Momma Told Me: citizen chef

***I was sent product sample, from Citizen Chef, for a feature here on Momma Told Me. Regardless, no other compensation was provided and all photos and content contained there in is copyright Momma Told Me 2013.
Momma Told Me: Cook with creativity.

When I was a child I wanted to do everything Momma did. From an early age I was attached by the hip, impatiently peering over kitchen counter tops to meticulously study how she would cook. To me, there were few things more magical than how Momma would turn boring ingredients into a mouth watering meal. And, when I grew old enough to hold cognitive conversations, and maintain my own personality, we began to watch our favorite channel together, the Food Network. Second only to Mystery Science Theater 3000 was our delight to play reruns of Iron Chef (the original dubbed Japanese episodes) on mute and voice over the flamboyant Chairman and judges with ridiculous commentary. I tell you this, because that is where I learned you must be resourceful in the kitchen. Sure a Japanese gentleman in Liberace style clothes doesn't burst into your kitchen with a table full of bizarre ingredients, though sometimes I open my fridge and certainly feel that way, but managing time and money when cooking can present it's own unique challenges.

In the home chef community there is much debate about cooking from scratch vs. using found ingredients (pre-made sauces, prepared meats, etc). Well, in my kitchen I am simply cooking for my friends and family. I don't have to worry about being voted off, or scorned on Yelp (my establishment is a privately listed one), and I know my guests will be grateful for whatever food falls on their plate. But it's still fun to 'pull a fast one' from time to time and take the credit for a job well done, where minimal effort is required. Thanks to the all natural ingredients of Gluten Free Citizen Chef Simmer Sauces, and companion meal ideas/recipes, I can whip up a gourmet meal with the simple addition of, well, anything. These delicious sauces can be used to marinate, simmer, drizzle or dip, and infuse complex flavors of fresh zesty ingredients int any meal or gathering. Most recently I was preparing a rather large portion of pork and veggies for a family get together involving a grill. I wanted to sample my dish before it hit the grill, so I prepared Jay and I a little sample of Hawaiian Shish Kabobs and Corn Niblets.

I diced up an 8lb Pork Butt Roast into even cubes and marinated it overnight in a simple teriyaki marinade, then I grabbed a handful of the fresh chopped veggies and portion of pork and tossed it into our electric skillet. About halfway through cooking I drizzled some of Citizen Chef's Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ sauce
over the ingredients. This quickly began to caramelize and stick the the Pork, resulting in a beautiful fresh from the grill sear. Just as I was about to pull the vegetables out, I added my corn niblets, rolling the cob into the skillet with light force to pick up the juices and flavor that was baking onto the bottom of the skillet. The result was a fresh from the barbie plate of Summer ready food, full of rich and zesty flavor, and all in just less than 10 minutes, with only 1 piece of kitchenware to clean up!

While this was only meant as a test, I'll certainly be trying this out at home again soon. With only 2 adults to feed in our home most of the time, breaking out the BBQ can seem like a daunting chore. Thanks to the flavorful Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ Sauce I can recreate a Summer cookout in my own home with less than half the mess. I'm certain some of the pork's tenderness and flavor was gained through the overnight marinate, but the slightly sweet glaze on our veggies was entirely thanks to my secret weapon; sous chef Citizen Chef. These amazing natural simmer sauces are sold nationwide at Sprouts and Safeway chains. Head on over to the Citizen Chef website for recipe ideas and a store locator, and stay tuned for more culinary adventures with The Citizen.

What Daughter Says: Citizen Chef helps me create flavorful meals with a little inspiration.

***Note, I was sent complimentary product from Citizen Chef for the purpose of featuring on this blog. No other compensation was provided. All photos and opinions are copyright Momma Told Me 2013.
Momma Told Me: The sauces have it!

