How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite zesty dessert post.    HINT: To find a list of the desserts you can click here… Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days at the bottom of this post!

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With Christmas season quickly approaching I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about a vegetable that often is forgotten.  The Parsnip.  Personally I love parsnips but growing up, I never really knew what they were.  We never had them at home usually just carrots and turnip were the staples… no parsnip.  Not until I started cooking on my own where I would experiment with the flavor of parsnip.

Being sweet, parsnips are excellent roasted, a process that caramelizes their sugars. They also make good alternative chips, or can be layered with other root vegetables to form a spin on a scalloped root vegetable dish.

FYI – These parsnip chips are too die for.

Mashed parsnips are useful but do need rich additions to improve both the texture and flavor. Dry the pieces carefully before mashing, then add plenty of butter or cream, black pepper and sweet spices such as nutmeg.

Some dry mashed potato can also be mixed into mashed parsnip to lighten it and this makes a good topping for shepherd’s pie.

What is in the Parsnip?

A parsnip looks like a white carrot (and is, in fact, in the same family). Along with their sweet flavor, parsnips bring vitamin C, folate, and potassium to the table.

How to Pick the Perfect Parsnip?

Selection: Good-quality parsnips will be firm, straight and have no deformities or blemishes. The coloring will be even and white to cream.

Avoid: Avoid product that is dry, shriveled, soft or has dark blemishes. Yellow or tan coloring indicates old product.

Did You Know: Frost improves their flavor.

How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite zesty dessert post.    HINT: To find a list of the desserts you can click here… Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days!

1. Please “like” the Zesty Cook facebook page and come back and tell me you did it. If you are already a “liker,” leave a comment telling me you are already a fan.
2. Tell me your favorite holiday tradition and leave a comment telling me.
3. Tell Zesty your favorite Holiday dish
4. Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me you have tweeted.
5. Tell me the first thing you would make with the mixer.
6. Tell your favorite Holiday Movie.
7. Subscribe to Zesty and Tell a Friend.
8. Name your favorite Chocolate

Please be sure to leave separate comments for each entry to increase your chance to win!

Alright so there you have it…tell me all about your favorite zesty dessert and be on your way with another entry in this Kitchen Aid Contest. Have a great Monday. 

Take care

zesty

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Good morning.  A slightly different twist than my traditional post today.  I wanted to talk to you about the power of the hen and the high quality food source called the “EGG”.  Now I often don’t go on rants about health and protein balanced meals and if you saw my physique in full form you would know I do not frequent the gym everyday and pound protein shakes in on a regular basis.  With that being said, I am a conscious eater and very much aware of what I am putting into my body.  I tend to focus on things in moderation versus being overly strict with my consumption.

OK moving on to the story at hand. Eggs.  Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious foods. One large egg contains only 70 calories and an incredible amount of nutrition. Include eggs as part of your healthy diet and let the facts speak for themselves!

What’s in the Egg

Eggs are actually quite nutritious. They are not just fat (yolk) and protein (white). In fact, they contain a wide array of essential vitamins and minerals. Here is what’s in an egg…

Vitamins

A: good for the skin and growth.
D: strengthens bones by raising calcium absorption.
E: protects cells from oxidation.
B1: helps properly release energy from carbohydrates.
B2: helps release energy from protein and fat.
B6: promotes the metabolism of protein.
B12: an essential vitamin in the formation of nerve fibers and blood cells.

Minerals

Iron: essential in the creation of red blood cells.
Zinc: good for enzyme stability and essential in sexual maturation.
Calcium: most important mineral in the strengthening of bones and teeth.
Iodine: controls thyroid hormones.
Selenium: like vitamin E, it protects cells from oxidation.

Benefits

• There are no nutritional differences between brown eggs and white eggs.
• Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein food.
• Eggs are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
• The egg yolk is the major source of the egg’s vitamins and minerals.
• Two eggs provide one serving from the Meat and Alternatives group in Canada’s Food Guide.

Cooking Methods

• Poached
• Boiled
• Scrambled
• Fried
• Hard-Boiled
• Steamed
• Coddled

Recipes

I wanted to share a few recipes over the past little while from myself that use eggs.  There are so many recipes where eggs are the feature… below are a few.

1. Leftover Eggs
2. Hangry Pants gets Eggy
3. Radical Raspberry French Toast
4. Avocado to the Rescue
5. A Festive Bread Pudding
6. Bacon and Eggs in a bowl

Sources

1. Canada Food Guide
2. Eggs.ca

Thanks so much for dropping in today.  Eggs in my eyes are 2 things.  Delicious and cheap.  They are a great way to add protein in your diet for little cost and they are great for any time of the day.  Look beyond breakfast when thinking eggs.  Have a super Monday and I will touch base with you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

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Hi All and Happy Wednesday.  Let’s just say I have somewhat of a different post in store today.  Not that I usually talk about low calorie ideas specifically but on occasion I drop in a low cal dish here or there.  With that said, I got an interesting question from a zesty reader yesterday.

