A Few of My Favorite Things...

Plum tomatoes with sea salt, finely chopped cilantro and garlic infused olive oil

A Very Saucy Party & a Contest

I've been debating, hemming and hawing and going back and forth for weeks over this Saucy Mama Contest.  After much deliberation, thought and sampling, I give you my submission of Mahi Mahi Tostadas with Crunchy Apple Slaw and Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce. This is a quick and easy recipe to make, but is impressive in presentation and taste!   The sweetness of the green apples is a surprising contrast to the spicy Lime Cilantro Sauce while the Avocado Cilantro Sauce adds just the right bite at the end.  This recipe contains the following Saucy Mama products:

Below are the directions to make the Mahi Mahi Tostadas...

Wonton Tostada Shells

      Ingredients 

·         1 Package of won-ton wrappers
·         Olive oil spray
·         Salt, chili powder and garlic powder to sprinkle

Directions

Spray each won-ton with olive oil spray and place into muffin tin to form a bowl or a tostada.  Bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.  Let cool, but do not remove from muffin tin.

  Lime Chipotle Mahi Mahi

      Ingredients 

·         2 lbs of Mahi Mahi
·         The juice and zest of 1 lime
·         ½ cup Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Place fish in greased glass pan and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes or until flaky and firm. Break apart fish and add marinade.  Mix well and set aside.

Crunchy Apple Cabbage Slaw

      Ingredients

·         2 large Granny Smith apples cut into matchsticks
·         2 cups shredded cabbage mix
·         1 cup shredded purple cabbage (for color)
·         ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
·         ¼ cup chives, chopped
·         The juice and zest of 2 limes
·         4 TSP Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade
·         1 splash vinegar
·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients will and chill.  This can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.  If making ahead, don’t add the purple cabbage until just before serving or everything will be pink!  

Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce

      Ingredients

·         1 cup cilantro
·         5 Saucy Mama Jalapeño Stuffed Olives
·         2 large avocados
·         1 clove garlic
·         Salt and pepper to taste
·         water

Directions

Blend everything in the blender, adding a tsp or 2 of water as needed so that it's smooth and creamy and the consistency of sour cream.  This can easily be made a day or two a head of time and stored in the refrigerator. 

Spicy Spanish Rice

     Ingredients 

·         1 cup rice
·         4 TSP sesame oil
·         1 TSP Ketchup
·         2 TSP Saucy Mama Wing Sauce
·         2 cups water
·         3 TSP chicken bouillon powder
·         ½ cup chopped purple onion
·         1 cup cooked or canned black or kidney beans
·         1 cup whole kernel sweet corn

Directions

In a large skillet over high heat sesame oil and add rice.  Brown rice for about 1-2 minutes or until slightly golden.  Add ketchup and Saucy Mama Wing Sauce and mix well, stirring constantly for 1 more minute.  Add water, bullion and onion and bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy and all of the water is absorbed. Add beans and corn and fluff with a fork.

The finished product...

To assemble the mini tostadas simply add a spoonful of fish into the won-ton, then add a spoonful of the slaw.  Top with a bit of Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce.  Serve with Spicy Spanish Rice and a lime wedge.  Not only is this recipe easy, but it's a super party pleaser that is beautiful to look at, easy to eat and full of bright and fresh flavors. It is also very adaptable.  Add a bit of sesame seed, some ginger, a few dashes of sriracha and soy and suddenly it has a spicy Asian twist.


If you want to win your own Saucy Mama products, please leave a comment here or on Facebook telling me your fave party food.  I'll randomly pick a winner on Sept 30th.  

So Saucy & a Contest

I've been lucky enough to be entered into a recipe contest sponsored by Saucy Mama and Barhyte's Specialty Foods. I am so excited and can't even think of where to begin.  There are so many good things to chose from.  While the deadline is looming by, we have been experimenting with the different products they sent me to sample. So far, we love everything!

You can love them too. If you want to be entered to win your very own Saucy Mama products, simply post a comment on this blog describing your favorite party food. (You can also enter by leaving a comment on my Facebook Page.)  On September 30th, 2010 I will randomly select a contest winner who will receive several of Saucy Mama's delicious products. Winner will be notified via this blog.

Sweet Onion Dijon Potato Salad

The Sweet Onion Marinade made an amazing twist to my Dijon potato salad. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Dijon Red Potato Salad

 

Ingredients
2 lbs of red potatoes, quartered
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pinch of celery seed
1 shallot, diced
2 heaping tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of Saucy Mama's Sweet Onion Marinade

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Mix potatoes with olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper and spread over baking sheet.  Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or until tender but still holding shape.  Let cool.  Add Dijon, Sweet Onion Marinade and celery seed.  Season if needed with additional salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. 

Summer Spinach Salad

With Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup peach white balsamic
• 1/4 cup peach nectar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• spalsh of red wine vinegar (mostly to make that lovely peach color)
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 pinch dried parsley
• 1 pinch herbs de Provence
• dash of salt and pepper

Directions
Whisk or shake all ingredients together, and thank me later!   I served it over a bed of baby spinach, smoked almonds, white onion and clementines, with a smidgen of feta.  I think Gorgonzola would work too. 

Avocado

There is a day approaching that I am trying to avoid.  It will be one year since my Grandpa Power left us, and I am really not sure what day he died, but I know it's approaching.  I kind of don't want to know.

What I do know is that while slicing into a perfectly ripe avocado, I realized how many fun memories of my Grandpa revolve around food.  As un-gourmet as it sounds, there is nothing like a ripe avocado crudely mashed onto a toasted piece of wheat toast and sprinkled with Bob's Big Boy seasoning.  It instantly makes me thinks of mornings in my grandpa's kitchen watching him stir wheat germ into his water.

Year before last Gpa gave me 10 bottles of the stuff kind of as a joke.  I didn't think of it until recently, but I think maybe, just maybe he bought it in the hopes that it would keep a fond memory alive for me.  It surely has.

Red Potato Salad-sans mayo

Red potatoes before roasting

Rustic Red Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 5lbs red potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• herbs de Provence
• chopped shallots
• chopped garlic

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Chop potatoes into quarters and add to large bowl.  Add olive oil and then season with the spices I suggested or use your own favorite.  Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, bake for an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes look caramelized.  Let cool and then add a bit more balsamic and olive oil about 4 TSP each.

Adding a bit of mayonnaise to this makes it creamy and tossing in a bit of bacon makes it awesome!!

I Can (almost) Die Now

Eric Ripert replied to my Tweet.