ZestyCook » Entrees

Sweet Apricot Lemon Chicken and Grilled Corn

ZestyCook — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:58 +0000

Mamma Mia this was good! Oh Hi, I got a little side tracked as I was looking at the pictures from last night’s supper. Before I left for work, I took out some chicken breasts ( bone-in and skinless) for supper. These big morsels of flesh turned into something…. well AMAZING.

As you know from reading the blog (or not), I am not one to toot my own horn about something really being ridiculously good but I h ave to say the combination of apricots and lemon jazzed up with some fresh ginger made a bland chicken breast SING. To go along with the chicken, Mrs. Zesty made a trip to the market and snagged some yummy sweet corn and a few sweet potatoes. A little heavy on the starch but oh my I was happy.

Here is the way this went down. About 5 minutes to prepare all this stuff and about 20-25 to grill everything off. I first prepared the glaze for the chicken and lubed up the corn with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts ( Bone-In skinless )
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp. Apricot preserves
1/2 Tsp. Grated ginger
1/2 Tsp. Black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon ( grate zest in as well )
4 Cobs of corn
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Method

Preheat grill to medium heat
In a bowl, combine hoisin sauce, apricot preserves, pepper, ginger and lemon and mix together
Place chicken on top of grill and let sear on first side. Once the grilling has started, I start basting the chicken with the sauce because it is up off the direct heat and will not burn.

Turning the chicken once, after about 10-12 minutes, continue to baste the other side, slathering it on. You can do no harm.

For the corn, husk the corn and prepare them for the grill
Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and place directly on grill. Stay close as they will brown up quickly. Once they begin to brown, give them a quarter turn and continue all the way around. Once they are all golden brown to your liking, place them up top to ensure they cook through.
Once chicken and corn are complete – you are ready to roll.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking chicken on the grill, the best word of advice is cook it up top on the grill or using in direct heat. Especially if you want to use a glaze with sugar like I did. Otherwise the outside will burn burn burn and the inside will be undercooked and squawking at you.

On a different front…. check out the new grass. It is coming in excellent after just 4-5 weeks. I already cut it once and it needs to be mowed again. I just had to show you.

I hope you have a great Wednesday. After work I am going to cook with a very “popular” chef for a piece at the annual potato festival. I will fill you in with all the details on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Sweet Apricot Lemon Chicken and Grilled Corn

Grilled Quesadillas w/ Bacon

ZestyCook — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:45 +0000

Hello from Charleston, West Virginia. Yesterday was a busy day in Mississippi and right after the client meetings I drove back from Tupelo to Birmingham Alabama to fly out of this morning. The flight times just worked out a little better from Birmingham than Memphis. Right after the client meetings we decided to take a quick drive down the road to Elvis’ old house where he grew up and visit there for a few minutes. Very fun and I even picked up a couple of souvenirs.

I am dying to share this recipe with you since last Thursday, not because it is stellar and earth shattering but simply due to the fact that it tasted amazing and was super easy to prepare. I really love quesadillas and have featured a couple of my favorites in the past: Super Simple Stunning Quesadillas and Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadillas.

This recipe is up there with flavor and simplicity.

Ingredients

Bbq Chicken
Whole Wheat Tortilla
Red peppers
Basil
Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese (shredded)
Bacon
Mushrooms

Method

Cook off bbq chicken, bacon and mushrooms and set aside. ( you can use left overs if you have them as well )

Line up the tortilla and start assembling the filling

Add all the ingredients and finish with a good layer of cheese on the top to help the top tortilla to stick.

Grill over medium heat – moving as needed to achieve a nice golden brown color. Gently press on the outside of the quesadilla to force the edges to connect from the cheese.
Flip over and repeat the process.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If using mushrooms in quesadillas, I feel it is crucial to cook them down to remove the water from the mushrooms. Otherwise they will make your tortilla soggy and cause it not to crisp.

I am hanging here in Charleston for a couple of days so let me know if you guys know of good places to eat here and I will be sure to check them out. Have a superb Wednesday and I will talk to you back at home on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Grilled Quesadillas w/ Bacon

Deliciously Grilled!

