I dropped the ball on Monday and forgot to schedule my post for 8 am as always so it sat in draft mode until I realized around 2:00 that it was not live.  Oh dear – what a doofus.  So with that being said your Google readers did not get updated with the Juicer Recipes post until yesterday because I have my feed burner set to update at 12:00pm.  My bad and I am sorry.  However, on the positive side of things – it is looking like I am posting two days in a row.

Not the case but wait until you see this beauty!  A simple avocado and egg salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette – simply delicious.  The health kick is pushing forward day after day and I am actually loving it.  Now don’t get me wrong, I still eat a little treat here and there but very much in moderation.  Mrs. Zesty and I are teaming up and by doing it together it is quite fun and motivating.  Not that I was a terrible eater before i would sometimes over indulge in some unnecessary snacks at random times of the day.

Without further a do – feast your eyes on this salad.  Totally random but lovely just the same.  Do you think it is weird that a guy uses the word “lovely” a lot?  Oh boy, i am getting off topic a lot today…. my apologies.

Ingredients

• Spring Greens
• Avocado
• Hard boiled egg
• Sliced almonds
• Blackberries
• Grape tomatoes
• Balsamic Vinegar

Method

1. Wash and prep greens, berries and tomatoes
2. Peel and chop hard boiled egg
3. Peel and chop the avocado
4. Add all ingredients together in a bowl
5. Toss and dress with a drizzle of balsamic.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Peel your avocado just before you are ready to eat the salad and give it a little squirt with some fresh lemon juice to keep it from going brown so quickly.

A great salad for a lunch or even a light dinner.

This salad is very versatile and of course you can add whatever you want.  Cold chicken would be a great alternative if you like that or you could even add some garbanzo beans for some extra flavor.

My whole take on salad is add what you like to eat and be simple with the dressing.  The one thing that I do not like about salad is when the dressing is too heavy and the greens become soggy and limp.  Keep it fresh and crunchy.  Have an amazing Wednesday and keep your chin up.

Take care

zesty

Welcome to my kitchen for a little mid week Wednesday fun!  Do you ever watch the show chopped on the Food Network – I happen to LOVE it.  Here is the premise if you are not familiar.

“Chopped” the Show

The series challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets “chopped” until the last man or woman left standing claims victory. Each week, a rotating panel of culinary elite judges decide whose dishes shine the brightest and award the winner $10,000.

Here is my spin on the whole version of mystery basket of ingredients and a 45 minute time frame to complete the entree.

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/4 Cup slivered almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Warm a large saute pan over medium heat and add oil, tomatoes and garlic – cook down for about 5 minutes





3. Add basil and remove from heat.
4. Lay the chicken on parchment/wax paper and another piece on top and hammer the chicken using a heavy blunt object. I chose a big pan.







5. Once flattened to your desired consistency, start adding the filling and rolling/folding the chicken over.  Once complete, you can top with the almonds or roll your chicken in them depending on how tight your roll is…. mine was kind of loose.  I was rushing for the time clock.



6. Return the chicken to the pan and sear on both sides until brown.



7. Add chicken to a oven safe baking pan and complete the cooking process; about 20 minutes.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I really feel the key to this dish is searing the chicken prior to roasting it in the oven.  The tomato and garlic combination as well as the almonds create a flavor on the outside.  The last thing you want is to have a dry flavorless chicken which can easily happen.

Well there you have it!  A super fun game to play in your kitchen and really focus on keeping it simple but not sacrificing flavor.  Overall, What is your favorite food to cook of all time? I am going to dedicate an entire post to this but I just wanted to throw the question out there.  Have a super Wednesday and I will see you all on Friday for yet another salad post by zesty.  Can you believe this health kick I am on? – I am loving it!

Take care

zesty