As a child there was one thing that could save an unwanted ingredient on my plate; the proper sauce. Sauce, which was also affectionately my name for Ranch dressing, could make even the blandest of ingredients tolerable to my palette. I figured out, at an early age, to more sauce you drowned each bite of 'x' in, the better 'x' tasted. (See, I did master Algebra at an early age!) Now, I won't call Momma a one trick pony, but she did have an arsenal of secret tricks, and that included rotating a variety of proteins through the same general 4-5 meals. One night would be Spaghetti and Meatballs, another Spaghetti and Chicken, and the next Marinara Drenched Pork Tips; you get the picture. Momma didn't have the time to cook sauces from scratch, and her favored ones often came from a shelf stable bottle, and were loaded with preservatives and sugars.

I'm not bad mouthing Momma, really, all of her cooking was delicious, no matter how much she 'cheated' with meal making kits and delicious culinary sauce aids. And so long as there was a bottle of sauce (Ranch) on the table, I could make any ingredient manage to disappear. But modern times have brought new sensibilities to Mommas and Home Chefs alike. We demand better quality and a more discerning flavor; meals with less ingredients and heightened taste, while still requiring the same amount of flexibility and creativity Momma enjoyed. Whether willing, or begrudgingly tasked, the average home chef needs cooking aids that will allow for delicious culinary creations on a tight schedule. We don't always have time to stop by the market in between hunting school project supplies and prying the Goldfish from the Cat. We want meals that are as flavorful as us, yet as simply fulfilling as a pinch on the cheek from Granny. And that's where Citizen Chef arrives on the scene.

What on Earth is a Simmer Sauce, you ask? Well, it's a lot of things; a marinade, a saute, a finishing sauce- all sorts of wonderful things intended to infuse flavor and depth into any last minute dish. The brand, Citizen Chef currently specializes in inspired Salad Kits and 5 international inspired Simmer Sauces. Sold nationwide at Safeway, Sprouts, Costco and more, these cooking aids are packed with the freshest ingredients and entirely artificial (preservative) free. Citizen Chef acts as your private sous chef in the kitchen, pairing each simmer sauce profile with several custom recipes and cooking ideas; extending the assistance beyond a mere sauce. The brand believes that cooking should be an excuse for people to come together, and that good food can build stronger families and couples. That's a powerful mission for one little tub.

I received 3 flavors of Citizen Chef's Simmer Sauces; Limone Garlic, Pan Asian Orange, and Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ, for a feature here on Momma Told Me (giveaway coming soon). To begin, each 10z resealable tub of sauce is portioned for one meal, though I've found there are many uses for them, and a tub does not have to be committed to an entire meal. They do, however, have to remain refrigerated to ensure freshness (remember, no chemicals or preservatives). On the top of each lid is a smartphone link that will take you to simple and fresh recipes with the specified sauce. I chose to prepare the insanely simple and tauntingly vibrant Limone Baked Chicken found on their Limone Garlic Sauce sub-site. The recipe was as simple as preparing my favorite veggies, in this case soft boiling some tiny golden potatoes for 20 minutes, and pan searing some trimmed chicken breasts. I decided to take a basic Summer stir fry and add it to the pan with a dash of olive oil, while I briefly browned the chicken. Next, I layered the potatoes, with stir fry veggies, and topped with the chicken and a few fresh slices of lemon.

The lemon slices were more of a garnish; a feast for the eyes, as the true flavor for this dish came from drizzling a container of Citizen Chef Limone Garlic sauce atop, just before entering the oven. In less than an hour I had a complete gourmet meal that could have walked out of Gordon Ramsay's kitchen! I was quite impressed, personally, with the subtle balance of tart lemon and pungent garlic. We used the simmered juices as a dipping sauce for the tender chicken and cleared every last bite off our plates. I think Jay has a new favorite; an American twist on his preferred Chinese Lemon Chicken. Best of all, our meal was infused with flavor and not fat; I didn't have to rely on fancy fried breading to clear plates, but that Citizen Chef sauce was certainly fought over! Look for 2 more features with Citizen Chef sauces, and a forthcoming giveaway!

What Daughter Says: Don't drown bad cooking in fatty sauces, let the sauce be your inspiration with Citizen Chef!