ZestyCook — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Happy Monday! I am on the road again this week visiting clients in Mississippi and West Virginia. Despite the travels, I have some recapping to do from the camping extravaganza from last week. I had a blast! We had a blast! We ate great, the weather was very nice except one rainy day and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

On to the Food

One evening we invited some friends up to the trailer for a dinner at the picnic table. I was tossing around the menu ideas all day when I finally came up with a hoisin honey chicken breast topped with a fresh mango/pear salsa, grilled sweet potatoes with a brown sugar/butter glaze and a simple orange avocado salad. I also did a quick grilled zucchini with a orange garlic marinade to compliment the salad.

The prep was fun and at the same time a little different and challenging with limited supplies. Counter space was definitely at a minimum as well but indeed we did prevail.

Chicken Marinade

Ingredients

5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
4-5 Cilantro sprigs
2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tsp. Ginger
1 Clove garlic
3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 1-2 hours before grilling.
Preheat grill over medium heat.
Place chicken and let sear on one side ( about 6 minutes )
Flip and continue cooking on other side until cook through
Remove from heat and cover with foil to let the juices move back to the center of the meat.
ENJOY!

Mango Pear Salsa

Ingredients

2 Mangoes
2 Pears
1/4 Cup cilantro ( chopped )
1 shallot ( finely chopped)
1 Tbsp. Hot sauce
Juice of two limes
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Method

Peel and chop both the mangoes and the pears
Place in a large mixing bowl and add all other ingredients.
Let flavors come together for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Place on top of bbq chicken.
ENJOY!

2 Way Potatoes

Ingredients

3 Sweet Potatoes
3 PEI Russet Potatoes
Fresh rosemary
Drizzle of Olive oil
1 Clove Garlic
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Method

Peel potatoes and microwave potatoes for 9 minutes
Cut into medallions and place in two separate bowls
For the russet potatoes combine rosemary, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and mix to coat.
Grill over medium heat to achieve char marks and until they are fork tender with a nice crust.
For the sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill over medium heat.
In another bowl, melt butter and brown sugar in the microwave and brush on the sweet potatoes as you grill each side.
Cook until a crust is formed and they are tender on the inside.
ENJOY!

Orange Avocado Salad

For the orange avocado salad, you can refer to the full recipe. The flavors in here are amazing and really a nice fresh flavor for the chicken and the starchy potatoes.

Zesty Tip: When preparing for a dinner party – take the time and organize the menu, ingredients and the prep time. This will allow you to enjoy the company as opposed to sweating in the kitchen.

I am aboard the plane to Alabama and then driving over to Tupelo. I hope you have a super Monday. Stay tuned for a simple grilled quesadillas that impressed the pickiest of eaters.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Deliciously Grilled!

Penne Pasta in a Hurry

ZestyCook — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Happy Monday and Happy Belated birthday to my US neighbors. This week is action packed on the zesty front with 7 blog consulting gigs to finish, work work, zesty cooking, soccer and some chores outside to stay on top of before I am on vacation next week. Did I tell you we rented a 36′ camper trailer next week to hang out by the water and do nothing but play, relax and eat? I am pretty excited to say the least.

Do you ever feel that you want to get take out because you are lazy and do not want to wait for lunch or supper? I have that feeling sometimes but I often revert and hold off my cravings with a dish like this one below. It is super easy, tasty and really takes all of 15 minutes to make. You could not even drive out , order and take it back home in 15 minutes. Next time you are on the fence for wanting take out – give this dish a try.

There is not shortage of flavor, with fresh lemon zest and rich hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

2-3 cups Penne pasta
Handful of baby spinach
1 Head of broccoli
1 Cup chopped button mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
1 Lemon ( juice and zest )
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Garlic clove ( chopped )
1 Tsp. thyme

Method

Cook pasta according to directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, mushrooms and begin to cook down and add the garlic and thyme.
Now toss in the broccoli and begin to brown ( about 2 minutes )
Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and mix together. Pour into mushroom and broccoli mixture.
Add spinach and cooked pasta and stir to mix thoroughly.
Top with Parmesan cheese and serve it up.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To avoid the broccoli getting soggy, keep the heat on, constantly stir and avoid over crowding the pan. Over crowding will cause it to steam and quickly become soggy.

Now this dish is nothing over the top but it is a great dish for a quick meal and another way to easily clean out your fridge before grocery day. I so despise throwing out food from the fridge so dishes like these aide in that by throwing in some vegetables that may be on the verge of breaking down.

Let’s kick start this busy week with a bang! I hope you have a fantastic Monday and I will be back with a “very special” post on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Penne Pasta in a Hurry

Chili Roasted Potatoes and Tuna Sliders

ZestyCook — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Let’s kick this Monday off with a “lounge in front of the TV on a Saturday night comfort food dinner plate“. That is exactly what we did on Saturday night. It was a busy day over all with a birthday party, house work and a trip to the stock car races only to be canceled due to rain. So when we finally got the kids to bed we made a little snack for the couch. This really is my kind of food. Simple and easy yet tasty and wholesome.

It all started with some fresh rolls from the bakery and a thought of a tuna melt and fries. Then it slightly adapted roasted potato wedges and my version of zesty sliders.

Ingredients

2 cans of Tuna ( drained)
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tsp. Thyme
1 Cup shredded cheese
2 handful baby potatoes ( halved )
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tsp. Chili powder
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 Tsp. Celery salt
1 Tsp. Black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
Halve and slice potatoes and then rinse well and pat dry with paper towel.
In a large bowl add potatoes, olive oil, celery salt, garlic, black pepper and chili powder and mix well
Pour out on a cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes turning occasionally until golden brown

For the tuna, open and drain cans and dump tuna in a bowl and mix with mayo, thyme.
Split open the rolls, top with the tuna mixture, sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese melts.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a nice crunch in your tuna, add chopped up dill pickles or celery. It adds a great dimension of texture and flavor. I couldn’t because Mrs. zesty is not a fan at all.

Alright, a new week begins. I have a funny feeling this week is going to fly by as it is a short week with Canada day celebrations taking place on Thursday and me taking Friday off. What is your favorite type of slider? They seem to be all the rage now. For me, I am leaning towards a nice juicy lamb slider will a cool topping of yogurt and mint. Have a fantastic Monday and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Chili Roasted Potatoes and Tuna Sliders

Zesty Tries Kamut!

ZestyCook — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:10 +0000

Happy Friday. As promised, a fun little post today thanks to some free goodies that were sent to me from the fine folks at Swanson Health products. Included in the package last week are Natural Organic Almonds ( YUM), Raw Organic Honey and some Eden Organic Kamut Pasta Vegetable Spirals.

I have never tries Kamut before so I was quite anxious to give it a whirl. I will try anything once but I was a little unsure what to pair it with. I decided to keep it an all “vegetarian” dish. Anyone proud of me? Really simple dish that was quite long lasting and filling. The pasta had a great flavor and I will definitely eat it again. Not sure I can buy it here so I will have to hit up Swanson or the Eden folks for some more.

Ingredients

2 Cups Kamut Vegetable Spirals
1 Can 15 oz Black Beans ( drained and rinsed)
2 Cups baby spinach
Handful of grape tomatoes
1 Tsp. Olive oil
1 clove of garlic ( chopped)
Splash of lemon juice
1 Tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper

Method

Cook Kamut according to the directions.
In a separate sauce pan, heat over medium and add olive oil
Toss in black beans and tomatoes and begin to cook through
Add garlic, lemon juice and cumin and let cook for 3 minutes
Toss in spinach, salt and pepper.
Drain pasta and add in to bean mixture. Mix well and serve.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Be gentle on the black beans, you do not want to have them turn into mush so when you are stirring them be sure to stir underneath them and try not to break them down.

I love getting free stuff sent to the house. I am just like a kid when that happens. I get so excited and get the whole family involved. If you are a blogger, what was the favorite package you ever received?

Have a super Friday and a fantastic weekend. Mine is action packed and will fill you in on Monday. Rumor on the street is that we may be going to the Stock car races. Zesty Junior’s eyes lit up like glow plugs and cannot wait.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Zesty Tries Kamut!

A Week Night Rush!

ZestyCook — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:32 +0000

Ummmm Hi… I can’t really stay and chat for very long. Ever feel like all you do is rush around to meet time lines and appointments? Not only do the days fill up but now we are into the evenings, especially with summer finally here. Soccer nights mean for a rushed dinner but you still have to eat!

Last night I went with a super easy menu that takes minutes to prepare. The whole dish takes about 15 minutes to prepare and about 7 minutes to eat. A simple turkey burger from frozen, grilled corn and some basmati rice ( cause I was craving it ).

Ingredients

Basmati rice
Fresh Corn
Turkey Burgers
BBQ Sauce
Tzatkiki sauce
English muffins

Method

Simple foods made easy. Start your rice first as it will take the longest and then chuck the corn in the grill. For the corn I rub some olive oil and salt and pepper all over then place it on the top rack of the grill.
I leave the corn on the top rack for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat rotating every few minutes
Add the turkey burger on the grill and let cook 7 minutes each side. Adding your favorite bbq sauce after each side is cooked to prevent it from burning. Make sure not to try and move the turkey burger too early as you will find it will stick to the grill and you will lose the crust.
Toast off your english muffins and then spoon on some tzatkiki sauce and call it a sandwich.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Move the corn down directly on the grill for the last 3-4 minutes. This will get the nice golden brown color that everyone loves.

Alright, that is all I got today! I have to get ready for work and I will see you all on Friday. Special post coming up on Friday based on a special sample delivery I received. I am pretty excited. Oh and one more thing…. work is having a potluck on Friday – any ideas on what I should bring. I have been hearing rumblings of the chocolate cream cheese cupcakes but I was also leaning towards the baked pasta casserole with bacon. Let me know what you think. I may make something totally different as well so spit out the ideas.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

A Week Night Rush!

Leftover Comfort Food: Baked Tomato Pasta w/ Chicken and Snap Peas

ZestyCook — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:02 +0000

Good morning, good afternoon or good night! Hopefully you had a great father’s day weekend – I sure know I did. It all started with my first ever visit to a “Tweetup” at St. James Gate on Friday evening. There was a very good turn out and it turned out to be pretty interesting. The food was really good!

Saturday was all about the “watering”. Sprinklers and hoses were everywhere in attempt to water the lawn. It did not go as well as I envisioned but I spent about 3.5 hours moving everything around to get the yard wet. All in all it was not too bad since we had a lot of rain last night… so I may be off the watering hook for a couple of days.

Ever have a bunch of good food in the fridge some including leftovers and other just veggies that are on the brink of expiration? Of course you do – we all do. This is the battle I faced with the other day. I baked the Hoisin Chicken from last week, I had some fresh mushrooms, sugar snap peas and a little bit of cottage cheese just aching to be stir in somewhere. With those thoughts I prepare you …. Baked Tomato Pasta w/ Chicken and Snap Peas.

Ingredients

Cut up cooked Chicken
Handful or two of sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Sliced mushrooms
2 Cups pasta ( I chose Roitini since it was all I had )
1 Can 15 Oz. Tomatoes ( crushed )
2 Tbsp. Cheese
1/2 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
Hint of cumin
Salt and pepper
3 slices of bread ( toasted and blended to crumbs )
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F
On the stove, warm a sauce pan over medium-high heat and start the olive oil and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then toss in the chicken.

While cooking the chicken, cook the pasta according to the directions.
Back to the chicken, stir in the peas, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and let cook for about 3 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the chicken, pea mixture. Add tomatoes garlic powder, cumin and stir together for 3 minutes. Stir in cottage cheese and move to a large casserole dish.

Top with Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Two tips for this one. Under cook the pasta slightly as it will continue to cook in the oven and be careful of the sauce. You want it to be wet enough prior to cooking. Add more tomatoes or a pre made sauce you have on hand.

Father’s day was wonderful! It started off with some homemade juice from my Juicer Recipes. I went with Apple Green Grape and it was fantastic! Sunday was very relaxing and the family time was great. I got a couple of pretty cute cards that really puts things in perspective. I hope you had a great father’s day. Now it is back to work but summer is coming!!

What is your favorite season of the year?

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Leftover Comfort Food: Baked Tomato Pasta w/ Chicken and Snap Peas

Hoisin Roasted Chicken

ZestyCook — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:51 +0000

Friday is here! Earlier in the week I prepared a roasted chicken for some extra meals. I realized I had purchased two of these little suckers because they were on 2 for 1 at Sobeys. I put one in the freezer but left the other one in the freezer. When I noticed it in the fridge on Tuesday night I thought I would roast it and use it as a protein source for another dish or two.

The one thing I love about roasting chicken is that you can start with a blank canvas and take it to whatever country you want. This time I chose a simple Hoisin Soy Glaze and pretended I was in Asia. So easy and so tasty – this chicken was packed with flavor. I know because the chicken wing was begging for attention when I pulled it out of the oven.

