I am sick of rain!  It rained, what feels like the last 14 days straight, and I am tired of it.  On the weekend it managed just to stay cloudy long enough for our team to build the baby barn for habitat for humanity.  It was quite fun and our barn managed to stand up and look relatively similar to the rest.

The food weekend was quite minimal… we ate out on Friday night as part of our tradition and Saturday was a bit hectic.  On Saturday evening in between raindrops I managed to sneak out a pizza on the barbecue and it was a nice treat.  A simple crust and simple toppings made for a fresh summer pizza without all the grease and without the summer.

This dough recipe comes from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. I really enjoyed this recipe as it turned out really well. For me pizza is all about the crust! Toppings are good but I am a huge fan when it’s light on the toppings and sauce but heavy on the crust.

If you are interested in a new whole wheat pizza dough, I highly recommend this recipe. It is very simple and produces a great texture. I opted for a thin crust and placed the pizza directly on the grill for a little crunch. YUM!

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
• 2 Packets (1/4 Ounce Each) Active Dry Yeast
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Salt
• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Pizza Toppings

• Basil Pesto ( Love this! )
• Pine nuts
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Arugula

Method

1. Place water in large bowl – sprinkle with yeast.
2. Let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
3. Brush another large bowl with Olive Oil.
4. In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil and salt. Stir in flours until a sticky dough forms.
5. Transfer to oiled bowl (brush top of dough with oil).
6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size (about an hour).
7. Turn dough onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth.
8. Preheat Barbecue to Medium-High on one side.
9. Prepare in shape of pizza and begin to assemble pizza dough.
10. Spread pesto and then some cheese.
11. Add toppings from above except arugula
12. On the BBQ, place pizza on the side with no heat and close the lid
13. Time varies depending on the thickness of your crust (12-20 minutes).
14. Add arugula at the very end with some more feta cheese.
15. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to use indirect heat for the pizza so that the barbecue acts like an oven and doesn’t burn the pizza before it is cooked.  Indirect heat refers to putting heat on one side of the barbecue and placing the food on the opposite side.

A Fun Filled Sunday

Sunday, June 6th, marked a special day in the zesty household.  Mrs Zesty’s birthday!! It is not a big a deal as it used to be as we get older but we still had a great day.  Breakfast out at one of our favorite restaurants  – Cora’s and a fun afternoon.  We wrapped up the day with some Dairy Queen Ice cream cake and a few laughs.  All in all a fun day despite the heavy rain and thunder storms. Have a fantastic Monday and I will touch base with you on Wednesday with hopefully something exciting.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday! What a weekend we had…  to say it was a busy weekend would be an understatement but it was so much fun.  Saturday started with a visit to the house, three truck loads of junk to the dump, checking out the temporary driveway (woo hoo!), followed by a “PEI Spud Run for children”.  We entered both turkeys (our kids) as part of the Marathon Weekend.  It was a good time despite the weather which was very cold and rainy.

On to the Food

Earlier in the week we finally made it to the apple orchard.  It was a a great time where the kids loved it and the weather was very nice.  We came home with a big bag of cooking apples (Cortland) and eating apples (MacIntosh).

Here are a couple of shots in the orchard followed by a killer apple pie – compliments of Mama Zesty’s super pie crust recipe.

Topped with some homemade whip cream or even just plain Vanilla ice cream – a great dessert.  Actually I had a slice of this for breakfast…. Do you think that is a bad thing?

Ingredients

• 6 Apples ( Peeled and Sliced)
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Cup Butter
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Tbsp. White Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees and Pre grease your pie plate (this one was a 10 inch)
2. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, butter and salt then cut in together.  Once cut in, add the water slowly mixing with a fork.  Do not over mix and do not make it too wet.
3. Cut the dough into two equal parts and then roll out fairly thin.
4. Place the bottom layer of the dough in the pie plate.
5. Add sliced apples sugar and nutmeg ( sprinkled on top.  Add the top crust and cut three steam holes in the middle.  Once the top is in place, use a fork to crimp the edges of the pie to ensure it doesn’t come apart.
6. Brush some milk on the top crust and bake for about 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The big tip here is not to over work the dough.  If you want a flaky crust, keep your paws off as much as possible.  Just add enough water to combine the flour butter mixture and that is it – otherwise it will be stocky and hard to roll out.

