Happy Monday!  Hope you had a good weekend.  I wanted to share with you a simple side dish that can replace your normal run of the mill grains such as rice or pasta.  I find, for me anyway we tend to get in a rut of only choosing rice and pasta as our grains.  I am trying to keep an open mind and use grains such as quinoa, bulgar, and barley.  They are very simple to cook and absorb any flavor you throw at them.

For today’s post, I started with barley and follow the directions and boiled them in plain water.  Then I added some sauteed mushrooms and corn, a little bit of butter and a hint of red wine.  I let that reduce down before adding it into the cooked barley.  Results were delicious and I must say, simple to make.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Pot Barley
• 1 Cup Frozen Corn
• 1 Cup Mushrooms
• 1/4 Red wine
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Zest of 1/2 Lemon
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. In a medium sauce pan, follow the instructions on the barley and cook accordingly.
2. In a larger pan, start by adding 1/2 Tbsp. butter and saute the mushrooms with salt and pepper.   Once cooked down, about 4 minutes add the red wine and reduce.  After most of the wine has evaporated add the corn.
3. Continue to saute the corn so that it starts to brown.
4. Set aside when cooked to your liking
5. In the barley, once all the water is evaporated, stir in the remaining butter, lemon zest.
6. Now add the mushroom and corn mixture.  Toss gently and incorporate.  test for flavor adjusting if needed.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Using alternative grains throughout the week will prevent boredom at the dining table.  Something we all should aim for to keep our food interesting. 

Monday is upon us.  Another busy week in the hopper.  I will pop back in on Wednesday for something else to eat.  I hope you have a great start to your week.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Friday! Tis’ the season to roast vegetables and today is no exception. Lately I have been turning into a huge brussel sprout fan and I am loving it. Many years have passed in my life where I never tried a brussel sprout let alone thought about roasting it in the oven.

Well my friends that has all changed. I am on the brussel sprout bandwagon like society is onto chia seeds. Yep that is right. I heart brussels sprouts. Oh wow, did I just say that?

Ok, enough banter, let’s move on. This recipe doesn’t get much easier than this – 6 ingredients and you have a side dish that will make you happy.

Ingredients

• Brussel Sprouts, halved
• Drizzle of Olive oil
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Pine nuts
• Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay out the brussel sprouts, season with salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil.
3. Toss and roast
4. In a small dry pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts to toast them for extra flavor
5. After the brussels are tender ( about 30 minutes) remove from the oven, add the grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.  Toss together.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  When you are buying brussel sprouts, make sure you hunt for the firm ones with a tight outer leave.  I find these are the freshest and best for roasting.

A simple dish that goes with anything.  It works as a side dish, an evening snack or for some – maybe even a main course.

Have a great Friday wherever you may be and a nice weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Good morning and I thank you.  For all the nice emails regarding the thanksgiving feast and your request for certain recipes.  I will work on getting those for you and post them either Friday of this week or early next week.  Today I wanted to share with you a simple salad that can be put together in minutes and meet all the nutritional needs of your body.  Salads for lunch can get pretty boring, at least for me so every now and I again I switch them up and keep the flavors unique.

This combination of balsamic, mango with roasted chicken was a great combination.  Maybe because there is feta cheese on there as well with some crunch from slivered almonds and firm cucumber.  Whatever the flavors may be, try to match texture with sexiness and your salads will make your tummy happy both inside and out.  Wow, I just re read that line and it sounds like I am promoting healthy eating.  What I was really going for is that if you make foods that look good you are more apt to enjoy them and feel good after you eat them.

OK enough with the sensitive chatter let’s get going and build this salad.  I will not put the measurements as it totally doesn’t matter.

Ingredients

• Baby spinach
• Iceberg lettuce
• Cucumber
• Slivered almonds
• Fresh mango
• Roasted chicken
• Feta cheese
• Tomatoes, grape
• Balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Assemble all ingredients on a plate or bowl starting with the largest vegetables and continuing to chicken and cheese.
2. Drizzle with balsamic.
3. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a new twist on salads, heat up the balsamic vinegar or whichever dressing you like and pour it over your salad.  The warmth of the dressing will start to wilt the spinach ever so slightly and give you a whole different texture and perspective on your salad.

I am just about ready to head into the office.  Middle of the week is upon us and the middle of October is approaching.  Before I sign off I have a BIG question for you.

What is your favorite SALAD DRESSING?

