Happy Wednesday to you! Guess where I was last night? You will never guess…. I was invited to a special “invited guests only” tasting at Liquid Gold Tasting Bar downtown. How cool is that? Well beyond the cool part, How tasty is that? The combination of atmosphere paired with amazing products and delicious food made the 2 hour tasting a true joy.

I wanted to share a little bit about Liquid Gold and then get into some of the pics and food tasting from last night.

“Olio Fresco”.  It’s Italian for fresh oil.

Pure, fresh, extra virgin olive oils are now in Charlottetown. Here to be sampled, savored, bottled and combined with spectacular balsamic vinegars in an awesome array of combinations. Smooth, buttery, zesty, earthy, rich, deep, moody and delicious.

The oils are pure, single fruits called cultivars, or are cultivars that have been deliciously flavored. In spring/summer, our oils come from the southern hemisphere where the winter crop is harvested between May and July. In the fall & winter, our oils will come from the Mediterranean.

Our balsamic vinegars are from Modena, Italy. They are either dark or white and are traditional, organic or spectacularly flavored

We also carry an assortment of gourmet oils, mustards and glazes, Italian pastas, stuffed olives, sea salts, ceramics, olive wood products, hand creams, skin moisturizers and soaps.

The place is super cool! They had chef John Pritchard serving up some amazing eats with their products. Do you remember when I teamed up with John for the potato festival last year. From truffle oil aioli, flavored hummus, tons of bread( to sample the amazing oils and vinegars to a peach balsamic martini that would knock your socks off – the tastes were amazing.

As I was walking around “chatting with folks” I had so many ideas of recipes with these products. Is there anything better than working with “real” ingredients? In thinking about food, I checked out their site on my phone as I was taste testing and realized they had some nice recipes on their site that almost made me drool.

As soon as I got home, I checked out their site and talked to Mrs. Zesty about the store…. I was impressed.  I then went to their blog and I found a nice variety of recipes that they have posted that use their ingredients…. I think you might like some of them – actually who I am trying to kid – you are going to love them.  See below for a sample.

How about White Truffle Fries w/ Parmesan? or Pomegranate Glazed Salmon?  I know…. makes me excited just to think about it.

Tuna Salad , White Truffle Fries and Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

Totally a fun tasting night…. I could do that every night for sure. great job to both the G! and Liquid Gold for putting on a fun event. I hope it will become a tradition and they invite me again. If you have any questions about Liquid Gold you can check out their site or let me know and I can pass them along. have a super bump in the road Wednesday and i will talk to you on Friday with a Movember update.

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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A package of lean ground beef, 2 hot house tomatoes, 2 sweet potatoes and some baby romaine.

Turned into an Indian infused meatball that had reviews all around the table.  Things like:

• Wow, Delicious.
• Amazing flavor.
• Dad, another meatball please – these are double thumbs up.

Nothing makes me feel better than preparing food that everyone enjoys and remembers.  Last night’s meal was definitely one of those meals.  Nothing fancy or complex just a simple dish packed with flavor and using fresh ingredients.

The highlight of the dish was the sauce.  A reduction of tomatoes and balsamic vinegar hot with a shot of barbecue sauce at the end to balance it out.  We could have licked the pan dry on this one.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup Raw Instant Oatmeal
• 1/2 Tsp. Coriander
• 1 Tsp. Garlic, minced
• 1 Tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 Tsp. nutmeg
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tomatoes , cut into quarters
• 3 Tbsp. Barbeque sauce

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef, egg, oatmeal, all the spices and mix together.
3. Preheat a dry pan on the stove to high heat, and begin to shape your meatballs. Place the meatballs in the pan and sear on both sides.
4. Once seared, add the tomatoes and move to the oven to finish cooking – about 12 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and set the meat balls aside.  Returning the pan to a hot burner, add the balsamic vinegar and barbecue sauce and let reduce for your sauce.
6. Wait for the “fat” roasted sweet potatoes
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I find when you buy lean or extra lean ground beef it can dry out quickly and become pretty awful.  Adding the egg and hint of oatmeal will help add some moisture inside.  You can always add cheese as well.

Alright, I better go get cleaned up and on the road.  Have a super Wednesday and I will touch base you on Friday with something sweet.  It is time we made something sweet – dontcha think?  Oh Wow – I just remembered it is Mother’s Day this weekend. Hmmm I better get the hamster moving for some ideas.

Take care

zesty

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Want fish?  How about steamed fish with vegetables and no mess to clean up?  Yeah, now I got your attention.  So last night I knew exactly what I wanted to make for supper.  I have been stewing about it for a few days and was curious how the flavor combination would work out.

