PHEW what a week!  Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping in again for another food filled post.  I was unsure as to what to have for dinner on Wednesday night as I was getting ready for work in the morning – when I remembered that I had some lean ground beef in the freezer.  Every time I would open the freezer it would make a little chirp to me that it was too cold and wanted to be cooked.  I could only take that for so long so finally I took it out to thaw and here we are today.

I was kind of in the mood for a cheeseburger but was unsure because we had no whole wheat buns to go with it and really any toppings outside of mustard and ketchup but I convinced myself…. GO FOR IT!

What a reward…. take a look at this.  I topped a few with cheese and left a few without for a leftover treat that you will see next week.  I may have even impressed Mrs. Zesty to a whole new level.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean ground beef
• 2 Cloves garlic ( chopped)
• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Dried/frozen basil
• Cheddar/marble cheese
• 1 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef and all the dry ingredients and mix well together.











Have you ever tried this frozen basil before. It is amazing. So fresh and so convenient especially in the off season.



3. Form patties and place on roasting rack.





4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until no longer pink inside the meat ( you can peek if you need to)





5. Remove from oven and top with cheese; place back in the oven until melted.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking ground beef, I like to use the roasting pan with slats in it to allow the grease to follow away from the meat.  This ensures you are getting the leanest most healthy form of that particular meat.

This little treat goes well with a side of salad or just on it’s own between your favorite whole grain bun.  Heck I just eat them by itself.  Sometimes you can’t just beat a homemade cheeseburger.  What is your little trick you put in your ground beef/turkey/chicken before cooking it to add that flavor you love?

Around the Blogsphere

Well as I have been wandering around the blogsphere this week…. I have bumped into a couple of wicked recipes that are must try’s in my books.  Take a look over here and let me know what you think.

• A recipe for stove-top granola by the Hungry Yogini.  This will knock your socks off for sure and I cannot wait to try it.
• A somewhat genius idea for salad dressings can be found over at Choosing Raw.  This I have to sink my gums into.
• And last but not least… I found two things I love wrapped into one over at Joy’s site – Can you believe an Avocado Pound Cake?  YUM!

That is all I have for this week.  I hope everyone has a decent fun filled friday and a great weekend.  Today is the last day you can tell all your friends about the Blog Makeover giveaway so “Let it out” and I will be announcing the poor soul that has to work with me for a makeover on MONDAY!

Take care

zesty

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