On to the Race

As I mentioned on Friday, Mrs. Zesty was running in a half marathon this weekend.  A few people were sending her well wishes and asked for an update so I thought I would fulfill the request.  Overall the weather was nice but it was fairly cool with a stiff breeze.  Janet did extremely well.  Her time was 2:13.46.  I am super proud of her! Me, the kids along with the in-laws provided support every step of the way (via car).  Great Job J!  Mrs. Zesty is below on the right!

Here is a shot of Zesty Jr. and Mrs. Zesty at the Spud Run on Saturday.

Well that was a post somewhat all over the map but I hope you enjoyed it and have a great Monday.  I will be back in the morning for another riveting write up.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.  It was a very very cold weekend here and therefore was a great excuse to do some good old fashion baking as well spend some quality time with the family.

Contest Winners

Lets get the day started with our contest winners! After a very strong response to my giveaway post for 2 copies of the great book “FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY” we officially have our winners.   The random number generator popped out 147 and 161 which corresponds to:

VeganLisa                      Teeni

I just want to say Congratulations to Lisa and Teeni and thank you to everyone who participated. It was a lot of fun seeing all the comments, link backs as well as new subscribers. Stay tuned for another giveaway in February.

Homemade Turkey Pot Pie

After any turkey day, for as long as I can remember, we’ve always had a ton of left overs.  All kinds of leftovers in the form of vegetables, gravy, turkey etc.  Sometimes I have a craving for an old fashioned turkey pot pie to utilize some of those ingredients.

Below is a simple little recipe that tastes great on its own or with a quick and simple Caesar salad on the side.

Ingredients

FLAKY TENDER PIE CRUST (makes enough for two pies 9″ diameter)

• 2 – 4 tablespoons ice water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• Egg wash of 1 yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon water

PIE FILLING

• 1 cup of gravy
• 1/2 cup cooked carrots (chopped or sliced)
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup peas
• 3/4 cup chopped turkey meat (cooked)

Method

1. In a large bowl, stir together one cup of flour, sugar and salt. With a hand-held pastry blender, cut butter into flour until butter is dime-sized.
2. Add shortening, cut into mixture til dime-sized. Lightly stir in remaining flour. Sprinkle with half the water. With a full palm, squeeze flour together against side of bowl.
3. Rub hands together to drop damp flour into mixture. Add just enough water to hold together; the less water the better, dry crumbs on the bottom are good.
4. Refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375F.
5. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Cut dough in half, return second piece to fridge. Sprinkle dough with flour. Working in just one direction, roll dough into an oval the diameter of the pie plate plus its sides. Slip a bench knife beneath the dough to loosen, turn 90 degrees. Roll again to form a circle. Brush off excess flour.
6. Bake bottom crust until golden brown.
7. Prepare filling in a bowl by adding gravy, corn, peas, carrots and turkey.  Mix together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Roll out top crust. Fill bottom crust with your filling. Gently flip top crust over filling, brush off excess flour. Trim excess pastry, then turn under and press to form and seal the edge. Crimp decoratively. Slice top to vent. Brush top (but not edges) with egg wash.
9. Bake 35 minutes or until top crust is golden brown and juices inside are bubbling.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes prior to slicing.



11. ENJOY!

I really hope you enjoyed today’s post.  I want to thank everyone for participating in the contest and send out a special congratulations to the winners.  Have a great week and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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Yes you read the title right, Zesty made beer bread!  I had a few requests for this recipe so I thought that I would share it with you.  No yeast, No rising, simply dump in the ingredients – give it a mix and drop it in the pan. Can you really get any easier than that?

I was thinking about making this all day long at work. As soon as I got home, I ran in the house, dropped my stuff and got right to it.  Oh so simple, I could not wait to share.

This bread would be ideal to go along with a nice hearty stew or even along side a nice pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups White Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 4 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Butter (Melted)
• 12 Oz. Beer (you can use whatever kind you like)

Method

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together.







3. Add beer and mix thoroughly until dough is still.



4. Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan.



5. Drizzle the melted butter over the top



6. Bake until golden brown (approx. 60 minutes).
7. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.





8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a “hard biscuit”.  If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to place the flour into the 1 cup measure.

So there it is… possibly the easiest loaf of bread I have ever made.

Comments that were said as teeth sunk into this morsel of goodness were “WOW, this is amazing”, “The crust on top and bottom are so good”,  “I love it”.

I pass this recipe on to you as one to try in your kitchen in the near future.

I hope you have a great Tuesday!  If you are new to zesty and have not entered in the giveaway contest, be sure to get your name in the draw.

Take care

zesty

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This past weekend was a special weekend as we attended a 65th birthday for my aunt. There was a lot of food preparation of course as the party was for about 50 people. I was asked to bring a pork roast, which in my mind I was more than happy to do that.

The weather is cooling down here so I decided to go with the oven method for this roast. When cooking large pieces of meat I usually always opt for the low and slow method. I added a dry rub the and let it sit for about 20 hours prior to roasting. This allows the rub to penetrate the meat and add even more flavor.

The recipe for the rub is:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 3/4 teaspoon ground savory
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt to taste

So as for the cooking technique…. it doesn’t get much simplier.  I add the meat to a roasting pan and preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  I like to let the meat rest for a few minutes on the counter and it does not tense up coming directly form the fridge and then into the oven.  I cover it and let it roast for about 20 mins per pound ( depending on the size of your cut)  I also like to remove the cover 3/4 through the cooking time to allow the rub to form a crust.  When cooking for a crowd or anyone for that matter I like to check the internal tempreature of the meat using a meat thermometer just to be safe.  As you all know, pork can be cooked with a hint of pink and also remember, the meat will continue cooking once you take it from the oven.  Once you do remove the meat from the oven, be sure you cover the pork with tin foil to allow the juices to stay inside.

Once covered for 15-20 minutes you are ready to slice and enjoy.

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Well as we all know – great pizza starts off with a great crust/dough.  Below is a simple quick recipe I tend to use if I make it from scratch.  If I dont make it from scratch I usually purchase “pizza dough” from a bakery or grocery store.  Totally up to you – but I tend to go for homemade.

Ingredients

• 1 package dried yeast (1½ tsp – 8ml)

• 1/2 tsp sugar (3ml)

• 1½ cup lukewarm water (375ml)

• 3½ cups white flour (500 gm)1½ tsp salt (8ml)

• 1 large egg

• olive oil

Instructions

Sprinkle yeast and sugar into warm water and mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until mixture begins to bubble. Combine flour and salt in large bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in yeast mixture and beaten egg and gradually work in the flour to make a dough.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic – at least 5 minutes. Use only enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.

Place in lightly oiled bowl, turn dough to coat with oil and cover with a clean cloth.

Allow to rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in volume. Punch down and then use as directed in recipe. (Use rolling motion with fists to force-stretch dough to size of pizza pan)

Building the Pizza

I first started off with a simple tomato sauce,not too much we dont want the pizza dough to get wet and soggy. After that I always put a little cheese on there – for this pizza i went with some fresh parmesan cheese down, followed by some really good pepperoni, pineapple and mushrooms.

I then topped that with some mozzerella cheese and baked in my new fancy toaster oven until bubbly and brown. Once baked perfectly, I removed it from the oven and topped it with fresh tomatoes and some shredded parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

I must say it was a very good pizza and of course the toppings are endless and definitely customizable to your tastes. Give it a try and let me know what you thought. I would love to hear other peoples tips and tricks to great pizza.

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