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.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

So here is the scoop.  I took some time to dive back into the zestycook.com archives and browse over what has transpired over the last 12 months.  It has been exciting and I am really having a blast blogging.  Sometimes I wonder what it is like to be on the other end and reading what I write.  Some posts are better than others but overall they are not too bad (if I do say so myself).  My goal with zesty has always been to deliver great content for pure enjoyment or to help solve a problem.

The problem could be that you are starving and need a fun, simple recipe.  Or how to thicken the sauce that is way to thin and your guests are sitting in the dining room.  I really want you to enjoy coming here everyday and so for that I try to deliver some practical ideas, fun posts, simple recipes, healthy ideas and of course great pictures.

With that being said, I decided on a last minute recipe when I found out some guests were coming over about 90 minutes before dinner.

I poked around the fridge and I saw some fresh picked blueberries and raspberries - I was excited.  I then knew that I had just bought some Vanilla frozen yogurt (which seems to go well with fruit ).  Then for some reason  I thought all this in a puff pastry would be superb.  Both light and slightly sweet but not too overwhelming after a big dinner. All i needed was some puff pastry – off to the grocery store I go.  Don’t go to far – I will be back!

And I am back!  This dessert simply rocked! Stupid easy yet so powerful. Here is how it came together.  I ended up finding some prepared fresh pastry at the bakery – so that was a bonus.

Ingredients

• 6 Puff Pastry
• 1 Cup Blueberries
• 1 Cup Raspberries
• 2 Tbsp. Apple Juice
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Corn Starch
• 2 Tbsp. Water
• 6 Scoops of frozen Yogurt

Method

1. Warm a saucepan over medium heat; melt brown sugar, apple juice and berries.  Stir slowly for about 6-10 minutes.
2. Bring to a slow boil, as the berries break down the sauce will loosen.  If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and add to the sauce.
3. Once you add it to the sauce bring back to a full boil to ensure the cornstarch will activate to its full thickening power.
4. Slowly monitor the sauce, if it becomes to thick, simply add more apple juice or water.
5. Place pastry in plate and spoon frozen yogurt inside, then cover with sauce.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Buying fresh berries in season can be a great way to stock up for the winter.  To freeze them effectively,  line them on a cookie sheet with some parchment paper and freeze them for a few hours, than you can bag them (they will not stick together).

The 10 minute dessert had some rave reviews which is always good.  It is nice to finish off the meal on a high note in case the guests come back again.  It is hard to believe another week is gone and a long weekend coming up.  Tell me your big weekend plans.
Take care

zesty

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Happy Thursday to you!!  Well I am on the road today to the Nova Scotia passport office.  We need to get the kids passports as we are planning a road trip to Boston in the middle of August.  Boston you say? Yes Boston!  I am attending the Healthy Living Summit on August 15th.  I am very excited and looking forward to presenting at the conference.

On to the topic of the day… blueberries.  I was driving home from the office today and I decided to stop by the super market and pick up a few things.  As soon as I walked in the door I saw a big blueberry stand.  I was thrilled and picked up a couple of boxes.  One for the drive home, and one for later.

Did you realize that BLUEBERRIES are amazing for you?

How to choose a good Blueberry

Blueberries are literally bursting with nutrients and flavor, yet very low in calories.  Choose blueberries that are firm and have a lively color. Shake the container, noticing whether the berries have the tendency to move freely; if they do not, this may indicate that they are soft and damaged or moldy. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. When purchasing frozen berries, shake the bag gently to ensure that the berries move freely and are not clumped together, which may suggest that they have been thawed and refrozen.

Blueberry Tips

Fresh berries are very fragile and should be washed briefly and carefully and then patted dry if they are not organic. Wash berries just prior to use to avoid prematurely removing the protective bloom that resides on the skin’s surface.  When using frozen berries in recipes that do not require cooking, thaw well and drain prior to using. For cooked recipes, use frozen berries since this will ensure maximum flavor.  Extend the cooking time a few minutes to accommodate for the frozen berries.

A few quick serving ideas

Add frozen blueberries to your breakfast shake. Fresh or dried blueberries add a colorful punch to cold breakfast cereals. For a deliciously elegant dessert, layer yogurt and blueberries in wine glasses then top with granola.

Try some blueberry toast , a  simple berry smoothie or a savory dish with blueberries and chicken.

So there you have it!  Zesty does blueberries.  I hope you have a great day and I will see you on Friday for the week’s end.

Take care

zesty

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Monday is here and it’s back to the grind.  What a weekend.  I had a super busy weekend with holiday shopping, staff party, and preparing for my trip to Tennessee for business.  I am in Jackson TN for the next 4 days but don’t worry – I will be posting all the time I am there.

