Saucy Mama... WINNER!

Drum roll please!!!  We have a winner for the Saucy Mama prize pack:

Comment #10 is the lucky duck!

Gena - please email me (skeddy@gmail.com) with your shipping address so that I can send that info on to Saucy Mama!

Saucy Mama Comments are Fixed!

Hey, All!

Yesterday, Blogger was having major issues and some accounts couldn't post comments.  Boooo!  I know that I tried commenting on a few blogs out there and got stuck in an endless loop of Blogger forcing me to login over and over and over again. 

But today, all seems to be functioning well.  So, scoot on over and enter our Saucy Mama giveaway before Friday night!  All you have to do is leave a comment - easy peasy lemon squeezie :)

Saucy Mama Giveaway Page!

Saucy Mama.. GIVEAWAY!

My recipe yesterday included an ingredient that many of you might not have tried out just yet.  That's because it's a new item in the Saucy Mama kitchen.  And just because Saucy Mama loves spreading the love, she's letting all her recipe contest entrants host a giveaway of three of her new items!!

One bottle of Pacific Rim Ginger dressing, one bottle of Tarragon Lemon mustard, and one bottle of Sweet Heat marinade!

All you have to do to enter is comment below, saying how you might use these Saucy Mama goodies! 

Good Luck!

Fine Print:  One entry per person.  Giveaway open to US residents only.  The prize will be shipped to you directly from Saucy Mama, so please be patient as they ship out 50 prize packs to all the individual blog winners.  Entry comments will be closed on Friday, May 27 at midnight EST.

Saucy Mama Chicken Salad Crescents

Good Morning!

You may remember last year, that I entered a recipe contest for Saucy Mama.  They invited me to participate again this year, so I gladly joined in!  This time around, the challenge was to come up with a recipe using only five ingredients.  Five?!  Yowza.  I don't consider myself an elaborate or fancy cook, but when I started adding up items, I hit five in a huge, screeching hurry.

This recipe that I came up with is almost embarrassingly easy.  It took me less than 15 minutes to put together and pop into the oven!  It would be a fantastic item at a brunch (served with champagne and fresh fruit, yummmm), and it's also a great option if you need a quick snack or appetizer for guests.  You could use just about any fancy mustard, but the Saucy Mama one I used gives it a great punch of flavor.

Enjoy!






Saucy Mama Chicken Salad Crescents
2, 12 oz. tubes of "bigger" size crescent rolls
12.5 oz. can of chicken, drained *
1/3 c. celery, finely chopped (about 1 stalk)
1/3 c. light mayo
2 Tbsp. Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon mustard
black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray, and set it aside.

Mix chicken, celery, mayo, mustard, and pepper in a medium sized bowl until thoroughly combined.  Arrange individual crescent roll sections on your workspace.  Using a medium cookie scoop (or about 2 Tbsp.), place chicken mixture at the wide end of each roll.  Take the wide edge and tuck it over each chicken salad mound and press lightly to seal the edges.  Continue rolling the crescent dough, slightly twisting the ends as you roll, to seal the edges.  Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.  Makes approximately 16 crescent rolls.


* Note: You can opt to cook your own chicken breast instead of purchasing canned chicken.  Just boil one large chicken breast in water for approximately 10 minutes, or until completely cooked through.  Allow to cool and shred with two forks.

Ingredient Lineup:

Mix chicken salad ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.

Place a small scoop of chicken salad at the

wide end of each crescent roll.

Roll the wide edge over and lightly press to

seal the dough edges together.

Continue rolling, slightly twisting the ends as you roll

to pinch the edges.  Place on your prepared baking sheet.

Voila!

Easy, Amazing Roast Chicken

Remember that simple and delicious tomato sauce I posted a couple of weeks ago?  This recipe is by the same lady.  (Sidenote: I'm pretty sure that I'll have to name my first-born "Marcella.")  Like that recipe, this one uses only a few ingredients and is very, very simple to put together.

And it's Holy Dear Goodness Amazing.  I'm telling you, this is yummmmm.  The chicken itself turns out moist, and the meat was falling off the drumsticks.  And that broth hiding up there in the photo?  I nearly slurped it up with a spoon.  That's no lie.  I kept dipping my white meat into it.  I also saved the leftover broth to make into a gravy tomorrow night, and I'm pretty sure that it, too, will make me fall on the floor in bliss.

5 spoons?  We vote this a 10.

Enjoy!




Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken with Two Lemons
adapted from these detailed instructions

3-4lb whole fryer chicken
2 small lemons
salt
pepper
optional:  1/2 c. Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out.  Remove all the bits of fat that are hanging loose.  Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes, tilted, to allow all the water to drain out.  Pat dry with paper towels.

If you're using the marinade, spread it under the chicken skin, to coat entire chicken.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper over the entire bird, rubbing it with your fingers over the body and into the cavity.

Wash the lemons and dry them with a paper towel.  Soften each lemon by rolling it on the counter while pressing down on it with your palm.  Poke the lemons 10 times each with a fork.  Put the lemons inside the chicken cavity, and close up the opening by securing the skin with toothpicks. 

