Recipes

Suan's® tasteful tips: Asparagus

Choosing asparagus
The best asparagus should be stored in cold water so they won't dry out. The bloom tips should be firm and tightly formed.

Storing asparagus
Wash in cold water, snip off ends to give a fresh cut and place in small bowl with enough cold water to cover the ends and about ¼ to ½ inch up the stem.

Preparing asparagus
When ready to use, snap off the ends. (You can save and freeze the ends and use them later in soup or stock base.) Stalks will snap off at the tender part of the vegetable.  You can then "clean off ends" with a sharp knife by cutting at an angle.

Never over-cook asparagus. I usually fix mine one of two ways:

  1. First cooking method: In a dry very hot skillet, place asparagus, add salt and char to desired doneness. Serve with dipping sauce made of ¼ cup Suan’s® Mango Lemon Fruit Butter mixed with 2 tablespoons browned butter and ½ to 1 teaspoon Suan’s® Flavor Sauce (optional).
  2. Second cooking method: In a shallow skillet, place asparagus in enough water to just cover, bring to a quick boil, as soon as the asparagus turns a deep green it is done. Immediately remove from hot water, squeeze a fresh lemon on the spears and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Crostini with Basil Cream Spread - from the Made In Oklahoma Coalition

2 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
3 slices Bar-S Fully Cooked Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Baguette
1 stick Hiland Dairy Unsalted Butter
Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish

In a food processor, combine basil and pine nuts. Pulse a few times to chop the basil and nuts. Add garlic and cheese, continuing to pulse until combined. Add the olive oil in a steady, slow stream with the food processor on. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add ½ cup pesto and bacon, stirring to combine. Set aside. Slice baguette into rounds. Spread each slice with softened butter. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp, at 350 degrees. Once out of the oven, spread cream cheese spread on each baguette slice. Top each with generous serving of Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish.

Pepper jelly brie bites - from the Made In Oklahoma Coalition

2 packages frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed
5 ounces brie
1 jar Suan's® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly
Cilantro for garnish

Place phyllo shells on a cookie sheet. Fill each shell with 1/2 teaspoon Suan's® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly. Fill each shell wtih a 2-inch slice of brie. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes. Top each with a sprig of cilantro.

Blackeyed pea cakes with pepper jelly - from the Made In Oklahoma Coalition

2 (15.5-ounce) cans blackeyed peas
½ cup chopped Schwab’s sausage
¼ cup roasted red bell peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cumin 1 egg, beaten
¼ to ½ cup Shawnee Mills All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Shawnee Mills Yellow Corn Meal
Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly

In a large bowl, mash blackeyed peas with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Add sausage, red peppers, jalapeno, cumin and egg. Mix until combined. Add flour, incorporating until firm enough to shape into cakes. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to firm. Shape into round patties. Pat each cake into cornmeal, to give a light coating. Heat oil in in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the patties until crispy and brown on both sides. Serve with Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly.

Grilled corn with spicy citrus butter - from the Made In Oklahoma Coalition

1/2 cup Suan’s Scotch Bonnet Mango Lemon Fruit Butter
1/4 cup Hiland unsalted butter, softened
One tablespoon lemon zest
8 ears fresh corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine Suan’s Scotch Bonnet Mango Lemon Fruit Butter, Hiland butter and lemon zest. Place in small bowl and chill one hour.
 
Remove husks from corn. Rub corn with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill corn over medium-high heat, with grill lid covered, 10 to 15 minutes, turning often. Serve with pre-prepared flavored butter.

Suan’s® Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing

Photo includes mixed greens, red onions and fresh strawberries with Suan's® Oil and Vinegar Dressing

In small bowl or the bottom of salad bowl mix:

4 cloves of minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix well and add:

1/3 cup vinegar or your choice, red wine, apple cider, red raspberry, balsamic, champagne, or any vinegar of choice,

Mix well and add:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil or other oil of choice, drizzle into vinegar mixture very slowly, dressing will begin to thicken as the correct amount of oil is incorporated.  Check flavor and correct salt, pepper, sugar and spices to taste.  

The combinations are limitless depending on your own creation.  Using any combination of fresh herbs which can also be minced or crushed into the vinegar mixture can change your dressing dramatically. 

Suan’s® Jamaican Rice and Peas

This is a staple in Jamaica and most of the islands have their own take on this tasty dish. I have made a few short cuts in my preparations. Traditionally you would use fresh beans (peas), seasoned as they cooked. 

In the bottom of a large heavy sauce pan, cook 1-2 slices of bacon that have been cut into small pieces.

In-the-meantime, pour 15.5 ounce can of kidney beans in strainer over large 4 cup measuring bowl. Rinse out can with water, reserving liquid. Continue to rinse beans in strainer, saving the water until you have 4 cups.

Pour reserved water into heavy sauce pan with cooked bacon. Add 2 tablespoons coconut milk, strained beans, 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3 scallions finely chopped, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, 1 to 2 smashed cloves of garlic and salt to taste. Bring quickly to boil.

Add 2 cups Uncle Bens Converted rice. Stir, bring back to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT LID, turn off heat, leave on cooling burner for an additional 20 minutes. Remove scotch bonnet pepper and discard, being careful not to break the pepper in the rice and peas. (I recommend not to serve or eat pepper, if more heat and flavor is desired add Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Flavor Sauce to finished dish, toss lightly to mix thoroughly.) Fluff with fork and serve.

