This recipe comes from last year’s food blogger contest- submitted by Ann at Healthy Tasty Chow. Ann submitted a few recipes to us, and we just loved them. Her recipe for Baked Hot Wing Sauce Garbanzo Beans was actually a runner-up in the competition, and we just featured it in our most current newsletter (right in time for tailgating season!).

Ann’s corn salad is delicious and easy to make. It’s light and sweet and has the perfect amount of crunch. It’s also a perfect summer-time snack or can be used as a “topper” to some kind of grilled meat or fish. Give it a try, and check out Ann’s original recipe also!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh grilled corn kernels, cut from cob
2-3 green onion stalks- green part only, sliced into thin rounds
1/4-1/2 cup Saucy Mama’s Sesame Ginger Dressing 
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes (I used cherry)
2 celery stalks, chopped finely

Directions:

Grill the corn (for extra flavor, you can coat it with some butter, salt and pepper)- my favorite method is using our outdoor grill at about 325 for 8 minutes turning frequently.

Cut the kernels from the cob (my mom gave me the advice of using a mechanical knife, I felt like a man in his tool shed, it was so much fun!)

Put corn in refrigerator until cooled

Add the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!

Mozzarella, Basil, & Grilled Cherry Tomatoes

Jan and I got a “come on over for dinner” call from our good friends Mary Alice and Bob. We had been working in the yard, and it was the perfect thing to look forward to for the evening. I love spur of the moment get togethers. There is no pressure to put on the perfect party; it is just good friends having a great time together.
 
I picked basil and cherry tomatoes out of my garden for the appetizer I decided to bring. I had purchased a baguette to go with our dinner I had planned for that night, but I still had to send Jan to the store to pick up some fresh mozzarella. I made crostini by slicing the baguette and brushing both sides of the slices with olive oil and sprinkled them with garlic salt. I placed them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them into a 425 degree preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they were crisp and golden brown. Meanwhile, I put the cherry tomatoes into a grilling basket in a single layer. If you are doing a lot of tomatoes, do more than one batch you because you want them to carmelize, not steam. Grill them over a hot fire until they burst and are blackened on the outside. Don’t worry about the juices leaking onto the fire- what remains of the tomato will be delicious! Slice the mozzarella and place on a platter with tomatoes and whole basil leaves.  Serve with a basket of crostini. 
 
Mary Alice served perfect martinis and made a wonderful pork tenderloin dinner. After dinner, we discussed what were our biggest “nigglies”. Nigglies are, you know, those things that are really of no importance, but still really bug you. Just be careful that your niggly isn’t something that the person sitting next to you does all the time! Or worse yet, that their niggly is something you do all the time. Oh well, when it comes to friends, the nigglies just aren’t nigglies anymore. We had such a great time!

As I was searching through our recipes from our Saucy Mama Extraordinary Condiment Contest last year, this one stole my attention. First of all, the photo is absolutely gorgeous (and it’s making me hungry)! Second of all, this is like the king of  the BLT sandwich. Submitted by Candy from SoupBelly, this delicious all-time favorite sandwich includes not only the traditional bacon, lettuce, and tomato, but also avocado and shrimp. And that is why it is called the BLAST. Talk about “yum”! It’s the perfect combination of ingredients and is definitely satisfying! Check out Candy’s full recipe on her blog…there are tons of beautiful pictures to gawk at also!

Ingredients:

4 sandwich rolls of any kind (I used Ciabatta rolls)
16-20 shrimp, thawed and deveined
2 Tbsp. Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
6 slices of bacon, cut in half (12 small strips)
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 large leaves of lettuce

Lime Infused Mayo:

4 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 lime, juiced
salt & pepper

Directions:

 1) Marinate shrimp with 2 Tbsp. of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

 2) As shrimp are marinating in the fridge, slice and toast rolls. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Place on plate lined with paper towel to drain excess grease.

 3) In a small bowl, squeeze lime juice into 4 tbsp. of mayo. Mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.

 4) In a skillet on medium high, cook shrimp until they turn opaque (approx. 2-3 minutes). Place cooked shrimp in bowl.

 5) Slather mayo onto toasted rolls, assemble sandwiches with avocado slices, lettuce, 3 slices of bacon, 4-5 shrimp, and a slice of tomato. Serve and enjoy!