Put the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side down (no oil or greasing necessary).  Place it on the middle rack of your preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.  Then, flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up.  Cook for another 30 minutes, and then turn the oven temp to 400 degrees.  Cook for another 20 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from the oven and allow it to rest in the pan for 10 minutes.  Then cut it up and eat it up!  Make sure you spoon some of the broth in the bottom of the pan, it's beyond amazing.

Ingredient Lineup:

If you're opting to use the Saucy Mama marinade,

first separate the skin from the meat, using your fingers.

Do this all over the entire bird.

And then push the marinade between the skin and the meat.

Put the small lemons into the cavity of the chicken.

And then suture up the opening with toothpicks.

After.  :)

   

Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

Hi, everyone!  As you may have noticed, all of the ladies here at From Blah to Ta-Daa are doing a Saucy Mama theme week with our recipe posts.  Saucy Mama sent us a sampler of her products so that we could create a recipe to enter her contest!  Each of us also gets to give away that same sampler on our individual blogs, so make sure you come visit to enter!

I'd been trying narrow down which recipe to post for the Saucy Mama contest (I've made 3 so far!), when we got a tiny glimpse at Fall weather last weekend.  That 10 degree temperature drop (and 20% humidity drop) was all it took for me to settle on making stew.  But I didn't feel like lugging out my crock pot and making a big, planned-out ordeal of a meal.  I wanted a simple stew, and I wanted it done within the hour.  So, I made it in a heavy saute pan, right there on my stovetop.

Some tips for making a quick stew:  Use only tender cuts of meat.  Cook the potatoes in a separate saucepot while you make the stew and add them in at the end.  Chop your veggies and meat into smaller pieces than usual so that they cook faster.  Use a sauce - like the Saucy Mama marinade - with lots of flavor.

We both loved this stew, and Bo didn't hesitate before going back for seconds.  I rate it a 4 Spoons, he gives it a 5 Spoons (but we've always known that he's a meat and potatoes kinda guy).  I also made a roast chicken with a Saucy Mama marinade that was honest to goodness amazing.  I didn't have time to photograph it for you, so I'll try to make it again and get it posted in the next few weeks.

Enjoy!




Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

2 c. potatoes, cut into 1" pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. beef tenderloin tips (or tenderloin cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 c. flour

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 c. carrot, diced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
8 oz. mushrooms
1/2 c. red wine

1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 c. water
1/2 c. Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade

Fill medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pinch of salt and potato pieces to the pan and cook over a low boil for 8-10 minutes, just until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, toss tenderloin tips in the flour to lightly coat. Add meat to heated pan and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the additional tablespoon of butter to the pan with the carrot, shallot, and mushrooms, and saute until softened. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and reduce until nearly evaporated. Add in the meat and cooked potatoes, and then stir in the broth, water, and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Ingredient Lineup:

After browning the tenderloin, saute the veggies until tender.

Add in the liquid ingredients and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper

Marinade, and simmer until thickened.

I love Autumn!!

Be sure to come visit me at ~~ my personal blog ~~ to

enter my giveaway and win this whole set!

Chipotle Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 vegetable oil
4 Tbs. white vinegar
1 Bottle of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
1 1/2 cups cooked corn, fresh, frozen or canned
2 1/2 cups shrimp, fresh or frozen (thawed), peeled and deveined
2 red bell peppers cut into slices
12 cups baby spinach

For the Dressing:
Whisk together vegetable oil, vinegar and 2 Tbs. Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade

For the Salad:
1.  Marinate the shrimp in the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade for 15-20 minutes
2.  Heat grill to medium heat
3.  Spray grill basket with nonstick spray
4.  Place pepper strips in grill basket and grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally
5.  Add shrimp to grill basket and cook approximately 2 minutes on each side (shrimp will turn orangey-pink when done)
6.  Let peppers cool and then dice.
7.  Divide spinach among 6 plates
8.  Top with shrimp, peppers and corn
9.  Drizzle with dressing

For another great recipe and a  chance to win a Saucy Mama product pack hop on over to  Life in the BAT Cave and find out how you can enter! 

Fiesta time with Lime Chipotle chicken and Mexican Rice

Lime Chipotle Chicken Saucey Mama Style



4 Chicken breasts sliced into strips
1 1/2 C Saucey Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
3TBS Lime Juice
Sprig of Cilantro
Red Bell Pepper-




Marinate the chicken in the mixed sauce, grill on med. low heat until chicken is throughly cooked through
,
Add the Bell Pepper slices and turn up the heat to medium high to help the sauce reduce and intensify. While Sauce is finishing prep your toppings



Topping options:
Sliced green onions
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Avacado
Sour Creme
Shredded Cheese
Black or Pinto beans (or refried if you like)


Easy Mexican Rice

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic salt or 1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup of tomato sauce
pinch of Cumin
1/8 C of chopped Red Bell Pepper

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat, add Bell pepper until it becomes traslucent, Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Mix in water and remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer until rice is tender.

Perfect for a party since you only have one or two things to cook and then each person can top as they wish. :) A Burrito bar!!!


We rated the whole dish as a 4spoon I am thinking 4.5. The Rice alone was a 5 Spoon.
:) We have eaten it twice in the last week!


***now for a chance to win the whole line of Saucy Mama's sauces seen above- run over to THE BUZZ and enter to win!!!