Top of the week to you from the campground. The internet access here at the campground is terrible (hopefully the owners are reading this post) as it is pretty much unuseable. With that said, I took the show on the road and am getting the post done at a local CAP site down the road.

Yesterday was a great day for camping, sun was shining, nice breeze and lots to do.  We got up and loathed around for a few hours and then hit the beach.  The beach was very nice and relaxing, kids had a lot of fun in the sand but the water was “FREEZING“.  I went in with Carter for a little jolt and I thought my toes were going to be frost bitten.  I quickly darted back to the towel and assumed my normal position of lying down.  Yeah I am somewhat lazy at the beach.

After the beach we had too pick up a few things for supper.  We invited our friends over for a little snack which turned out quite well.  I had marinated a couple of small chickens in the fridge before we left as I wanted to roast them on the bbq upon return.

The bird... ready for eats

The marinade was pretty simple but offered a great aroma while the birds were roasting.

The marinade on the chicken getting ready to wait for 4 hours while we go to the beach.

I paired the chicken with roasted caluiflower on the grill served with a mango chutney, some grilled zuchini topped with feta cheese and balsamic vinegar and a nice fresh salad with toasted walnuts and blueberries.  All in all it was a good meal and everyone enjoyed themselves even most of the kids except for picky Mr. Carter who opted for a peanut butter sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 chickens (prepped and cleaned)
• 1 Tbsp. mustard
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 1 Tbsp. corriander
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 Tsp. onion powder

Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Butter
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 4-5 sprigs of basil , torn

Method

1. Mix together all the ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and set aside.  Place the birds in a tinfoil roasting pan.
2. Rub the marinade all over the chicken ensuring it is covered and than wrap it in saran wrap for a few hours. The longer the better.
3. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
4. Place the roasting pan on the grill and let cook for about 90 minutes.  you can turn the chickens to get them really golden brown if you like to eat the skin.
5. For the sauce, preheat a pan over medium heat and melt the butter.  Add the lemon juice and zest and cook together  for 5 minutes.
6. Add the basil and serve.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When doing dry rubs, I like to add a little olive oil to bind the ingredients together and make it into more of a paste.  I find it allows the flavors to adhere to the meat better.

So there you have a simple roasted chicken done on the grill outside.  The flavors were really good especially with that little hint of mustard.  I am going to get going and enjoy camping.  I will talk to you on Wednesday.  Have a good start to your week.

Take care

zesty

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Ever want to escape the weather?  Some choose to go to an all inclusive resort, other choose to have special weekend away in seclusion and than there is some that just pretend to relive the summer and make a kicked up barbeque chicken sauce in the middle of January.

I guess for this week I am the latter of the three described above.  For me, nothing beats the barbeque.  The thrill of the grill and the flavors make my mouth water, hairs stand up and belly growl.  For today, I thought I would share one of my favorite sauces to have on hand – homemade barbeque chicken sauce.  This BBQ sauce can we used on just about anything… from chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, rice, nachos, you name it.

I am pretty sure you could smear this BBQ sauce on your car bumper and love it.

Barbeque (BBQ) Chicken Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Dry Mustard
• 2 Tsp. Smoked paprika
• 1 Clove garlic ( crushed)
• 4 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1 Cup Ketchup
• 1 Cup cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Pepper

Method

1. Preheat large sauce pan over medium heat
2. Stir all dry ingredients together and than add remaining liquid.
3. Mix thoroughly and bring to a gentle boil ( stirring occasionally )
4. Reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  The longer you simmer this barbeque chicken sauce, the better it will be.  If you notice it getting to thick, just add a little water.  Package this in resealable jars and give it to your friends, they will be happy.

OK, so you have to try this sauce… not because I love barbeque but just for the shear excitement of your taste buds.  Let me know if you do give it a try and let me know your thoughts and alterations if you made any.  Have a super day and I will talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Wednesday!  Phew… what a day!  We will get on that in a minute.  I have been working on house decisions what feels like all day yesterday as the builders had made some great progress and had lots of questions as the floor system got underway today.  House Update Below!!!!