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken
2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
Dash of Soy sauce
Grape Tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Butter
Garlic Powder
Frozen Basil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare bird by cleaning and patting dry
Add salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder to cavity
Rub hoisin and soy sauce on outside of bird. Season the outside with salt, pepper and basil.
Add grape tomatoes in the roasting pan.
Dollop with a pat of butter to ensure the skin will get nice and golden brown
Cook uncovered until legs are loose about 20 mins per pound.
Cover and let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Season the inside of the chicken cavity. After washing it and drying it well, be sure to season the inside of the bird with salt and pepper and whatever other flavors you want.

What is your favorite flavor on your chicken?

It really is that simple. This bird is great on it’s own with some smashed potatoes and veg or in a salad the next day or even in a casserole which you will see next week. Chicken in versatile and healthy so eat it up and enjoy.

A huge weekend is set here at the zesty house because the landscapers are finished and we have grass seed. So my job is to WATER WATER WATER. Sun is slated for the whole weekend so it should be great. Have a fun weekend and I will see you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Hoisin Roasted Chicken

Grilled Pork with a Silky Smooth Blueberry Sauce

ZestyCook — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:32 +0000

Happy Monday to you! A busy weekend entailed some family visits, some grocery shopping, a couple of stops at the park and a special visit to a zesty-in-law that is under going some back yard changes. They are getting a new outdoor bread oven installed. ( pictures to come later )

For me, the weekend was somewhat relaxing on the work front and it was a nice change. I want to share with you a simple way to kick up a normal pork chop with the use of a simple sauce. Do you ever get intimidated by preparing sauces? I used to be very scared of sauces when I first started to cook but then realized that they really are not that difficult and can definitely be the highlight of the dish.

How does a grilled pork chop sound with a smooth blueberry sauce? Blueberries were on sale at the super market this week so of course I bought two pints.

Ingredients

4 Pork chops
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Cups Blueberries
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 Lemon

Method

Preheat barbecue to medium – high heat
Add oil, salt and pepper to the pork chops and place on grill
I only flip my pork and beef once although I do a half turn to get the cross grill marks during the process. For this thick pork chop I let it cook about 6-7 minutes per side. No one in our house loves pink pork. I usually cook it until just done and still juicy.
For the sauce, warm a sauce pan over medium heat and toss in the blueberries and let them break down. Once starting to release their juices, add juice of the lemon and some lemon zest and the sugar.
Let cook through for 3 minutes and then toss in the butter and let it melt and smooth out the sauce.
Continue to simmer the sauce until you are ready to serve
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you find your sauce to thick – add a little water. If you find it too thin, add a little cornstarch with some water ( a slurry ) to help thicken the sauce. Remember if you use a slurry you will need to bring the sauce up to a boil to get the full effect of the thickening agent.

Busy week in store for you? I have a funny feeling this week may be a nutso one for me. We are supposed to be getting some landscaping done today ( including grass finally planted ) WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO. I will share some pictures once they are complete. Both of the grass and the new deck in the backyard. I have been anticipating much more yard work done at this point but it seems I will have to wait until later in the year for tree transplanting as well as the walkway.

Have a great start to the week and I will talk to you on Wednesday. The June release of the G! comes out Thursday. Don’t forget to pick up your copy.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Grilled Pork with a Silky Smooth Blueberry Sauce

A Smashed Potato

ZestyCook — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:00:26 +0000

Growing up on PEI, potatoes are everywhere, and I have grown to love them. Whether they are mashed, baked, french fries, scalloped, pan fried, boiled, microwaved ( umm a bit sketchy) I eat them all. Over the years I have tested many techniques and added different flavoring to potatoes to kick it up a notch. When looking for a comfort side dish I tend to lean towards the method seen below.

Now do not dismiss the fact I truly adore mashed potatoes with butter and cream but lately I have been all over SMASHED potatoes. It is a two step process to make it happen but will never disappoint.

Ingredients

Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Start off by boiling the potatoes until almost fork tender.
Preheat oven to 400 F
Once the potatoes are finished boiling remove them from the water and let stand for a minute.
Prepare a cookie sheet or roasting pan
Using a heavy bottomed pot, smash the potatoes gently to just break the skin and press the potatoes down.
Once flat, add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven until golden brown and slightly crispy. About 25-35 minutes.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: In the boiling stage, be careful not too overcook the potatoes. You just want them softened slightly so you can “smash” them with the back of a pot.