Tasteful tip: I always make extra, as this keeps well and can be frozen for future use. If you don't use coconut milk often, you can freeze it by storing in re-sealable bag and laying flat. This way, it is easy to break off the desired amount for future recipes.

Suans® cabbage and jicama cole slaw

1 large head of cabbage, quartered, washed, withered leaves discarded
1 large jicama, peeled and quartered
½ pound carrots, peeled
½ large green bell pepper, seeds and veins removed and discarded         
½ large red bell pepper, seed and veins removed and discarded

Use shredding attachment in food processor and shred all vegetables. Place in large bowl

Dress with ¼ cup raspberry vinegar, juice of ½ fresh lemon, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, blended with ½ cup Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pineapple Cinnamon Jam, salt, pepper and a scant teaspoon of sugar to taste. Lightly toss with vegetables and chill well before serving.

Suan’s® baked sweet potato puffs

NOTE: Suan used a Japanese Sweet Potato for the puff in the photo, thus the light color. They are very sweet, but a regular sweet potato would be just as fabulous.

Scrub sweet potatoes until clean, pat dry, rub with butter, wrap with foil, and bake at 350 degrees until done. Remove from oven, open foil and allow to cool enough to handle. BE CAREFUL – they will be very hot!  Remove skin and put flesh in mixing bowl.  Stir with fork. For each potato add 1/2 teaspoons each of cream and  butter and 1 tablespoon of Suan’s Scotch Bonnet Pineapple Cinnamon Jam. Whip together. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust flavorings as needed.  Place heaping tablespoon on greased cookie sheet, return to oven until just turning brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Suan’s® spicy dipping sauce

Mix together ½ cup Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Sweet Tomato Jam with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Flavor Sauce, salt and pepper to taste.  You may also add a clove or two of garlic and sliced onions for more flavor, just remember that garlic and onions will burn quickly on the grill so you will want to remove before using as a glaze.

Use as a marinade or glaze or as a dipping sauce use for crab legs & shrimp or pigs in a blanket. 

Suan's® cool dipping sauce

Mix together ½ cup Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pineapple Cinnamon Jam and ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.  Optional: add 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese or grated sharp cheddar cheese.  Use as dipping sauce for grilled veggies, fruit, chicken, pork or fish.

Serve with grilled fresh vegetables and fruit of your choice.

Suan’s® Fruit Salad

Ball fruit with a fruit baller or cut into equal-sized cubes. Cover and chill. Mix 1 tablespoon of Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Mango Lemon Fruit Butter with 2 tablespoon raspberry vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, add 2 tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle over fruit and serve.

Suan's® Deviled Eggs

Place eggs in large sauce pan with cold water over high heat, as soon as water reaches boiling point turn off burner cover pan with tight lid and let sit at least 10 to 15 minutes.  Pour off water, roll eggs around in pan to crack shells.  Peel eggs, wipe with damp paper towel to remove any small pieces of shell.  Cut eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks and place in small bowl.  Place whites of eggs in large resealable plastic bag.

With fork mash egg yolks, until very small granules, slowly drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid from Suan's® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish, add 1 tablespoons of mustard, 1 to 2 dashes of curry powder, this is a very strong flavor, you can add more to your taste, 1 tablespoon finely minced onion.  Combine well, if mixture is too thick, add more liquid from relish.  Salt and pepper to taste; adjust ingredients as desired.  Put mixture in piping bag with wide decorating tip.  Fill eggs as needed, this will keep eggs until serving time.  Top with a small amount of Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish.

Suan's® Pasta Salad

2 cups preferred pasta, cooked to al dente

1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1/2 c. diced green pepper
1 c. diced celery
1/3 c. Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish
½ c. cubed cheddar cheese
2 hard boiled eggs, diced (optional)

Toss all ingredients together with dressing. Serve chilled. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Dressing

Dress with equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise; OR for a lighter salad, make vinaigrette of ¼ cup raspberry vinegar with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil drizzled into vinegar while mixing with a fork.  Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

The Best Potato Salad Ever

8 new, white or red potatoes
1 medium onion
3-4 stalks celery
2 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
½ cup Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish
2 hard boiled eggs, cubes
Sour Cream
Mayonaise
Salt and pepper

Vinaigrette

2 cloves minced garlic
1 t. sugar
½ t. salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Scrub potatoes and steam with skins on until fork-tender. Cube while still warm. Chop onion, celery (leave leaves on at least 1 stalk), and cilantro. In resealable bag, combine all ingredients with vinaigrette. Seal tightly and chill for several hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, add ½ cup Suan’s® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Relish and 2 hard boiled eggs, cubed; toss lightly with equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise and ½ t. salt and ¼ t. ground black pepper (more or less to taste).

Gourmet every day!

Need some easy ways to elevate your everyday cooking to a gourmet level? Try these ideas for my condiments:

• Stir fry your favorite vegetables with your favorite Suan's scotch bonnet condiment
• Condiment for meats, fowl, fish and vegetables
• Compliments fruits of all kinds
• With cream cheese on your favorite cracker
• Glaze to baked ham, pork loin and fowl
• Glaze for salmon, swordfish, shark or other firm fleshed fish

Suan's® baked beans

Mix together: 2 cans baked beans, 1 large chopped onion, healthy dash Worchestershire Sauce, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup Suan's® Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly and 2 Tablespoons ketchup. Mix well, pour into baking dish, add strips of bacon on top if desired and bake at 350° for 1 hour.