On to the carrots!  These babies were amazing.  As part of the huge barbecue feast from yesterday we had some fresh garden carrots that were just aching to be kicked up with some Canadian Maple Syrup.  Now not that this carrot recipe is low in fat… but I really enjoyed them.

Here are the simple step by step instructions on how to spin these carrots for your next dinner.

Ingredients

• Carrots
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Wash carrots and cut ends off.



2. Cut into pieces and place in pot and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
4. Drain water, turn off heat and place pot back on the burner.



5. Season immediately while hot, add butter, thyme and maple syrup.





6. Stir and serve.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to slightly under cook vegetables as I find they taste better than when they are mushy.  So I like to keep a close eye and try to cut them similar in size so they cook evenly.

House Update

So there you have it! Some kicked up carrots and a zesty house update. Have yourself a great Wednesday and I will see you all tomorrow for a very “Beantown” menu choice.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Thursday!  The grill gets the call again.  This time I went with the versatile pork loin and dressed it full of flavor.  The pork tenderloin was definitely the star of the show.  I am a huge fan of pork tenderloin due to a few reasons.

1. It takes on flavor easily
2. It cooks very quickly and
3. It is always tender.

For the Pork and Glaze

• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary sprigs

Method

1. Preheat the barbecue to high heat.
2. Rub pork loin with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Sear pork on all sides on high heat; reduce heat to medium.
4. With 5 minutes left in the cooking process, add the glaze all over the pork and move the pork off the direct heat. Let rest 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and tent with tin foil for 10 minutes; then slice.
6. ENJOY!

Pear Bacon Chutney

• 3 Bartlett pears
• 1 Sweet Onion
• 8 Slices of Bacon (chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• Sprinkle of white sugar

Method

1. Brown bacon, drain and remove from sauce pan.
2. Chop onion and pears and begin to slowly cook the onion.
3. Add the pear, and sugar and cook over low heat 10 minutes.
4. Add apple juice and continue to reduce.
5. Add bacon back and cook together on simmer for 30 minutes.
6. ENJOY!

One the Side

• Fresh Garden Carrots
• Rosemary
• Snap Peas
• Balsamic Reduction
• Butter
• Jasmine Rice

Zesty Tip: When cooking meat on the barbecue be sure to use the tent technique as mentioned above.  This will allow the juices to travel back to the center of the meat and not dry out.  The meat will continue to cook while tenting so I like to take it off a few minutes before the meat is fully cooked to your desired temperature.

Wow that felt like it took me forever to write all about this meal.  I must say the meal was very tasty with all the different flavors and textures. As well, I enjoyed using the rosemary on the meat, the vegetables and infused in the rice. Well I think that is all I have for today.  Let me know if you have any questions regarding today’s meal plan and I hope you have a great Thursday.

Take care

zesty

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Well, I can barely believe that it is Friday already!!  I am leaving for jamaica tomorrow afternoon and well lets say it feels surreal.  I feel like I am not at all ready with packing and some finalization around the house but I am very excited to go.  Busy around the house yet still starving for some food.

I whipped up a great snack when you are craving some junk.  Barbecue Chicken Nachos – oh dear these babies are so good!

Very simple, very tasty and literally 5 minutes to make.  Now when talking nachos, there are serious nachos and then there are in a pinch nachos.  I consider these to be in a pinch nachos.

Ingredients

• Plate of Nacho Chips
• Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Chicken
• Mozzarella and Monterey Jack Cheese

Method

1. Line Plate with Nachos
2. Add chicken and barbecue sauce
3. Top with cheese
4. Microwave until melted ( about 60 seconds – depending on microwave)
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For the ultimate nacho, use a single layer of nachos on a baking stone preheated and go light on the toppings to avoid the chips from getting soggy.