Well I hope you enjoyed the potato talk. Do note that they are potatoes and very versatile. Switch it up and keep it fresh. Another great alternative is the beloved sweet potato. All the techniques stay true to a regular potato. As I am typing this, I think someday I should talk about all the different types of potatoes and why some are good for baking versus boiling etc. Maybe another time! Have an amazing Wednesday and I will talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

A Smashed Potato

Simple Barbecue Salad Pizza

ZestyCook — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:12 +0000

I am sick of rain! It rained, what feels like the last 14 days straight, and I am tired of it. On the weekend it managed just to stay cloudy long enough for our team to build the baby barn for habitat for humanity. It was quite fun and our barn managed to stand up and look relatively similar to the rest.

The food weekend was quite minimal… we ate out on Friday night as part of our tradition and Saturday was a bit hectic. On Saturday evening in between raindrops I managed to sneak out a pizza on the barbecue and it was a nice treat. A simple crust and simple toppings made for a fresh summer pizza without all the grease and without the summer.

This dough recipe comes from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. I really enjoyed this recipe as it turned out really well. For me pizza is all about the crust! Toppings are good but I am a huge fan when it’s light on the toppings and sauce but heavy on the crust.

If you are interested in a new whole wheat pizza dough, I highly recommend this recipe. It is very simple and produces a great texture. I opted for a thin crust and placed the pizza directly on the grill for a little crunch. YUM!

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Packets (1/4 Ounce Each) Active Dry Yeast
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Pizza Toppings

Basil Pesto ( Love this! )
Pine nuts
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomatoes
Arugula

Method

Place water in large bowl – sprinkle with yeast.
Let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
Brush another large bowl with Olive Oil.
In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil and salt. Stir in flours until a sticky dough forms.
Transfer to oiled bowl (brush top of dough with oil).
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size (about an hour).
Turn dough onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth.
Preheat Barbecue to Medium-High on one side.
Prepare in shape of pizza and begin to assemble pizza dough.
Spread pesto and then some cheese.
Add toppings from above except arugula
On the BBQ, place pizza on the side with no heat and close the lid
Time varies depending on the thickness of your crust (12-20 minutes).
Add arugula at the very end with some more feta cheese.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to use indirect heat for the pizza so that the barbecue acts like an oven and doesn’t burn the pizza before it is cooked. Indirect heat refers to putting heat on one side of the barbecue and placing the food on the opposite side.

A Fun Filled Sunday

Sunday, June 6th, marked a special day in the zesty household. Mrs Zesty’s birthday!! It is not a big a deal as it used to be as we get older but we still had a great day. Breakfast out at one of our favorite restaurants – Cora’s and a fun afternoon. We wrapped up the day with some Dairy Queen Ice cream cake and a few laughs. All in all a fun day despite the heavy rain and thunder storms. Have a fantastic Monday and I will touch base with you on Wednesday with hopefully something exciting.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Simple Barbecue Salad Pizza

Grilled Pineapple Sandwich…. ummm Yeah!

ZestyCook — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:00:36 +0000

In honor of the weirdest sandwich post on Wednesday and reading the comments I was inspired to do something a little off the wall so to speak. I had some fresh pineapple in the fridge and a loaf of homemade bread from the local bakery. I thought what the heck let’s give it a grill. It has been raining cats and dogs here as of late so I decided just to do the grilling on the George Foreman grill.

I was unsure of how the pineapple would hold up so I did a quick grill of that first and set it aside as I assembled the sandwich.

Ingredients

2 slices of thick whole wheat bread
Sliced fresh pineapple
Drizzle of honey
Bunch of parsley
Dash of hot sauce
Mozzarella

Method

Preheat the grill to medium high heat and grill off the pineapple and set aside
Take the two slices of bread and drizzle honey on one side.
Place a thick slice of pineapple on top.
Add hot sauce, parsley and cheese
Set the second slice of bread on top and grill until golden brown and melted.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Make it crunchy! The pineapple has a lot of natural juice in the slice so grilling it before hand was a great idea. Keep the cheese heavy as it will lock the juice in the pineapple and keep the bread crunchy.

The sandwich was actually quite tasty. The one thing I did notice about it was the sweetness… duh right? But I found the little shot of hot sauce definitely help balance all the sugars from both the pineapple and the honey. I would try this again but I think over the open flame of the barbecue for more flavor.

Have a terrific Friday and wish me luck tomorrow as I put forth my handy man skills and donate some time to the habitat for humanity for the annual “Baby Barn Blitz”. Hopefully it is sunny where you are.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Grilled Pineapple Sandwich…. ummm Yeah!

