Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was enjoyable.

Ever get tired of the same ole run of the mill sandwiches?  I have an idea for you to try.  A different type of spread than your typical mayo or mustard.

Try this as your next sandwich spread: Avocado, cilantro, lime juice, hint of salt and pepper  and a spoon full of salsa – DELISH!

It is a simple spin on guacamole for the base of your sandwich.  The results speak for themselves.  For me, the sandwich quality is usually driven by the bread then followed by the toppings.  If you try this sandwich – you will be impressed with the flavor combination and treat the bread as a vehicle.

Ingredients

• Cooked chicken breast, sliced,
• 2 pieces of bacon, cooked
• Handful of spinach
• Pepper
• Avocado spread – see above
• 2 Slices of bread toasted

Method

1. Begin by making the spread, combine 1 avocado and handful of cilantro, squirt of lime juice, and spoonful of salsa
2. Toast your bread
3. Smear some of the avocado mixture
4. Top with chicken, bacon and spinach
5. Set the other slice of bread on top .
6. Slice it up.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Use this avocado spread in many variations.  This would work very well as a base for baked nachos or even on a white fish.  Be creative and keep your taste buds guessing.

Alright, the first of the week is back again.  I hope you have a great start to your week.  I will be back on Wednesday.

Question:  What is your favorite sandwich?

Take care

zesty

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A Friday treat is hear for all! Well not all but everyone who loves potatoes, cheese and bacon. Heck even if you don’t love bacon, I am pretty sure you will still love these little bits of comfort.  Some days when you get home from work or are sitting on the couch taking a breather, comfort food is all you need.  Whether it is your favorite fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, some chocolate cake or baked potato skins and bacon – food can definitely change your mood.

Despite these skins taking a little bit of effort – the end results are well worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 6 Large baking potatoes
• 1/4 Tsp.salt
• 1/4 Tsp. pepper
• 1 Cup Cheddar cheese, Swiss or Asiago cheese
• 6 slices slices bacon, cooked
• 3 Green onions, chopped

Method

1. Scrub potatoes; prick several times with fork. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until tender, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days.)
2. Cut lengthwise in half; scoop out flesh, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick walls (reserve flesh for another use, such as soup or mashed potatoes).
3. Arrange, cut side up, on baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cheese.
4. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
5. Top with bacon and green onions and serve immediately.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an extra kick, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder to give it a little heat or you can have sour cream on the side spiked with hot sauce.

I don’t mean to cut this short but let me tell you these potato skins are pretty darn yummy and I would like for you to try them… ok?    Let me know what you think of them after you make them.

Movember Update – Week 2

The Mo is growing… slowly but surely.

I have to go get down to the conference for the final day.  I hope you have a great Friday and a fun weekend.  I will catch up with you on Monday!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I am working from home today with a sick boy and have a huge craving for bacon.  I thought I would kick start your weekend with some pork fat goodness.  You agree?

One of my top 25 foods of all time – BACON.  It came to me as I was eating the breakfast all last week at Normandy Farm.  Of course I scanned the whole buffet before I started to fill my plate, but I always gravitated towards the crispy bacon

Eating some breakfast and thinking about what to write, I thought that I would share with you 7 ways to cook with bacon that have been featured on zesty.

So here goes….

1. Bacon on Pizza

Whether it is traditional pizza using some leftovers or a kicked up portabella pizza – bacon is a great addition.

2. Chutney

I feature two chutney’s ( Apple Bacon Chutney and Pear Bacon Chutney ) so far and both were out of this world yummy.  I attribute that to the bacon and to the slow cooking.

3.  Bacon and Eggs with a Twist

One of my all time sunday morning favorites “Bacon and Eggs”.  Try these fun little twists on a classic – Bacon and Eggs in a Bowl or a 2 minute Bacon Broccoli Scrambled Egg.

4.  Bacon Wrapped Fruit

Once introduced to this lovely creation – I fell in love with Bacon wrapped Pineapple.  Such a simple yet crowd pleasing treat.

5.  Bacon in a Salad

I really do love adding bacon to many salads.  I think i like the salty flavor it adds as well as the crunch. The one listed here is not your traditional salad, but this was very tasty with both the crunch walnuts and the firmness of the asparagus.