Well I have 27 things left to do so I best keep moving on here.  Next week I have some scheduled posts lined up with some great guest bloggers as well as  a couple of my own.  The internet is quite costly in the hotel at $8/hr so what I was thinking I may do is have a summary post of Jamaica when I get back and share with you how the trip was all at once.  But you never know – I may sneak a few photo op posts in during the week.  Have a great day and a great week and I look forward to reading all the comments.

Take care

zesty

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Does the title just make you want to reach through your screen and have a bite? Well when I made this the other day on the freshly cleaned BBQ grill, I could not wait to sink my teeth into it. I was craving pork on the barbie topped with a rich sauce and coleslaw. It is such a dirty sandwich but ohhhhh so good.

I used to be intimidated by cooking full pork loins as opposed to little chops but really in retrospect there is nothing to be scared of. They cook very quickly, easily and are always tender. Can you beat that? Now I know I have cooked a fair amount of pork in my time on zesty but this sandwich stacks right up there with the apricot pork pasta, apple mustard chops, rosemary mustard chops.

The one thing I am not overly impressed about with this post is the picture.  I had a hard time getting a good shot of this sandwich.

Ingredients

• 1 Pork loin
• 1 Steak Bun
• 2 Tbsp. Barbecue Sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Coleslaw

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
2. Rub pork loin with olive oil, salt and pepper.





3. Sear pork loin on both sides and then turn heat down to medium ( you can also use the indirect heat method to finish cooking if you have time ).



4. Once seared on one side, apply barbecue sauce.



5. Complete the cooking process and let rest; Toast Bun while the pork rests.



6. Slice on an angle and top sandwich with pork.
7. Add Slaw.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking meat or veggies on the grill make sure to add the sauce at the end of the cooking process to avoid burning.  Think simple on the grill.

Time is running out as I prepare for Jamaica and the to do lists are not diminishing.  I am really looking forward to it but there are so many loose ends to tie up.  I hope you have a great Thursday and enjoy the pork loin sandwich.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday!!  What a weekend.  Saturday was an excellent day as we squeaked about 22 ° Celsius or close to 70° F.  It was a major milestone for around here.  It was nice to get outside, do some more yard work and even clean the barbecue.  Sunday showed a lot of sun but the wind was whipping around which cooled things off.

I really love the barbecue and on Saturday I had a craving for turkey burgers.

I made these turkey burgers once before and they turned out to be dryer than a wooden bridge in Africa.  With that being said, I thought I would try another technique that I normally use with ground beef, an egg and some bread crumbs.  I also spiced this up a little bit with some ginger and garlic chili paste.  It was a nice hint of flavor which went well with the savory and hoisin barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

• Ground Turkey
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup bread crumbs
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Ginger Chili Paste ( Purchased in a jar)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tsp. Savory
• Pita Buns
• 2 Tbsp. Bottled Barbecue Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce

Method

1. Preheat your grill to medium high heat;  Mix hoisin and barbecue sauce together in a bowl.
2. Add ground turkey to a large mixing bowl.



3. Add all other ingredients and mix together gently.  Do not over mix.





4. Form into patties and let rest on wax paper in the fridge for 15 minutes.



5. Once chilled and set, place on grill and let cook on one side for about 6 minutes; close lid.



6. When a crust forms on the burger flip it over and apply the barbecue sauce and continue cooking until complete.



7. Toast your buns on the top rack while the burgers are finishing the cooking process.
8. Remove from heat and assemble.



9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When working with any ground meat especially turkey, it is essential that you season it really well with whatever flavor you care for.  Do not over work the meat when forming it into patties or balls.  By over working it you will make the meat tough and not as enjoyable.

I hope you have a great Monday.  I have a lot to do this week as I prep for Jamaica on Saturday.  I am planning to have a few guest posts lined up for next week as the internet is quite expensive at the resort.  I will likely do a Jamaica Summary post upon my return.