Sweet Potato Beef and an Awesome Weekend!

ZestyCook — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:38 +0000

Can you believe it is Monday already? Time is flying by as of late and it is hard to believe. This weekend was action packed to say the least but an enjoyable one regardless of the less than ideal weather. As a family we volunteered our time at our local elementary school to help build a new playground. With over 200 volunteers it was quite a site and the playground is going to look amazing.

Maybe I was inspired from building because in the afternoon the family built a picnic table for the kiddies and chose to stain it a dark walnut color. It looks pretty good and will be a great addition to the deck. Saturday night included a Zesty nephew having a birthday as well as some great food to go along with it. Dishes such as chicken asparagus lasagna, homemade spaghetti and meat sauce, chocolate cake with boiled icing and of course an ice cream cake. I am going to feature the chicken lasagna upcoming as it was to die for. Thanks Zesty-in laws. Sunday included a shopping spree to Moncton, family dinner and a fun day with the family.

As I was preparing this post – i was unsure of what to feature for the food. Earlier in the week, I had a clean the fridge meal and came up with this spicy beef and sweet potato plate that was decent but not amazing.

Ingredients

1 Sweet Potato
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
Frozen green beans
1 Tsp. Ground ginger
1 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
1 Tsp. Soy sauce
Splash of lemon juice

Method

Wash and fork the sweet potato and cook in the microwave for 6 minutes. Peel and chop into cubes
Over medium heat, add the ground beef to a sauce pan and begin to brown the meat. Add ginger, pepper flakes and soy sauce and continue to brown. Once no longer pink add the lemon juice and sweet potatoes.
Continue to saute for another 4 minutes to get the flavor in the sweet potatoes; meanwhile follow the instructions for the frozen beans and cook them in the microwave.
Plate up the sweet potato and beef and top with the green beans.
Enjoy!

Zesty Tip: Storing you ginger in the freezer and using grater is a great way to avoid spoilage. It grates easy and does not lose any of it’s flavor.

So an action packed weekend to say the least and an equally busy week ahead. Have a great start to your day and I will see you on Wednesday!

Here is a snapshot at the picnic table.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Sweet Potato Beef and an Awesome Weekend!

Apricot Pork Pasta with Feta

ZestyCook — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:00:39 +0000

Come here Friday and give me a hug! Ahhhh thank you. Happy Friday to you!

After visiting the new local market last week, I left with a nice pork roast that I was planning to roast for sandwiches, stir-fry and whatever else rolled through my brain. This dish was an ad hoc lunch prepared in less than 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon.

A couple of days prior, I slow cooked the pork roast for about 8 hours with a combination of Apricot Jam, Rosemary and splash of apple juice. To say the least – the meat was amazing! So tender, juicy and full of flavor.

Ingredients (Pork Roast)

Pork Roast
1/2 Cup Apricot Jam
1 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary
3 Tbsp. Apple Juice

Method

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and set to low and cook for 8 hours. Your final roast should look similar to this below. Oh so good!

Ingredients (Pasta Dish)

2 Cups cooked Pork Roast
1 Cup Button Mushrooms
1 Cup Broccoli
1 Cup Baby Spinach
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/4 Cup Feta Cheese
2 Cups Spiral Pasta
1 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tbsp. Ginger
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

Preheat Large Pan on Medium- High Heat and add olive oil.
Add pork pieces and mushrooms, sautee for 3-4 minutes until the pork and mushrooms caramelize.

Add Ginger and Garlic, Cook for 3 more minutes
Add Soy Sauce and Hoisin Sauce

Add Orange Juice and Broccoli – stirring to coat the broccoli ( be sure to add a sprinkle of salt on the broccoli to ensure it stays bright green.
Add Spinach – cook for 1 minute while stirring ( If you find the hoisin sauce is sticking to the pan which is quite possible due to all the sugars – add a tablespoon of hot water to the hot pan and de-glaze the pan and get all those great flavors.

Add Walnuts and cooked spiral pasta (you can use whatever pasta you have on hand as well).

Plate and top with Feta Cheese.
Enjoy!

As part of the zesty tradition, I can’t wait to hear what people both think of this recipe as it is so simple but quite tasty and also what’s your favorite type of pasta. Again happy Friday and I hope you have a great weekend.

Take care

Zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Apricot Pork Pasta with Feta