For the vegetables, I went with asparagus and portabella mushrooms and for the sauce I combined balsamic vinegar, lemon,  maple syrup and some fresh blueberries to round out the flavor profile.  The results in the house were double thumbs up and I was pleased with the flavor of the fish as well as the texture.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of Halibut
• 8 Asparagus pieces
• 6 Baby Portabella mushrooms
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries
• 1 Tsp. Garlic

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
2. Get too large pieces of tin foil and place them on the counter top and begin to assemble.
3. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper
4. Add 1/2 asparagus and 1/2 mushrooms.

1. Top with a bit of lemon juice and a drizzle of balsamic

1. Seal the tinfoil and ensure no air can get inside.
2. Cook for 20-22 minutes.
3. For the sauce, combine butter, garlic, balsamic, blueberries and lemon and bring to a boil and let reduce.  Serve over the fish.
4. ENJOY

Zesty Tip: Be careful opening the hot pouches as you can burn your hand quite easily.  Another idea is to set the pouches on parchment or tinfoil inside the baking sheet incase the tinfoil breaks to avoid any mess.

Dempster’s Giveaway Winners

Jo @ Jo In the Kitchen March 30, 2011 at 11:14 am

One of my favorite cookbooks is the Moosewood Cookbook. So many lovely recipes, so little time

Sandy March 30, 2011 at 11:18 am

Great contest idea! I have a lot of cookbooks and my favorite changes from time to time but I have to say my recurring go to books are those by Ann Lindsay. I find the recipes always successful, tasty and most of all, very healthy. Her soups are all great and quick but come together quickly. A good hearty meal idea on weeknights when time is tight.

Janette March 30, 2011 at 11:26 am

I dont have any particular books that I love the most to buy I love eat drink and vegans recipes though she has some great ideas.

Roberta March 30, 2011 at 4:42 pm

My favorite cookbook is my own. As I have tried recipes over the years, and the ones that I like and my family like, have been put in one cookbook. But if I were going to pick one to buy, it would be the future cookbook of recipes from Gena and her blog “Choosing Raw.” Even though I am not entirely vegan, I love her recipes!

Mimi April 1, 2011 at 8:42 am

I love to use the Williams and Sonoma Dinner in 30 minutes cookbooks. Great food quick after a long day at work!

Congrats to all the winners. For the winners, please send me an email and I will get the coupons sent to you as soon as possible.

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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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Hello to you from 38,000 feet in the air.  Yeah I know, kind of cool isn’t it?  I bit the bullet and bought the GoGo internet service on Air Canada so I could get caught up on some blogging work before landing in LA.  The flight is 4hr 47 minutes long so I figured I would get my monies worth on the plane.

With my whereabouts cleared up we can move onto today’s post – and for the meat lovers of the world….. I think I have a pork chop for you.  Remember that barbecue chicken sauce I made a couple of weeks back?  I told you it was very versatile and I didn’t lie to you.  I added a couple of tablespoons to a balsamic reduction for this pork.  The combination of vinegar with the subtle sweetness of the sauce created a nice balance.

Served with a side of garlic sauteed mushrooms - this is a great simple meal to make in a hurry.  I usually start the pork on the stove – top and move it to the oven to finish it.  Once cooked I set aside and cover it with foil and then prep the mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 2 Pork chops ( about an inch thick )
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 -2 Cups button mushrooms ( chopped)
• Fresh rosemary
• 1/3 Cup vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp. Barbeque chicken sauce
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Preheat oven-safe pan on stove top and add olive oil
3. Salt and pepper the pork chops and then add to the pan and sear both sides
4. Once, seared about 2-3 minutes per side, remove from the pan and de-glaze with vinegar, vegetable stock, barbeque sauce, half the garlic and rosemary.  Cook for 3 minutes and then add the pork chop back in the sauce
5. Place in the oven to finish off the cooking about 10-15 mins depending on the thickness
6. In another pan begin sauteing the mushrooms in the butter and remaining garlic and let reduce until tender.
7. Drizzle the sauce on the base of the plat and add the pork chop.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For moister meat, when cooking in the oven place a tray of water on the lower great with flavors in it if you like to help keep the air moist which will intern cause your meat to stay moist.

Ok guys, I am off to have a little rest and I will see you back on the ground for Wednesday morning.  Kick off the monday right and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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Officially it is Friday and I am getting tired…. but I still have some gas in the tank. Today is an action packed day. As this get’s published, I am on my way to my aunts to get settled in for the biggest parade of the year. The Gold Cup and Saucer Parade! The kids will love it as they always do. After the parade we are heading back to the Zesty Aunt for a big barbecue with family and friends. Can you really beat a barbecue? I think not! After the barbecue, I guess we have to suck it up and head home and clean the house a bit. We are hosting a party here on Saturday for my zesty niece…. as she is heading off to School out of province.