He asks:

I was wondering if you had any suggestions for how make some simple low-calorie, easy-to-make stir fry sauces?  I basically living on stir-fry’s and wraps.  I’m also calorie counting.  So it kills me to see how much the calories add up in the sauces. I’d like it to be low calorie and also low sodium and I have to be able to make it in 30 seconds (ok.  maybe 5 minutes).  I know.. quite the challenge..

For sauce creations I really take one basic principle into account – BALANCE. For me it is all about the balance of flavors whether it be sweet and sour or mild versus spicy.

There are easy ways to infuse flavor in your food without all the calories and fat.  Remember to experiment to please your palate.  There are no rules when it comes to the flavors you enjoy.  Here is the simple sauce basis I use.

The Zesty Basic Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 Tsp. cornstarch
• 2/3 Cup water (or chicken or beef broth, if desired)
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 Tsp. sugar

Method

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Add to stir fry just at the end, stirring well into the dish and let sauce come to a bubble.
3. Let simmer until sauce has thickened, then serve.

Here are a couple of my ideas when kicking up a simple stir fry sauce.

1. Mix in some grated ginger root and grated garlic.
2. Orange juice/lemon juice/lime juice ( the real deal) and mix
3. Nuts
4. Red pepper flakes and/ or hot sauce.
5. Flavored vinegars.

Well there you have it.  I hope you submit your favorite sauce ideas for anyone who is reading and may be looking for other options to flavor their dishes.  Thanks so much for reading and I cannot wait to hear if other have suggestions.  Have a great Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

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Hi everyone, Julie from Savvy Eats here!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with my blog, I am a Food Science & Engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in May. I’m an unusual engineering student in that I don’t want to do super-technical work when I graduate. What I really want to do is write about food. More specifically, I’d like to write about the science behind food.  To that end, I am starting a new series this week on my blog answering all your food science questions!

For my guest post today, then, I thought I’d explain why yogurt is a good source of calcium, but cottage cheese is not.  Hey, I live in Wisconsin, aka Dairyland, so it is entirely appropriate for my first post!

First of all, whole milk is essentially a bunch of fat molecules trapped in a water-based fluid.  The only reason that the fat and water don’t separate is that the proteins in milk keep it from doing so.

There are two types of proteins in milk.  Most of the proteins are casein, which are not soluble in water, but about 20% are whey proteins, which can dissolve in water.

That is the important part to keep in mind.

Whey = Soluble in water.  The green-ish liquid in the picture below, from food-info.net.

Casein = Not a fan of water.  Not water-soluble and therefore steers clear of it as much as possible.  Oh, and all the calcium is naturally found in the casein, not the whey!

Cottage Cheese

To make cottage cheese, the casein must be separated from the whey.   When this happens, the calcium leeches out of the casein and into the whey proteins.  Since all of the casein and only a little of the whey is curdled to make cottage cheese, then, there is very little calcium.

To summarize

Whey = Now has the calcium, and isn’t in cottage cheese.
Casein = Becomes cottage cheese, but has lost its calcium to whey.

Yogurt

To make yogurt, both the casein and whey proteins are curdled together, so none of the calcium leeches out.  Yogurt, then, is a great calcium source!

Yogurt = Contains casein + whey, and therefore keeps the calcium!

I hope you have found this interesting and enjoyable.  I’ll be posting soon on savvyeat.com about why you can use a flax/water mixture in the place of eggs when baking.   I hope you’ll check it out!

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Well the end of the week is here and what a week it was.  Lets end the week with an educational post to take you through the weekend.  I get a lot of questions about what knife to use when you are chopping versus what knife to use to slice bread etc.

This post will give you the basics of what knife to use depending on the task in the kitchen.  Just be aware that not all knives are created equal.  The length, width and edge of the blade as well as the shape of the tip are suited for specific culinary tasks.

Before you slice; think twice.

Slicing Knife
	Ranges roughly from 8-18 inches in length, with a thin, narrow blade to ensure smooth slices with a single stroke.  This is excellent for carving meats on Sunday dinner or when cutting those huge vegetables or even cakes and pastries.
Bread Knife
	Pretty self explanatory, the serrated or scalloped edge is designed to cut cleanly through tough materials such as bread crusts and some vegetables.  It is ideally used on food that has a  hard outside and a soft tender inside such as a loaf of homemade bread.
Chef’s Knife
	Maybe the most used knife in the kitchen – the chef’s knife is ideal for a large range food preparation.  It is usually around 8 inches in length, the cutting edge is shaped to allow a rocking motion on a cutting board  – making it the chopper of choice.  I also like to use the blade to crush garlic and other herbs.  The tip is good for paring and peeling fruits as well.
Santoku Knife
	I place this knife somewhere between a chef’s knife above and a butchers knife.  It is great for cutting. mincing and slicing.  The indentations on the blade are designed to prevent food from sticking to it as you slice.  I love that feature.
Utility Knife
	As the name states… is really a must have in the kitchen for all jobs.  It is great for peeling, slicing and cutting.  It is traditionally about 5-7 inches in length.
Paring Knife
	Highly versatile and a must have as well.  The paring knife is great  for cleaning, paring, peeling and slicing of small fruits and vegetables.

In Summary

So there you have it.  That is my take on the 6 common knives in the kitchen.  As for me- I feel if you only have three types of knives… they should be the:

1. Chef’s Knife
2. Bread Knife
3. Paring Knife

I hope you have a great weekend! I have a few fun and delicious things in store for you for next week – Stay tuned!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

The type of meat in the patty is important. Do not use extra-lean meat. Instead look for meat that is 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat. The ideal size for a burger patty is 6 ounces.
When forming the patty, make an indent with your thumb in the middle.

This will ensure that the meat plumps nicely. Flatten the patty before placing on the grill. Never press down on the patty or flatten it while cooking. This will release the precious juices that are essential to a burger’s flavor.

The best burgers are all beef. I tend to avoid adding anthing to the meat such as vegetables or any other ingredients. Use the toppings and condiments to make the burger more exciting.
Only flip the burgers one time. To form a good crust, set the patty on the grill and leave it alone for several minutes. Over high heat, a burger usually cooks in about four minutes per side.

Properly melt the cheese. There is nothing worse than a burger with half melted cheese. Trap the heat by closing the grill over the patties. If cooking indoors, place a metal bowl over the burgers to melt the cheese.

Don’t overlook the rolls. Ideally, the rolls should be fresh with a light toast.

Be aware of the four main factors — thickness of the patty, the fat content of the meat, the heat of the grill, and the condiments — that affect the burger. Take care when controlling these factors and you’ll end up with sheer burger bliss.

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How to Shock Vegetables

Shocking, or refreshing, refers to the technique of plunging just blanched vegetables into ice water to halt the cooking. (They’ll keep cooking if you simply take them off the heat.) It locks in flavor, texture, and color, and you don’t have to worry about undercooking or overcooking. It’s especially helpful when you’re entertaining — you can do the work hours in advance and reheat just before serving.

Step 1: Prepare an ice bath. Fill a mixing bowl halfway with ice and enough water to cover it. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water (so you won’t wash away the salt absorbed during blanching).

Step 2: Blanch. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your vegetables to the desired tenderness.

Step 3: Shock. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables from the pot to the ice bath. Remove when they’re cold, in about 1 minute.

This is a very simple technique that will allow your vegetables to be much crisper and flavorful not too mention not lose as many nutrients. Next time your cooking vegetables try this method either in advance if your short on time or preparing a large meal for a group.

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If you’re like me, you are probably intimidated by a big chunk of beef. Did you purchase the right cut? How should you cook it? What happens inside the piece of meat while it cooks? And how can you best bring out the flavor and juiciness?

Most people serve large cuts of beef only on special occasions. A standing rib roast, a beef tenderloin, or pot roast is expensive and merits a formal occasion like a holiday or birthday.

Your beef entree will be a huge success once you understand a bit about meat structure and how it cooks.

Two Methods of Cooking

There are two methods for cooking meat: dry heat and wet heat. Dry heat methods including grilling, broiling, sauteing, roasting, stir frying, and deep frying. Wet heat includes braising, pot roasting, stewing, steaming, poaching, and slow cooking. Most of us cook beef by the dry heat methods, along with pot roasting, stewing, and slow cooking.  To save money on meat try the inexpensive cuts and use the wet heat method.  This approach is a sure shot to tenderness and allows you to play with the flavors each time you cook.  Don’t be shy to add flavor – vinegars and acidic fruit will help break down the meat the most effective and you can even leave it in the fridge marinating for 24-48 hours.  Stay tuned for some low and slow recipes.

The Best Cuts

For grilling, broiling, and pan frying, the best cuts of meat are rib eye steaks, strip or shell steaks, and T bone, which contains both the strip and tenderloin steaks. Sirloin and round steaks are generally going to be tough and dry. Flank steaks are good when quickly cooked and sliced across the grain.

For roasting, top sirloin, tenderloin, standing rib roasts, and top rump roast are good candidates.

For stir frying, flank, top round, and sirloin steak are good. These cuts are best cooked quickly, and since elastin is broken because the meat is cubed, they are more tender.

For kebabs, tenderloin is the best bet. This mild cut absorbs flavors easily and it is very tender.

For pot roasting and braising, chuck and rump are the best cuts. These cuts have more collagen and need long, slow cooking in a wet environment to reach their optimum tenderness. Chuck has the most flavor and is the most tender.

For ground beef, chuck is the way to go. It has optimal amounts of fat and is tenderized mechanically by the grinding action. Most lean ground beef is chuck, but if you’re not sure, just ask!

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