It’s a warm summer evening here in Oregon, and there is nothing better for dinner on these nights than some fresh grilled vegetables! Here’s another recipe submission from last year’s food blogger contest from Laura at Real Mom Kitchen. It’s simple, yet delicious. And it’s what I will be munching on tonight for dinner…along with some grilled chicken! You can see Laura’s original recipe on her own blog as well…check it out! 

Ingredients:

2 medium sized zucchini
1/4 cup Saucy Mama Parmesan Garlic Marinade
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Wash zucchini. Then cut in half lengthwise and crosswise. Marinade zucchini in Saucy Mama Parmesan Garlic Marinade for 2 hours. You can do it for less if desired, but the longer the better. Grill on outdoor grill approximately 5 minutes on each side until browned. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

As some of you may know, I just love Mexican food. It’s one of my favorite types of food, and I never get tired of it. In fact, if you follow me on Twitter, you will notice that I am always replying and reposting anything about Mexican recipes…it’s a habit. So today, when I came across this recipe for chicken quesadillas from Deborah at TasteandTell, I just had to post it. Deborah submitted this recipe to us for last year’s food blogger contest, and it is delicious. My favorite part is the chipotle dipping sauce made with Saucy Mama’s Chipotle Mustard. Yum! I’m making this for dinner tonight. Check out Deborah’s blog where you can see her original recipe also!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (12-14 oz. total)
1/2 cup Saucy Mama’s Lime Chipotle Marinade
1 red onion, sliced thinly
olive oil
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 avocado, thinly sliced
4 soft taco sized flour tortillas

Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons Saucy Mama’s Chipotle Mustard
4 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

Quesadillas

Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and pour the Lime Chipotle Marinade over the top. Cook on low until chicken is cooked through to 165F, 3 to 4 hours. When done, removed from slow cooker and cut into thin strips.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, stirring often, until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a pan. Place 1 tortilla down in the pan, and top with 1/4 of the cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cilantro on top, followed by 1/2 of the chicken and 1/2 of the avocado. Top with 1/2 of the caramelized onions and then another 1/4 of the cheese. Top with another tortilla. Cook until the bottom cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned. Flip over to cook the second side and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Slice the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the Chipotle Mustard Dipping Sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Combine the mustard and the sour cream; mix well.

The other day while I was roaming about the wonderful world of Twitter, I came across a post asking what my favorite green salad was. I thought it would be an easy question to answer, but not so much, because I realized I love all salads! If I had to narrow it down though, I really do enjoy salads with an Asian twist. Lately I have been using Saucy Mama’s Sesame Ginger Dressing on everything- chicken, pork, and yes, even salads (imagine that!). That dressing can spice up any simple salad; last week I just drizzled some over sliced baby cucumbers and sweet grape tomatoes…delicious!

Anyways, I looked through our recipe submissions from last year’s food blogger contest to see if there were some other recipes using the Sesame Ginger Dressing, and voila! I found another simple, easy, and healthy recipe from Em at Kitchen M. Check it out below, and make sure to visit Em’s site also!

Ingredients:

1 lb pork loin, sliced paper thin
1/2 medium onion, sliced paper thin*
1 bag spring mix salad lettuce
Saucy Mama’s ® Sesame Ginger Dressing
Cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

Fill a small bowl with cold water, soak sliced onions and set a side.

In a medium sized pot, bring water to boil, and quickly cook the sliced pork (it will only take a minute). Turn off the heat, drain water and rinse it with cold water.

Drain water from the onion bowl.

Assemble salad lettuce, onions and pork on serving plate(s). Drizzle dressing and sprinkle cracked pepper on top to finish. 

*You can substitute the yellow onion with red onion.

As we are wrapping up our last few contestant submissions for our “I am a Saucy Mama” Contest, we took a look back at some of our awesome recipes from last year’s food blogger contest. This one, from Megan Katauskas at Imperrfections, caught my eye again for two reasons. One, it is a wrap, and these just seem perfect for a summer lunch. Two, it uses both Lime Chipotle Marinade and our Hot Wing Sauce. Can we talk about delicious? Thanks for the recipe, Megan!  

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 C Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp Saucy Mama Hot Wing Sauce
shredded cheddar cheese (this time I used a Mexican 4-cheese mix)
small flour tortillas or romaine lettuce leafs, white parts removed

Directions:
Mix the marinade and chicken together, and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. In a large skillet, saute the onion and peppers in oil. Once they start getting tender, push to one side of the pan and add the chicken (shake off excess marinade and discard).

Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes then flip and cook 3 more minutes. Stir everything together and spoon into tortillas or lettuce leafs. Mix together the sour cream and hot sauce and use to top the chicken wraps along with a little cheddar cheese.

We’re gearing up for the Fancy Food Show in New York this week – always an exciting time for us, as we get to unveil a lot of the new marinades and mustards I’ve been cooking up in my kitchen the past few months.

As we get ready to head out the door, we wanted to give you a chance to sample some of the goods that has made Saucy Mama so popular this past year!  So we’ve put together a basket of treats to give to TWO lucky readers, valued at nearly $100 each!

In addition to the bright red colander you see in the picture, winners will receive a signature Saucy Mama handcrafted apron, as well as the following Saucy Mama condiments:

- Lime Chipotle Marinade

- Sesame Ginger Marinade

- Hot Wing Sauce

- Raspberry Viniagrette

- Sweet Onion Marinade

- Backyard Brat Mustard

- Champagne Honey Mustard

- Chipotle Mustard

You can enter as many times you like, by doing one or all of the following:

1) Leave a comment and like our FB page at www.facebook.com/SaucyMama

2) Follow SaucyMamaCafe on Twitter (www.twitter.com/saucymamacafe) & Tweet about this giveaway:  “I just entered to #win a $100 sampling of @SaucyMamaCafe treats & kitchen gadgets. You can too! http://bit.ly/b8QZcC”

3) Subscribe to our blog

4) Leave a comment here on our blog.

5) 7) Send this giveaway link to 5 of your friends and let me know you did or post this link as your FB status

6) Bring a friend! Tell a friend to join our Facebook fanpage and let us know by leaving a comment on FB or here on our blog.

Like we said, you can enter just by doing ONE of these things.  Or increase your odds by trying any mix of the options listed above. It’s up to you.  We’ll leave this contest open through the end of the Fancy Food Show, on June 30. So please make sure to spread the word!

We’re so grateful to you for letting your friends know about Saucy Mama, and we hope to give you the chance to try out some of these great time-saving and DELICIOUS dinner solutions for yourself!

Love jalapeno poppers? Then you will love this Jalapeno Popper Dip that’s even easier to make! Here is a recipe - submitted by thewickednoodle.com –  for another great party-pleasing appetizer that works for anytime of year. Jalapenos and red onions give it a nice, spicy kick while the crumbled bacon offers a blast of flavor. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 10 – 12 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 bottle Saucy Mama’s Lime-Chipotle Marinade
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 package bacon

Directions:

Marinate chicken breast in Saucy Mama’s Lime-Chipotle Marinade for at least ten minutes.  Cook chicken breast in skillet until cooked through; remove from skillet and let rest.  Slice bacon crosswise into 1-inch slices and add to skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until crispy; set aside.  Drain all but one tablespoon of fat from skillet and return to heat.

Add diced onions and jalapenos to skillet.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until slightly soft, about 4 – 5 minutes.  Mix together cream and Mexican blend cheeses in medium-sized bowl.  Dice chicken breast; add chicken, onion, jalapeno and cilantro to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly.  Place mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 – 15 minutes, or until hot.  Remove from oven, top with crumbled bacon and serve with tortilla chips.

This week marks the final week in school for most Oregon families… so we’re getting ready to start celebrating summer in style with the crew.  This recipe came to us from Greg at SippitySup who submitted it during our contest last fall.  But it will still hold up as a delicious and crowd-pleasing side dish for your picnics and BBQs this summer.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cup fresh or canned cooked corn kernels
8 cups cabbage, shredded slaw style
1 cup green bell pepper, shredded slaw style
1/2 cup carrot, shredded slaw style
1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribs removed and minced

Directions:

Combine the corn, cabbage,bell pepper, carrot, celery, and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and blend until the dressing becomes smooth. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and mix it together well. Chill and serve.