6.  Bacon with Potatoes

Oh yeah – you cannot forget this incredible combination.  Try kicking it up a notch at your next gathering with sweet potato skins with Bacon.  These babies are amazing.

7.  Bacon Mac and Cheese

Well well well… this is a must try if you love mac and cheese.  The bacon really takes this over the roof and will make you very very happy.

So there you have it!  A fun look at bacon and all its glory.  Feel free to share this with your friends using the toolbar on the bottom.  Have yourself a great Fridayand I will see you back on October…. Can you believe that?

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

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

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Friday!  Welcome to the land of comfort food today.  Do you ever just look outside and it is cold, rainy and all you want to do is stay in your pajamas ( underwear) and eat comfort food?  What is comfort food to you?  For me it is usually something warm and that requires a fork or spoon.

This dish below which is pan fried potatoes with bacon mixed throughout is something I love to eat.  Whether by itself, beside two eggs, sausages and toast, or sitting beside some homemade meatloaf – I LOVE this dish.

Ingredients

• 4-6 Potatoes, diced
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1/2 Cup onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• Handful of chopped chives
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large pan of boiling water, drop the potatoes in and blanch for 5-7 minutes; drain
2. Using another large pan over medium heat, start to cook off the bacon.  Cook until almost crispy and then remove from heat.  Do not clean the entire pan but remove some of the grease if there seems to be too much.
3. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until it becomes translucent.
4. Add the drained potatoes and the butter and begin to saute them over low heat.  The potatoes will begin to brown from the bacon fat and butter.  Let them cook until they are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
5. Break the bacon up and add back in to the potatoes, stirring often
6. Toss in the chives at the end
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When frying the bacon, I save some of the fat to cook the potatoes in and I do not clean the pan before I add the blanched potatoes.  This allows the potatoes to pick up all the bacon flavor and make this dish one to remember.

Alright, the weekend is almost upon us.  Big weekend at the zesty’s.  As I type this post, the garden is being tilled, tomorrow is some tree planting, and I am doing some door and window prep for the new shed that is starting on Monday.  No rest for the weary, I just hope the sun stays out and keeps me happy.  I will talk to you on Monday. Have a super weekend!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

It’s Victoria Day in Canada.  That means three things:

No work.

Yard work.

Blog work.

I am off today and spending time with the family, Mrs Zesty just returned home last night after being gone for 5 days.  She ran the 1/2 marathon in Halifax and did a great job.  Today we are trying to stay ahead of the yard work and get the grass cut, make some decisions on the walkway as well as organize the garage and prep for the flower beds.  The weather has been so terrible the garden has not been planted yet.

I do have to catch up on some blog work at some point but may wait until later on today.

I am starving.  I was unsure what to make for breakfast as I normally have oatmeal but today I wanted to switch it up a little bit and hit you with an omelet.

I just sauteed some bacon until it rendered down, then added a little onion and a whole lotta mushrooms.  I cooked them down and seasoned with salt and pepper until they were almost cooked.  I added 4 scrambled eggs and let go until the eggs set up.  I finished it with fresh basil.

What a nice treat.

ENJOY!

I hope you have a great start to the week and I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Good day to you!  Is breakfast your favorite meal of the day?  For me, I would have to say yes to that question.  Although I love eating at anytime of the day, breakfast is usually one of my favorites.  Whether it is cereal, oatmeal, bacon and eggs, fresh homemade bread and jam, or an super delicious breakfast sandwich – sign me up because I am ready to go.

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite sandwiches in the morning.  It is strictly just bacon, egg and cheese but it is the combination of flavors and textures that sends me over the moon.  Oh wait, maybe it is the grease from the bacon and the richness of the cheese, followed by the buttery flavored croissant that makes me smile.  Either or, I am pretty sure you will love this sandwich.

Before we get to far involved, let me state that the choice of bread can be endless.  Today I went with a nice fresh croissant ( bakery purchased) but often times I would go with just homemade bread, maybe a fresh biscuit or even an English muffin or bagel.  No rules on the bread front.

Ingredients

• 1 Croissant
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Slice of real cheddar
• 2 slices of ham( cooked )
• Black Pepper
• Mayo ( optional )
• 1 Tbsp. Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Water

Method

1. Preheat pan to medium high heat.
2. Crack two eggs in a bowl, add water and pepper and whisk together
3. Add the oil in the preheated pan and pour the beaten eggs in moving them around.  Waiting about 1 minute, until the underside of the egg is cooked, gently use your lifter/flipper/turner to get under the egg and fold it over like an omelet.
4. Place cheese slice on top of egg and let melt
5. Let cook another minute or so and remove the pan from the heat.
6. Assemble the sandwich: Slice open croissant, add the ham to the bottom slice, top with egg and cheese and complete the sandwich.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Often times if you want a crunch, I will turn on the broiler in the oven and toast both the croissant and melt the cheese at the same time in the oven.  You could also just toast the croissant by itself and add the toppings once complete.

I hope all the US folks had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Let’s not forget that today is the final day for signing up for the book giveaway.  I will be back Monday with ( if all things go as planned on the weekend) a very cool post to share with you.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I have a pretty fun recipe to share with you today.  Remember back around the new year  – we went to a potluck and I was unsure what to bring.  Well I was surfing the net looking for ideas and I strolled by Heidi’s 101 Cookbooks and found an very interesting and delicious pasta dish.  Once laying my eyes on the picture I was hooked and then I read deeper into the recipe and I was all set.  I had all the ingredients on hand minus the mozzarella so that was a snap to pick up.

I thought about adding a few ingredients to it that I had on hand not that it needed it -I just thought it would be nice to use of the stuff I had in the fridge.  The additions were chicken, bacon and roasted tomatoes.  Let’s just say it was a huge hit at the potluck.

Ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells
• sea salt
• 2 Chicken breasts (sliced and cooked)
• 8 pieces of bacon  (cooked and crumbled)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups well-chopped fresh spinach
• 10-12 Roasted grape tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• zest of 2 lemons
• 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded or torn into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.





2. Butter/oil a large casserole dish or baking pan – something roughly equivalent to 13×9-inch pan.



3. In a separate saute pan cook the bacon until crispy and then remove and set aside.



4. In a separate saute pan dry roast the almonds until brown and then remove and set aside.
5. Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain pasta, toss with some olive oil. Set aside.
6. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Saute the chicken with a couple pinches of salt until no longer pink.







7. While the chicken is cooking, pop some tomatoes in the oven to start the roasting process – toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 12-15 minutes.







8. Back to the chicken -stir in garlic and roasted tomatoes and let cook for a minute.  Toss in bacon and spinach. Cook for just about 20 seconds, until the spinach collapses a bit.









9. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds and 1/2 of the zest; mixing extremely well, a minute or so.



10. Now sprinkle the bottom of baking dish with the rest of the zest.



11. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, now sprinkle with some of the cheese and chicken mixture, add more pasta, then more cheese and more chicken mixture until complete. Finish with a layer of cheese.









12. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly.
13. Serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds.



14. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: This pasta dish was really really good!  The only thing I noticed is that if you overcook it at all it will become pretty dry.  To avoid this you could add a little lemon juice to the chicken mixture and just be sure not to over bake the pasta and eat right away.

Around the Blogsphere

Are you ever looking for great blogs that have fun and exciting recipes?  I thought you would be so I decided I would share with you a few of my favorites in case you didn’t already know.

Here are some great recipe blogs that you will sure to find handy.

Kayln’s Kitchen – For a great combination of home cooked ideas, healthy alternatives and all around great recipes – this is a great spot.

Southern Plate – For all things Southern, Christy has it covered.  If you have never been here – it is a must to see.

RecipeGirl - This site has a lot of action, great recipes and Lori really knows how to cook.  Check it out.

Bakerella - Ever want to learn how to make the most amazing cake pops.  Bakerella is really amazing.

Joythebaker - For all things baking, it is a must to check out Joy.  You may never leave.

So there you have it.  A truly fun recipe to try on a Sunday afternoon and a great list of recipe blogs that you should check out for sure.  I hope you have a great Wednesday and I think I may have a little announcement on Friday.  Nothing major but just a little more fun.

Have a super Wednesday.

Take care

zest

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I cannot really believe I wrote that as a title and actually prepared this dish with these ingredients. part of me thinks it is genius and the other part of me thinks that maybe I just ruined a perfectly healthy vegetable and moved it to the dark side. Either way – these sweet potatoes were amazing!

Let me know what you think of stuffed sweet potatoes?  Taking the original stuffed potato to a new level – you cannot go wrong.  Throw whatever flavors in you like and experiment.  Let the power of the sweet potato carry the dish.

Ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes ( medium-large )
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp. Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese ( cheddar/mozzarella )
• 4 Slices Bacon (Fried and crumbled)
• 3 Green Onions (Chopped for Garnish)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400, place sweet potatoes on a sheet and rub with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake for 30-35 minutes.
2. Half sweet potatoes length wise and scoop out most of the flesh into a mixing bowl.
3. Mash until smooth; add nutmeg, salt, pepper and paprika.
4. Stuff sweet potatoes will filling and top with shredded cheese
5. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until lightly brown around the edges and the cheese is melted at 400 degrees (about 25-30 minutes).
6. Garnish with bacon, sour cream and green onion.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: In step one, we don’t want to bake the sweet potatoes to much.  We want the sweet potato to still be somewhat firm and you must allow them to cool before cutting and scooping out the flesh.  This will ensure the case ( peel)  will stay in tact.

I hope you have a great Wednesday and for all that it is worth – you have to give this recipe a try.  I am more than confident that you will be happy with the results.  The combination of flavors really enhances the sweet potato and the bacon gives it a nice crunch and saltiness to balance the sweetness.

Along the same lines, here is another post on stuffed baked potatoes.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday to you!  I hope you had a fantastic weekend.  Let’s just say mine was action packed to say the least. From blog consulting, soccer registration, grocery shopping, house cleaning, deck designing, watching Masters Golf and of course eating some yummy food – the weekend was gone super fast.

On Friday, I had to work late into the night on a very big blog transformation.  I have to say it was quite exciting and maybe one of the biggest changes I have worked on recently. Choosing Raw was the blog and Gena was going for a more professional look to incorporate her counseling practice as well as her blog.  I have been working on the design and layout for quite some time and because of her “ONE” year blogiversary - she was ready for the switch.

Before Transformation

After Transformation

Friday Night Sunset

As I was sitting on the couch, I looked out the windows and noticed a pretty view of the sunset.

Masters Golf and Zesty In Law Delivers

OK, let’s be honest… the masters final round was exciting.  From great shots to missed putts – it was close until the last couple of holes.  Tiger woods struggled with the flat stick and Phil Mickelson seemed to make everything in sight.  Phil played great and really did deserve the “green jacket”.  Let’s rewind for a second to Saturday night.  As I was sitting on the couch watching the FOOD Network and eating some potato chips, the phone rang.  It was zesty in law inviting the family over to watch the golf and have some snacks.  I immediately signed up with a “Hell” yes and was excited to see what tomorrow would bring.  The mention of “ribs and stuff” on the phone was enough to get me itching to get there.   Did I mention I love ribs?

When you think of snacks and ribs – you think of small finger foods that are somewhat generic.  Well lets just say this extravaganza was not generic.  Here is a quick glance at the menu.

1. Spicy Thai Shrimp
2. Smokey BBQ Ribs with Molasses and Hoisin
3. Pasta with Cream and Bacon
4. Israel Couscous with Braised Lamb

There were other courses planned but everyone was so full.  The food was amazing.  The shrimp was so flavorful.  The coconut milk balanced with the hot chilies was superb.  I could have devoured this whole plate.

The ribs – well they are RIBS!!  Super flavor and great texture.

The pasta was really nice.  Can you really go wrong with cream and bacon?  I think not.  I took an extra large helping because I love this combination so much.  The fresh herbs included parsley and basil as well as a little dry thyme.  Delicious!

The final dish, I have to be honest I was excited to try as I have never tried Israel couscous and of course I adore lamb.  After testing it, I was thrilled.  Cleaned off the plate and kept smiling.

As you have already noticed, this post was not a traditional zesty post but I just felt  that it was necessary to recap some exciting things from the weekend just past.  Feel free to let me know your thoughts and comments.

Have a great Monday and I will see you all on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty