Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade and Jalapeno Stuffed Olives!

It is time for my third and final review of the Saucy Mama products, this time I am focusing on the Sweet Onion Marinade and the Jalapeno Stuffed Green Olives!  As I am a little delayed in posting this, I have extended the deadline for leaving your comments to September 12th, and the drawing will now be held September 14th!  So you have a few more days to leave a comment about how you would use any of the Saucy Mama products reviewed on my blog, for a chance to win your own set of 2 Saucy Mama products!  I am giving away 3 sets of 2 Saucy Mama products, so make sure to leave a comment at the bottom of this post if you like the sound of these products, you just might win them! Check my homepage after September 14th for the list of winners, and to see if you are a winner!  There will be contact info on that post, regarding how to get your set of products if you are a winner!  It's so fun hosting my first giveaway, I hope you all are as excited to get your own set of Saucy Mama products as I have been to use them!

The Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade is a very tasty sauce and dressing.  I think it could really liven up a salad, and would be delicious as a marinade for just about any kind of meat.  I was extremely fortunate to receive a lovely quantity of freshly caught Wild Alaskan Salmon a few days ago, and was just looking for a delicious opportunity to use it! So I decided to try this sweet and slightly tangy marinade on my fresh salmon!  It was delicious!  No other seasoning was necessary, and the flavor is delightful!  Please, if you make this recipe, make sure to use Wild Pacific Salmon, not Atlantic or farm-raised, the flavor difference is drastic, and using farmed or Atlantic salmon will most likely be a disappointment.  Also, you may want to skip on pink salmon, as the texture will be quite soft.  I am quite choosy with salmon, because when you have the REAL thing (Wild Caught Alaskan or at least NW Pacific salmon), it is just over and beyond any other type of fish, for flavor and texture.  Firm, and meat like, it will add substance and wonderful nutrients to any diet.  And it just tastes delicious!  I hope you try this recipe for your next brunch with friends, it is simple, flavorful, and elegant, not to mention just really tasty!  Don't be intimidated by the mini-crepe making, it is not much different than making pancakes, and you can make them all ahead, then fill them with the delightful filling, and serve. Please enjoy my recipe for:

Mini-Crepes filled with Lemon Herb Creme and Sweet Onion Salmon

Serves: about 8
Prep Time: about 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: about 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:
For the Sweet Onion Salmon:
1/2 pound Salmon Filet
1/2 cup Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade

For the Lemon Herb Creme:
1 lemon, organic (so you can use the zest)
4 ounces Mascarpone cream cheese

3 Tablespoons dill, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn blend, freshly ground

For the Mini-Crepes:

1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

cooking spray
Garnish:
additional chopped dill and chives
additional Sweet Onion Sauce for dressing the top of each crepe

To Prepare:

1. First, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the salmon by placing the filet on a large sheet of foil. Cover the filet with the Saucy Mama Sweet Onion Marinade, and tightly wrap the foil up around the salmon, sealing all edges.  Place in the preheated oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, until marinade is bubbling, and salmon is firm and just cooked through.  Remove from oven, and allow to cool about 5 minutes.

2. While the Salmon is cooking, prepare the Lemon Herb Creme by first zesting the washed and clean lemon (removing the peel in very fine pieces, to add to the dish), adding the zest, and the juice of the lemon into a small bowl. Add the Mascarpone, herbs, sea salt and pepper, and stir well to combine.  Set aside.

3. Prepare the Mini-Crepes while the salmon is finishing cooking.  First combine all of the crepe ingredients (except the cooking spray) in a medium size bowl, and whisk until smooth and creamy (an immersion blender with a whisk attachment makes quick work of this step!). Place a skillet (8 inch or larger) over medium high heat, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of the crepe batter into the hot pan, twirling the pan with a circular motion until batter has spread to about a 4 inch round crepe. Cook for about 45 seconds (until crepe is just beginning to brown), gently use a spatula to flip the crepe over, and continue cooking about 45-60 seconds. Remove from pan and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining batter (lightly spraying the pan, then quickly cooking each crepe), until all of the batter is cooked, and you have about 16 mini-crepes on a plate.

4. Assemble the crepes:
First, use a fork to gently flake apart the cooked salmon filet, removing it from the skin as necessary.  Place a crepe on a flat surface, spread about 2 teaspoons of the Lemon Herb Creme over the center of the crepe, and add about 2 Tablespoons flaked salmon over the Lemon Herb Creme.  Gently roll up the crepe over the filling, and place on a platter.  Use a small spoon to drizzle a line of Sweet Onion marinade over the top of the filled crepe, and garnish with additional chopped herbs.  Repeat with remaining crepes.

5. Serve and ENJOY!

I also received a beautiful little jar of Saucy Mama Jalapeno Stuffed Olives to use my creativity on, and I think I came up with a delicious hot baked dip for your next gathering!  These Jalapeno stuffed olives really added a LOT of flavor to this artichoke cheese dip, giving it just a little hint of heat, but all of the delicious flavor!!  Simple to prepare, just combine the ingredients, pour into a baking dish, and wait for the deliciously wonderful flavor!!



Baked Jalapeno Olive Artichoke Dip
Serves: about 8-12
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sour cream
1- 8.5 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered, and drained (not the marinated variety!)
1 cup Saucy Mama Jalapeno Stuffed Olives, chopped
1 cup Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheese blend, shredded
1/2 cup Fontina Cheese (cut into small 1/4" cubes)
1/2 cup chives, freshly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn blend, freshly ground

1 baguette french bread, cut into slices, or any other small bread, such as sourdough
Chips for dipping (I have shown it with Sweet Potato and Beet chips, which were delicious, but you can also use Tortilla or any vegetable chip)
Vegetables for dipping (carrots, celery, etc...)

To Prepare:

1. First, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients (first chopping the olives and cutting the Fontina into small cubes), stirring until well combined.  Pour into a 1 quart baking dish, cover, and place in the preheated oven. Bake until bubbling and just slightly golden on the edges (you can remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of baking for a more golden appearance if desired).

2. Once the dip is baked, remove from oven and carefully spoon into a serving dish (or leave in the baking dish to retain it's heat for a longer period of time).  Serve with a platter of bread slices, chips, and vegetables, and enjoy!!!