Let’s Get Saucy, Mama!

I watch a lot of daytime television. Ah, the joy of retirement. The problem is, there’s really nothing on that’s worth watching. Okay, okay, I do like Judge Judy and once in a while I really want to find out who the “real” father is but pretty much I watch cooking shows. I like Rachael Ray, Pioneer Woman and just about anything else about food but one of my favorite cooking shows is “Chopped.” The premise of this program is that all chefs are given a “basket” of food items and they are required to create a dish using those ingredients. I am always amazed at the creativity and I wonder how they do it given the time constraints and often unusual ingredients.

So about 2 weeks ago I saw an online contest. The contest was sponsored by a company that produced a line of products called “Saucy Mama” They were looking for 25 people with cooking blogs who were willing to use their products and create a recipe. The prize was money (always nice) and qualification to compete at the World Food Championships (WFC) in Florida. I like money and would love to compete in the WFC so I decided I was up for the challenge. The good news, I got to choose from their products. The bad news, I had no idea how the products tasted or what I would cook so choosing the products was really tough. There are a lot of them and they all looked intriguing but after much debate I finally chose my products.

And my “basket” contained…….

Saucy Mama-Sweet Heat Marinade-This marinade lulls you in with its sweet innocent full flavored taste only to leave you with a spicy not so innocent burn that keeps you wanting just a little bit more.

Saucy Mama Honey Dijon Dressing-This dressing is a perfect blend of sweet vinegar and mustard, great for slaws or over a salad.

Saucy Mama Sesame Ginger-This dressing has the bold flavors of sesame and ginger. Great as a dressing or in a stir fry.

Saucy Mama Apricot Ginger Mustard-This mustard combines all of my favorites! Sweet apricots, spicy ginger and tart mustard. Ah, what more can I say!

Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing-This dressing combines the full rich flavors of soy, ginger, sesame and has a sweet heat kick that is truly unexpected. This would be a fun one to use in recipes as a soy substitute to add an even bolder flavor. This dressing would also make a great marinade. It has less of a kick than the Sweet Heat marinade but with bolder flavors.

Saucy Mama White Balsamic and Honey-Light balsamic and sweet honey makes this dressing a perfect summer salads. Great drizzled over grilled vegetables or as a light marinade for chicken or fish

To see more of their products you can go to their website at  http://www.barhyte.com/

So, on to the hard part. So many possibilities, so little time. 

The recipes had to fall into 6 categories, pasta, burger, sandwich, bacon, seafood, and fresh.  After much thought, hours and hours of food shows and a whole lot of procrastination I finally decided I would create a burger using “Saucy Mama” sauces in not only the burger but also as a condiment and in the slaw topping. Oh, I forgot to tell you, the burger will be served on a “Ramen” bun. You know those little packages of curly noodles with the little silver packet of seasoning mix. The one every college student or anyone who grew up poor swore they’d never eat again only to buy them and indulge later in life when no one is looking.

Yes, I confess, I love “Ramen” and I’ve heard about Ramen buns so I set out to find out how to make them. After multiple attempts and lots of Ramen I finally found just the perfect bun for my burger. I used garlic and onion powder in the bun so every level of the burger is filled with tantalizing flavors that could be eaten alone and still fill your mouth with flavor at all levels. The bun is cooked in peanut oil to add additional flavor and fried until the outside of the bun is crunchy and the inside of the bun has some of the texture of the Ramen. 

The burger is seasoned with one of the Ramen packets, grated garlic, Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade and Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing for a spicy, bold flavored burger, topped with cheese of your choice. (I chose Havarti but make this burger your own by adding anything you like.) The burger is topped with Saucy Mama Apricot Ginger Mustard which flavors stand alone. 

The slaw combines cabbage, carrots, Saucy Mama Honey Dijon Dressing and apricot preserves for a final crunchy fresh flavor with a hint of sweet to counter the spiciness of the burger.

Ah, comfort and all kinds of fun flavors in a burger I call “Saucy Mama’s Sweet-Heat Ramen-Burgers” 

Saucy Mama’s Sweet Heat Ramen Burgers

2-3oz packages Ramen beef noodles,

(Reserve 1 packet seasoning, discard remaining packet or save for other use)

1 egg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ cup peanut oil

2/3 lb. ground beef

1 Ramen seasoning packet

2 teaspoons Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade

1 teaspoon Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing

½ cup slaw mix

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1 tablespoon Saucy Mama Honey Dijon Dressing

1 teaspoon Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing

1 tablespoon apricot preserves

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 radishes, sliced   

2 tablespoons Saucy Mama Apricot Ginger Mustard

1) Place plastic wrap in the bottom of 4-4½ inch crocks. Cut plastic wrap big enough so it fits inside of the crock with about 2-3 inches hanging over the sides

2) Cook Ramen according to package instructions. (Do not add seasoning. Save 1 packet and discard remaining packet.) Drain noodles and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, beat egg. Add ramen, garlic and onion powder. Divide Ramen into 4 portions and press into bottom of plastic lined crocks. Cover Ramen with overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3) Place peanut oil in a large skillet. Fry Ramen patties over medium heat until crispy and browned on both sides. (About 3 or 4 minutes on each side) Place on paper towel until ready to assemble burger.

4) In a bowl combine ground beef, seasoning mix, Sweet Heat Marinade and Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing. Form mixture into 2 patties. Fry patties in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is achieved. Place cheese on top and remove patties to paper towel lined plate.

5) In a small bowl combine Saucy Mama Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing, Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing, apricot preserves and ginger. Stir until well mixed. Add slaw mix and carrots and toss to coat.

To Assemble: Place 2 Ramen buns on plate and top with burger patty. Top each burger with 1 tablespoon Saucy Mama Apricot Ginger Mustard, radish slices and ½ of the slaw mix. Top with remaining buns.

  

So, you’ve eaten your burger and now it’s time for dessert. How about using a little bit of that “Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade” in a fruit tart? I had apricots and blueberries so here’s a recipe that takes sweet fresh fruit and adds a glaze with a spicy finish. The good part is the more you eat, the spicier it gets. It’s always good to have a reason to eat more dessert!   

 

                                             Sometimes Mama can be such a tart!

    

Mama’s Sweet Heat Apricot Tart

1-9x11 inch puff pastry sheet

6oz cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1lb apricots, about 1½ cups, seed removed, quartered

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup blueberries

1) Roll pastry on lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut pastry to fit bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan allowing an additional inch of pastry on all edges.

2) Combine cream cheese and sugar. Spread a thin layer on the bottom of tart crust.

3) Combine apricots, sugar, cornstarch and blueberries. Toss until mixture is well coated. Pour mixture on top of cream cheese. Tuck edges of overhanging crust over edges of fruit to form 1 inch crust over fruit.

Bake tart for 35 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees

Glaze

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon apricot jam

¼ cup orange juice 

2 teaspoons Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade

In a small saucepan over low heat melt butter. Add brown sugar and apricot jam. Add orange juice and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and add Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces. Strain sauce. Brush hot tart with sauce.

How would you like to try some Saucy Mama products? Leave a comment below and you will be entered to win your choice of 3 products from their line. I will draw the winner on May 31^st. Just go to their website at  http://barhyte.com/   

And check out all of the possibilities for you to become your own “Saucy Mama”