I am just curious because normally I am balsamic vinegar or a homemade version of olive oil, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Spill the beans and tell me yours via email or comments.  Have a great Wednesday and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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It’s Friday already and a long weekend to boot!  Whoo Hooo.  I had great visions of sharing some Zoo pictures with you today however I forgot to bring the camera cable with me so not I have no way of transferring the pictures.  Sorry about that… but next week I will for sure.

So with all the traveling and not so healthy eating at times…. I am writing a post for the salad lovers out there.  It is time to get your greens on!  I remember in NYC and Toronto, where I would go a full day of not eating anything green… shhh don’t tell anyone.  Remember you have to live life and take things in moderation.  With that said, I am back on the green wagon and going to share with you a simple salad that really tastes great.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups baby spinach
• 1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
• Lemon juice
• Sesame seeds, roasted
• Flax seeds, roasted
• Olive oil
• Sliced prosciutto

Method

1. Preheat a dry pan and roast the seeds and nuts until golden brown.
2. Prepare the salad base of spinach, prosciutto and avocado.
3. Add the roasted seeds and nuts.
4. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: After you peel your avocado sprinkle it with a hint of lemon juice to avoid it browning on the outside before you eat it.  If it does go brown, don’t throw it out – it is still GOOD.

Oh and I got my black plate back from Mom’s.  It has been there for over a year.  I usually like shooting with white plates but for some reason black looks good sometimes too.  I hope you give this salad a try and let me know what you think.  Have a great long weekend and I will be talking to you bright and early on Labor Day morning.

Take care

zesty

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Why did I write wake up in the title…. I think it was more for me.  I am a little sluggish today but things will change.  It’s Friday!  Whooo Hooooo.  Alright, enough shenanigans and let’s get right to the serious parts.

Ever have basil pesto?  Of course you have… did you love it?  I am assuming so!  Well last week on our camping expedition we experimented, of course, and made some cilantro pesto because well we didn’t have basil but we had cilantro.

Genius, I know!  Am I impressing you yet?  I didn’t think so.  Well well well, I knew I loved cilantro in all things such as salsas, chutneys, with lime and fish but you make a pesto with this stuff and you will be over the moon.  I paired it with the black bean burgers as a condiment and well – the crowd loved it.

It had a nice bite to it but the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts were such a nice balance.  At one point I thought I could smear this on the side of the camper and eat it.  The recipe is super simple.  Here is the low down.

The recipe below assumes you have a food processor. But all I had at camping was a blender.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Parmesan cheese ( cut into 1/2 inch pieces ) ( I only had grated )
• 1 Clove garlic
• 2 Cups fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 Tsp. salt

Method

1. With the machine running, drop the cheese down the feed tube and chop about 10 seconds. Remove and reserve.
2. Chop Garlic, then add cilantro and pulse about 20 times ( Scrape down sides).
3. With the machine running, drizzle Olive Oil down the tube and process until mixed. (Scrape down Sides)
4. Add pine nuts, reserved cheese and salt and pulse until nuts are chopped.
5. Let sit and store in a jar
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: As you build the pesto, make sure you taste it along the way. If you find it needs more salt, add some extra cheese and a little pinch of salt. If it is too thick and not blending/mixing properly add a little olive oil. Experiment and have fun!

Give this a try, I am confident you will like it.  Have a super weekend and I will touch base with you on Monday from the “WINDY City”.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Friday!  It is hard to believe it is the middle of July already.  The weather here to say the least has been subpar.  We have had one nice week so far and today we are slated for 16 degrees Celsius or 61 degrees Fahrenheit.  Needless to say that makes me cranky.  So to balance the cranky, we need to find something that makes us happy.  Bacon makes zesty happy.  Whether it is for breakfast, on a sandwich for lunch or wrapped around something for dinner you can pretty much count on me loving bacon.

A while back I made cinnamon and cream cheese stuffed dates for a family gathering and I really liked them.  The texture of the date is something you either love or learn to love.  For me I love the texture despite the fact they kind of look like over-sized beetles.  Let’s not go there…

So on to this version of stuff dates.  I took the same cream cheese and cinnamon mixture, added a little diced apple and then wrapped them with some bacon.  I served them over some spinach with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Holy Yum.

Ingredients

• 12 Pitted dates
• 1/2 Cup cream cheese
• 1/4 Cup diced apple ( peeled)
• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 4 -5 slices of bacon ( cooked)
• 2 Cups spinach
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Prepare the dates.  Mix the cream cheese, apple and cinnamon together and set aside.
2. Slice the down the center to create a pocket to stuff the cream cheese mixture inside.
3. Gently wrap the bacon around the dates and set aside on a plate.
4. Prepare a bed of spinach with a drizzle of balsamic.
5. Set the dates on top of the spinach
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Because the dates are serve chilled, you have to cook the bacon entirely.  I like to have the bacon crunchy so you have to be careful wrapping the bacon around the date as it may break.  If it breaks, it is still OK.  Don’t sweat it.

We pack up and leave for camping tomorrow afternoon.  We are looking forward to a week in the camper.  I will keep you posted from the camper and I have a few new recipes up my sleeve for next week.  If you are in the area and want to try some new dishes – drop over and say Hi.  Have a super weekend and I will talk to you on Monday from the camper.

Take care

zesty

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You know how I love meat and fish. If you didnt already know that, I am telling you now… I love meat and fish and all things in between. Often times I love having a little chutney on the side to eat with the meat or fish of choice. I was inspired on Sunday when I was over at Nanny zesty’s and had some oven roasted pork loin with a homemade cranberry sauce/chutney.

I remember I had made this chutney a while ago and never featured it on zesty for some odd reason. As I was looking through all my folders of images I stumbled upon this one and knew I had to share. Now before you get too excited or grossed out – depending on your taste buds you have to give this a try.

Whether it be roasted turkey, halibut, pork, on top of your hamburger this will add a dimension of flavor and texture that you will be craving for.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh cranberries
• 2 Cups fresh cherries, pitted
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup golden raisins
• 2 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tsp. ground ginger
• 1 1/2 Tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 Tsp. ground allspice
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• 1 Cup chopped cooking apple
• 1/2 Cup chopped celery

Method

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a Dutch oven.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until juice is released from cranberries, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until thickened; stirring occasionally.
5. Chill before serving or serve hot.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Chutney will keep in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. This goes great on sandwiches as well in place of mayo or mustard.

One other thing that I forgot to mention.  If you love a little spice, red pepper flakes or chili powder work very well in this to give it a punch of heat.  I am heading to the office so have a great Wednesday and I will talk to you on Friday.

I just checked the long range forecast and I see two days of sunshine for the weekend.  I almost fell off the chair!!

Take care

zesty

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Middle of the week for a grilled peach.  What do you think?  I am a big fan of grilled fruit and for some reason it goes super well with the crunch of a nut and a the sharpness of cheese.  For this salad, I used toasted walnuts, goat cheese and a simple balsamic vinaigrette with honey.  A quick side dish that can go with just about any meal. This is great with  a piece of pork, roasted fish or even grilled steak on the barbecue.

A little adventurous side of me tried this paired with grilled steak and used my homemade barbecue sauce ( slightly thinned out) as a dressing a top the salad.  It was delicious.  But then again for me anything barbecue – makes me happy.

Ingredients

• 2 Peaches ( seeded and halved)
• 1/2 Cup walnuts
• 1/3 Cup goat cheese ( crumbled)
• 2 Cups Baby spinach
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp. Garlic ( minced)
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Prepare the peaches and rub them with a little balsamic vinegar and set aside
2. Wash and dry your spinach ( use a spinner if you really despise wet greens like me)
3. In a fry pan or a cookie sheet, roast walnuts until they are golden brown.
4. For the dressing, using a seal-able jar, add honey, oil and vinegar top with garlic, salt and pepper and shake.
5. Set aside until just before serving.
6. On an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat, add the peaches and cook until golden and caramelized
7. Remove from heat and begin assembling your salad
8. Add the dressing.
9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: By toasting the walnuts before adding them you bring a whole new level of flavor.  The nuttiness is more pronounced and the texture works really well with the peaches and goat cheese.

One other thing I learned from Michael Smith related to salad preparation is that you can start off with the dressing in the bottom of the bowl and add the rest of the ingredients atop that and just toss before serving.  A great idea as well.

OK, have a super Wednesday and take a look outside.  Is the sun shining where you are?  I have outdoor yard plans coming out my ears.  I cannot wait to attack the landscaping and organizing around the house this year.  Oh did I tell you that Zesty is planning a big vegetable garden this year…. oh yes indeed.  I will be taking a poll later on what is should contain.  Stay tuned.

Take care

zesty

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Holy Salad again!  I am starting to impress myself with my eating habits of late.   This was just a quick last minute put together dinner that was tasty for sure but I was starving by 8:00pm.  Not the end of the world as you know I love eating and it was just in time for the hockey game to start.  For my evening snack I went with a bowl of cereal and my traditional handful of  “All Dressed” chips well OK, maybe 2 handfuls and a bit of chocolate at the end.

It takes me back to the sweet and salty post from a while ago.  I am definitely both!

Back to the salad

For this simple salad I went with the combination of chicken and fruit which I love.  The crisp pear was a great match for the spicy chicken.  I just had some frozen boneless chicken breasts that were done up chipolte style from the grocery store.  I roasted them in the oven for 25 minutes and chopped them up with some other fruits and vegetables.  Here is the mix.

Ingredients

• Baby Romaine Lettuce
• Sliced strawberries
• Sliced Pears
• Cooked Chicken breast
• Balsamic vinegar
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Olive oil

Method

1. Cook and slice chicken breasts
2. Prepare all fruits and vegetables in the salad by washing and chopping to your desired sizes
3. Organize the salad in the bowl
4. In a small jar, mix 2 parts oil to one part balsamic – add a dash of mustard and shake.
5. Dress the salad and serve
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The addition of mustard to the dressing allows the oil and vinegar to combine into a nice rich texture and not break.

So there you have yet another simple salad for your Wednesday pick me up!  I don’t really have much to say other than I hope you enjoy the salad.  I am not sure what I am going to post for Friday as of yet but I did make another sweet potato dish a couple of weeks back that may be worthy of sharing.  Have an awesome hump day and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Wednesday!  Time is winding down before the holidays and I have a very special post to share with you today.  Not only is it a cool recipe but the story behind the recipe and the life change of Andrew is what really is inspiring.  So have a read through the story and by all means take some time to visit www.raw-food-health.net to get more ideas for keeping your food simple.

After years of suffering through a nasty case of colitis, a disorder that left me with bleeding intestines, pain, and all kinds of problems in the bathroom, I discovered that if I stuck to a diet of only raw fruits and vegetables it disappeared like it was never there. This amazing improvement lead me to start www.raw-food-health.net to share with others that renewed vitality and health are only a dietary change away.

Yep, you heard me right, I only eat raw fruits and vegetables – bit staid for a cooking blog, eh?  Well I eat LOTs, of fruits and vegetables, volumes that would probably stagger the mind of most people. My nightly salad usually consists of 1-3 heads of lettuce or some other leafy green with other vegetables for fixings.But prior to going raw I was a salad dressing fiend. I could never eat greens without drenching them with some oil-based dressing.

As I became aware of just how much diet affects us mentally and physically, I decided to stay clear of high fat, processed dressings. This forced me to figure out how to make delicious ones out of whole fruits, vegetables, and herbs, without any of the salt or toxins you’ll find in store-bought brands.After years of experimenting, I decided to share what I’d learned, and recently published my ebook, Savory Raw Dressings and Sauces. The idea is pretty straightforward – if you want to be healthy you’ve got to eat lots of raw vegetables, but you’ll sabotage your healthy meal by dousing them with health-damaging dressings. On the other hand, eating them plain isn’t too appetizing. I show you that there’s another, very tasty alternative.

In the book I not only show you how you can make low fat, healthy dressings on the fly using ingredients you probably have on hand or can get at any supermarket, but explain in detail why salt, oil, vinegar, and other ingredients found in many dressings are harmful. Although the book is about teaching you to come up with your own dressings, I give you eight of the best ones I’ve created myself. These eight are delicious and healthy, and have become staples of my raw food kitchen.

Cory was nice enough to invite me to share one of my recipes with you guys, and I’m happy to do so.  It’s called Corn Medley, and is one of my perennial favorites:

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 large tomato
• Cilantro (to taste)

Directions

1. Cut the corn from three ears and place that corn in the blender.
2. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Add cilantro to taste. Blend this until smooth.
3. Now slice up the tomato into smaller pieces and place it in the blender (on top of what’s already there) along with the corn cut from the last ear.
4. Blend this on low with the tamper until the tomato and corn have been rendered into small chunks.

A Note About Corn: Many people don’t know that corn ripens in reverse of the way most fruits and vegetables do. While most produce proceeds from predominantly starch to predominantly sugar as it ripens, corn has its highest sugar concentration when first picked and quickly starts to turn to starch. If you want high-quality corn, find a farmer or store that will sell you just-harvested ears and then quickly use that corn before it loses its flavor and easy digestibility.

You can learn more about Savory Raw Dressings and Sauces here.  Thanks again Andrew for opening my eyes to raw dressings.  I know I will be trying some of these in the very near future.

Have a super Wednesday and get shopping.

Take care

zesty

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