On to the food…

I have a recipe to share with you.  I never made this before last Wednesday but must say – It was my favorite meal in a long time.  I was so impressed with the flavor and texture.  Bare with me and I will let you know what I did.

I started off with Chicken Thighs, not just because they are light on the wallet but also because they have so much flavor and stay very juicy.  I had some blueberries that I wanted to use up as well so I thought to myself… braised chicken with a blueberry sauce – why not?

Again just like my motto emphasizes – if I can do it, anybody can do it.  This dish is so easy and simple yet the results are astonishing.

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken-Thighs (Bone-In)
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Blueberries
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 2 Tbsp. White Sugar
• Juice of an Orange
• 1/8 Cup Roasted Pecans
• Pinch of Salt
• Pinch of Pepper
• 1/8 Tsp. Dried Coriander

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F.
2. Preheat Skillet on high heat.



3. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper and coriander.



4. Place skin side down in the skillet and cook for 6 minutes until skin becomes golden (you want to lock in the flavors – so don’t move the chicken around or flip it until it turns golden).



5. Once one side is browned, flip over and repeat the process.



6. Place chicken in a casserole dish or roaster.
7. For extra flavor, leave all the bits in the skillet, then add the butter, sugar, and orange juice to begin creating the sauce.



8. Once the sugar is dissolved, stir in the blueberries and cook for 6 minutes.




9. Add the sauce over the chicken and cook at 350 Degrees for about 35 minutes uncovered.



10. Remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place back in the oven to crisp the exterior.



11. Place sauce on stove top and bring to a boil to thicken.



12. Preheat dry pan and roast pecans for about 3-4 minutes  – moving and shaking them often to avoid burning.



13. Remove chicken from oven, top with sauce and finish with roasted pecans.



14. ENJOY!

Wow – That was a lot of instructions, but trust me it wasn’t as bad as it looks.  It is pretty basic, but the sauce is amazing.  By leaving the chicken bit from the original browning process the sauce is packed with flavor.  I cannot wait for you to try this and let me know what you think.

Zesty Tip: When sauteing any meat, fish, poultry , or even vegetables – the original browning process is crucial.  This is where the base of the flavor is created.  Be patient and let the food brown and form that beautiful crust/ golden color.  You will be very happy with the results.

Have a great Monday and look forward to hearing from everyone.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Thursday everyone!  Oh boy, have I got a story for you!  The other night I was hanging around the house after work wondering what to have for supper. This usually leads to ordering take out from some restaurant when no plans have been made.  So an idea pops into my head… lets go grab some chinese food or something!  I think about it for a while and then I say to myself, “Nah lets try and make something for supper using left overs.”

Searching through the refrigerator and pantry,  I find half a loaf of baguette and I immediately think … oven roasted french toast.

Why you ask?  Not a clue, but I have been craving it for a while.  Maybe I could make apple cinnamon french toast and use some apples that I picked in the orchard a couple of weeks back along with some blueberries.

Well well, I had myself a dinner.  I know that it’s a bit odd for supper but better than ordering out (saves money too!).  Follow along and check out this french toast number.  It was my first time throwing this one together but it was great fun.

Ingredients

• 6 slices of Baguette Bread (sliced on an angle)
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 Cup of MIlk
• 2 Apples
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• Maple Syrup
• Powdered Sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250 Degrees F.
2. Add eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg to bowl and beat together.



3. Soak bread in mixture until bread is completely wet.
4. Turn frying pan onto medium heat and melt 1 Tbsp butter.
5. Add bread pieces but do not crowd the pan.  Also, don’t move the bread, flip the bread or touch the bread until the butter caramelizes on the down side.  This will take 5-6 minutes.



6. Flip the bread once the bottom side is complete (see picture for coloring), leave on the second side for about 3 minutes.



7. Remove bread from pan and place on cookie sheet and throw in the oven for about 10 minutes or until your sauce is complete (see sauce preparation below).  At this point the toast has almost completed the cooking process.  The oven will cook the inside, avoid the soggy toast, and prevent it from getting cold.



8. Add remainder butter to the pan, then the sugar and apples.  Mix together and allow the apples to start cooking down.



9. After about 5 minutes, add the blueberries and cook for another 2 minutes.



10. Remove toast from oven, plate the toast and top it with the sauce.
11. Drizzle with maple syrup, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.



12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When using butter, be very careful as it will burn very fast.  What I like to do is when I add it to a hot pan, and see it melting, I like to add the next cool ingredients right away.  In this case it would be the apples and brown sugar.  This holds true when cooking savory dishes as well.

The french toast turned out amazing and it certainly hit the spot.  I want to know in true zesty fashion, What are your favorite toppings you like to put on your french toast? Wacky or crazy I want to hear them all.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

zesty

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