesto on a low heat to warm. After pork is done, drizzle sauce over and eat!

Chin's comes through with cucumber salad