I am thinking there will be a lot of barbecue cooking this week so I will ask you this:  What is your favorite food on the barbecue?

Take care

zesty

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The week is almost over.. well not really but I still find that this week has flown by. Have you ever had a 3 mile long to-do-list and it feels like you’ll never see the end of it? That is exactly how I feel!  But no need to fret, or that’s at least what I keep telling myself.  To help with our busy lives, I decided to share with you an excellent quick meal that was actually very YUMMY.

This quick but tasty meal consisted of left over brown rice,  left over carrots, thin sirloin beef (on sale) and BEET GREENS (a new ingredient for me).  This was super fast to make and was packed with flavor. I loved it.  In addition to all the flavor, it is fairly healthy at the same time.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Cup cooked brown rice
• 3/4 Cup mushrooms (chopped)
• 3 Cups beet greens
• 2 Small sirloin beef pieces
• 3/4 Cup chopped carrots (cooked)
• 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat saute pan, then add olive oil.
2. Prepare beef (trim fat and flavor with salt and pepper).
3. Sear beef on both sides; cook until desired done-ness and remove from pan.
4. Add mushrooms, cooked carrots and rice and begin to stir fry; 4 minutes.
5. Cut beef into smaller pieces and add back into pan.
6. Add barbecue sauce and beet greens; continue cooking for 3 minutes (until beet greens wilt).
7. Remove from heat and plate.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When working with cheaper cuts of beef, I like to keep them in bigger pieces.  From there, I usually cook them very quickly on high heat and always cut them against the grain to ensure tenderness.  Another trick is to slightly under cook the meat as well.

Question of the day: What is your favorite green vegetable?

I hope you have a great Thursday and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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How to make great BBQ ribs. Easy tips and tricks for great ribs.

The following tips and techniques are things I have learned in the past from trial and error as well as reading alot of great cookbooks and watching alot of chefs on TV.  This is not new information but i hope I can summaraize alot of the major tips to making your next batch of ribs simply sensational.

It’s not hard to make great BBQ, and I hope to help you understand the how’s and why’s of BBQ, so your next batch of BBQ ribs will be unbeatable.

5 Tips for great BBQ ribs

1. No boiling of your ribs! Although it works I find the ribs much blander and more one dimensional when cooked this way. What you really want to do is sort of roast the meat. BBQ is a low heat method of roasting, and by dry roasting will concentrate the great flavors of the meat.

2. Low and slow! The secret to tender BBQ ribs is a long cooking time over a low temperature. You want to keep the heat between 250 and 300. Lower than 250 and you risk drying the meat, and higher than 300 is getting too hot for tenderizing cooking.

3. Take off the silver skin. The silver skin is a membrane that is attached to the underside of the bones. You can’t chew it and marinades, rubs and sauces can’t penetrate it. It’s got to go. Take a knife to slice it then grab it with your fingers and peel the rest. Season the ribs the night before you plan on cooking them. Rub whatever spice rub you’re using on the meat the night before, to give it enough time to penetrate and flavor the meat.  One of my favorite rubs as I have mentioned earlier can be found here.

4. Cook them over indirect smoky heat. I don’t have anything very fancy so I just put some wood chips in a homemade tin foil pouch adding 2 parts dry and 1 part wet to start the smoking process and then sealing the pouch and placing it directly on the fire.  The real key is indirect heat at the right tempreature.  There are often times when I don’t have smoke – they are just not quite as flavorful but don’t get me wrong – they are still yummy!

5. Don’t sauce until the ribs are done. When they are done, heat the grill up to medium and grill the sauced ribs for a few minutes.  If you do it any earlier the sugar from the sauce is just going to cause the ribs to burn – and we don’t do that!

Follow these steps and let me know if you have better tasting ribs or if you have other ideas that I may have missed – i would love to know about them.  Send me email or add a comment. Or send me some ribs in the mail.

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