I still haven’t come up with the menu for Saturday’s party but I have some time. One thing I did come up with was a delicious raspberry topped french toast that will make your cheeks pucker. And it is EASY! The sauce and the bread makes this dish!  I went with some leftover baguette.

Ingredients

• Thick sliced bread
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Tbsp. White milk
• Hint of Vanilla
• Raspberries
• 3 Tbsp. White Sugar
• Dash of Balsamic vinegar
• few sprigs of mint
• Butter for pan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and preheat heavy frying pan ( cast iron is excellent) to medium heat
2. Slice the bread, crack and beat the eggs in a bowl, add milk and vanilla.
3. In the heated pan, add the butter.
4. Dip the bread into the egg and milk mixture and ensure it is nicely coated.
5. Place in pan and cook on both sides until golden brown.
6. In a separate pan, heat to medium and add the raspberries, balsamic and sugar.  Cook down gently until some raspberries are broken down.  Top with a few more raspberries and fresh mint after it cooks down for 6 minutes.
7. Plate the french toast and top with the sauce.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The biggest thing with french toast is keeping it hot while you prep the sauce and cook enough for everybody.  The one technique I use is to place it in a very low oven once it is complete.  Turn the oven on to 200 degrees F and let it rest in there while you prepare enough for everyone.

Alright, I have to try and get my head wrapped around that my vacation is over and it is back to the real world on Monday.  I am sure I will figure it out and I will be back with you on Monday morning as well.  Have a super weekend.

Take care

zesty

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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

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Happy Friday and welcome to the closest day to the weekend you can get!  Whooo Hooo.  So as of late I have been trying to eat more salads in the middle of the day instead of sandwiches and other things for lunch.  Whether it is working on the waist line or not – we shall see!  Let’s just say I really do love salads but sometimes I get tired of the same ole dressings you see inside the fridge door so most of the time I just whip up my own.

It is nothing extravagant by any stretch just a simple vinaigrette.  Lately I have been obsessed with Balsamic Vinegar! I love it.  The tartness and the flavor in such a small amount is incredible.  Here is a simple salad I whipped up.

During the excitement of building the salad, I forgot to add the walnuts before snapping the pic…. my apologies

Ingredients

• Few handfuls of Leaf lettuce
• Grape Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Feta cheese
• Red peppers
• Cucumbers
• Toasted walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp. Garlic ( crushed)
• 3/4 Cup Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Chop and toss all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Over a medium dry saute pan, slowly roast the walnuts until toasted.
3. In liquid measure or small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  I also like to use a mason jar to add it all in and throw the lid on and shake it up.
4. Dress the salad
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Dress your salads just before serving to avoid wilting of the greens and causing the salad to be soggy.  Also if you are adding nuts to the salad it is a nice idea to toast them before adding them to the salad for enhanced flavor.

So that is my salad!  No of course if you are interested in salads then the world is endless.  The varieties and possible ingredients go beyond what the mind can imagine.  If you want to participate in a Salad Challenge – go check this out.  RhodeyGirlTests is hosting a “I LOVE SALAD” Challenge.  I think I should check it out.

Question of the day: Favorite Dressing

What is your favorite dressing?  Does it depend on the greens, vegetables, or do you have a staple that you go to every time?

I am off for now but back again on Monday.  Zesty will be performing super dad duties all weekend as Mrs. Zesty is off for a girls weekend of running and shopping.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

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It’s Friday!!  Last night I was trying to think of what to make for supper and I remember picking up some green beans and I thought it would be a great side dish to go with some baked haddock.  It was so nice to have just a simple dinner after a long day.  I was really impressed with the flavor combination on the beans.  Balsamic vinegar is a great addition to any quick vegetable saute.

To finish off the beans, I topped them with Parmesan cheese and sliced almonds.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of Green Beans
• 1 Tbsp. Water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Basil Paste
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Sliced almonds
• Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Preheat saute pan on high and add the water and beans.







Kitty on the counter making sure everything is going according to plan.

2. Cook beans until the water dissolves about 3 minutes and then add balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil paste



3. Stir fry for another minute and add the pepper.
4. Top off with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To make a garlic paste, slice the garlic finely and add a little bit of salt on the board and rub the garlic back and forth over it on the board.  The salt will break down the garlic and make a great paste for the beans.

So there you have it!  A quick and simple bean dish for absolutely everyone.  Try it and let me know what you think.  As I was eating it last night I thought that a nice addition would be a splash of some red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to really quick it up.  Nonetheless I enjoyed it!

I hope you have an awesome Friday and a great Valentine’s day!  We have a busy weekend lined up with the Olympics, Jack Frost Winter Festival, and some music lessons.  Enjoy your weekend and we shall talk on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty