My name is Suzanne Elizabeth Ward. My maiden name is Martin. I am newly married to a wonderful man named Sean and we live in Franklin Lakes, NJ. Sean and I are the proud owners of a Miniature Cockapoo named Gorgonzola. We adore him! I own an interior design business based out of my home called S.E.W. Chic, which if you couldn't figure out are my initials! I design mainly residential spaces and small businesses. As a teenager I worked at a deli down the Jersey Shore. I believe this is where my interest and passion for cooking began.

In college I lived off campus with my girlfriends and I had my own kitchen for the first time. I began cooking meals for all of my friends on a daily basis and taught myself how to make just about everything. I love nothing more than cooking and entertaining for my family and friends. I believe it is the best way to spend time together and a great way to show people how much you love them. It has been about 12 years since I started cooking and every day I am learning new techniques and cuisines. My mom and dad have always fostered my love for cooking and without them I would not be where I am today. I hope that the Hey, Can You Cook?! competition is just the beginning of exciting new ways to learn and teach the love of culinary arts!

Week 3

Soy Glazed Pork Tenderloin over Spinach salad with Citrus and Avocado

Ingredients






• 1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
• 2 limes, divided
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 2 pounds
• 2 avocados, pitted and chopped
• 1 large bunch spinach, about 4 cups, washed and roughly chopped if needed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, segmented



Directions

Preheat a grill on medium-high heat.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together half of the soy sauce, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoons oil, the red pepper flakes and honey. Add the pork tenderloins to the bowl and turn to coat them in the marinade. Let them marinate for about 15 minutes.

While the pork is marinating grab a medium mixing bowl and toss together the avocado, juice of the remaining lime, remaining soy sauce, remaining mustard, remaining oil, and some salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside until you’re ready to serve.

Place the pork tenderloins onto the grill and cook until grill-marked and cooked through, 13-15 minutes. Remove the cooked meat from the grill and let it rest for a couple of minutes before slicing it. While the meat is resting, add the spinach to the bowl of dressing and give it a toss to evenly coat. Turn the salad out onto a serving platter and garnish it with the sliced red onion and orange segments. Thinly slice the pork tenderloin and fan it out over top of the salad.

Serves 4

Week 2

Spicy Smoked Sausage Ragu over Whole Wheat Penne

Ingredients






• 1 pound whole wheat penne
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 10-12 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 package (1/2 pound) pre-cooked spicy smoked sausage (such as Hillshire Farm), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes



Directions

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the penne and cook to al dente according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. When the pan is hot, add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sausage and garlic to the pan and cook until the veggies are softened and the sausage is heated through, 7-8 minutes. Season everything up with some salt and ground black pepper and add the fire roasted tomatoes to the pan. Bring everything up to a bubble and reduce the heat to simmer. Gently cook the sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta into the pan and give everything a toss to evenly coat the pasta. Toss it into a serving bowl and enjoy.

Serves 4

Grilled Radicchio, Squash & String Beans with Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients






• 1 small head of radicchio, sliced into wedges
• 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1/4 pound green beans, stem ends removed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and ground black pepper



Directions

Place a pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Preheat a grill.

Drizzle the radicchio wedges and squash slices with EVOO. Once the grill is hot, toss the veggies on and grill until tender and grill-marked, about 2 minutes per side. Set the veggies aside.

Once the pot of water is boiling, toss the string beans into the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute or until they're bright green and tender. Drain into a colander and run cold water over them to stop them from cooking. Once they’re cool enough to handle, chop them into bite size pieces and toss with the balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons EVOO, and some salt and ground black pepper.

To serve, plate the grilled veggies and top with seasoned green beans.

Serves 4

Week 1

Salami & Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients






• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3/4 pound salami, thinly sliced
• 5 12-inch flour tortillas
• Ground black pepper
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for greasing baking sheet and brushing quesadilla tops



Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Place tortillas on a flat work surface. Divide the cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano and salami evenly between each tortilla, sprinkling them over the lower half of each tortilla. Season the inside of each tortilla with some ground black pepper. Fold each tortilla in half (to make a half moon shape) and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the quesadillas lightly with EVOO and give them a light sprinkle of ground black pepper. Bake them for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the outsides are crispy.

To serve, slice each quesadilla into five wedges and arrange on a platter.

Serves 20-25 as an appetizer, 4-6 as a meal.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients




• 12 large white button mushrooms (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound salami, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano



Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Pull stems out of mushrooms and, using a spoon, scrape out the undersides of the mushroom cap to leave a space for stuffing. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking sheet, drizzle them lightly with EVOO and hit them with some salt and ground black pepper.

Place a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Cook the onion in the hot pan for a couple of minutes, then toss the salami in there and let it all go for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, thyme and half of the cheese.

Divide the mixture evenly between your mushroom caps and sprinkle each with the remaining cheese. Hit each of them with a quick drizzle of EVOO and bake them until the mushrooms are tender and the tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Chunky Hummus and Salami Strips on Tortilla Chips

Ingredients




• 4 12-inch flour tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
• 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 14-ounce cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 pound sliced salami, sliced into strips



Directions

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place tortilla wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with EVOO and season with salt and ground black pepper. Bake the wedges until crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To a medium mixing bowl add the chick peas, 2 tablespoons EVOO, lemon juice, garlic and some salt and ground black pepper. Gently mash all the ingredients together with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to form a chunky mixture. Set aside.

Place a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the salami and fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp. Drain crisp salami on a paper towel lined plate.

To serve, transfer the chunky hummus to a serving bowl and sprinkle the crispy salami overtop. Serve it up with the tortilla chips for dipping.

Serves 4-6