Zesty Cook » eggs

Zesty’s Top Ten Toast Toppings

zesty — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:32 +0000

Happy Monday everybody! I am out of the office today but still wanted to post something special and fun. I posted this 3 1/2 years ago and received a very good response as to what people liked on their toast. So I thought, readers have changed, tastes have changed – let’s ask again? What does everybody like on their toast?

Quite a title for this post… isn’t it? Well I am hoping to have an interactive post about toppings for your toast. Now of course there is plain butter but I thought I would share with you some of my all-time favorite toppings for toast. In return, I would love for each and every reader to post their favorite topping in the comments section. I think this will be fun!

Let’s keep in mind that the options are endless and it’s very difficult to narrow it down to just ten. It just so happens that I have a couple of different loaves of bread on hand so here are some of my favorites and a couple pictures.

Top Ten Toast Toppings

Apple Sauce (homemade), Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Dash of Brown Sugar – A simple dessert like toast that can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
Peanut Butter, Nutella (or any chocolate spread) and Banana – This stick to your ribs favorite will get you going in the morning.
Butter, Strawberry Jam, Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Possibly one of my all time favorite…. i love the combination of cheese and homemade jam from Mom.
Bacon, Tomato, Cheddar Cheese - A quick BLT without the lettuce… you can add lettuce if you want but I prefer without.
Almond Butter, Honey and Granola - The sweet goodness really fills you up in the morning. great combination of flavors here.
Butter, Garlic, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese - The old fashion garlic bread… can you really beat it. Serve this up with a big dish of Spaghetti
Tuna Salad, Celery, Havarti Cheese - A simple lunch that really fits the bill and is so delicious on a thick slice of multigrain bread in the toaster oven.
Butter and Poached Egg - The breakfast classic and oh so good with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice or even a berry smoothie

Brie, Cranberry Sauce and Bacon – Killer snack and even great for parties on mini toasts.
Chicken Salad, Walnuts and Diced Granny Smith Apple - One of my favorite open faced sandwiches.

Zesty Tip: When cooking toast, always try and add the topping as soon as the toast is popped and at it’s hottest point. Also if you are adding a fairly heavy topping, I like to brown the toast a little darker than normal to avoid the bread getting soggy.

So there you have it, my top ten toast toppings! I am sure that there are hundreds of combinations out there, so let’s hear them. This is a great opportunity for you to share your crazy toast toppings. You just may realize that it is not that crazy after all. Have a great Tuesday everybody. Keep Smiling.

zesty

Zesty’s Top 7 Ways to Use Bacon

zesty — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:00:18 +0000

I am working from home today with a sick boy and have a huge craving for bacon. I thought I would kick start your weekend with some pork fat goodness. You agree?

One of my top 25 foods of all time – BACON. It came to me as I was eating the breakfast all last week at Normandy Farm. Of course I scanned the whole buffet before I started to fill my plate, but I always gravitated towards the crispy bacon

Eating some breakfast and thinking about what to write, I thought that I would share with you 7 ways to cook with bacon that have been featured on zesty.

So here goes….

1. Bacon on Pizza

Whether it is traditional pizza using some leftovers or a kicked up portabella pizza – bacon is a great addition.

2. Chutney

I feature two chutney’s ( Apple Bacon Chutney and Pear Bacon Chutney ) so far and both were out of this world yummy. I attribute that to the bacon and to the slow cooking.

3. Bacon and Eggs with a Twist

One of my all time sunday morning favorites “Bacon and Eggs”. Try these fun little twists on a classic – Bacon and Eggs in a Bowl or a 2 minute Bacon Broccoli Scrambled Egg.

4. Bacon Wrapped Fruit

Once introduced to this lovely creation – I fell in love with Bacon wrapped Pineapple. Such a simple yet crowd pleasing treat.

5. Bacon in a Salad

I really do love adding bacon to many salads. I think i like the salty flavor it adds as well as the crunch. The one listed here is not your traditional salad, but this was very tasty with both the crunch walnuts and the firmness of the asparagus.

6. Bacon with Potatoes

Oh yeah – you cannot forget this incredible combination. Try kicking it up a notch at your next gathering with sweet potato skins with Bacon. These babies are amazing.

7. Bacon Mac and Cheese

Well well well… this is a must try if you love mac and cheese. The bacon really takes this over the roof and will make you very very happy.

So there you have it! A fun look at bacon and all its glory. Feel free to share this with your friends using the toolbar on the bottom. Have yourself a great Fridayand I will see you back on October…. Can you believe that?

Take care

zesty

The Power of the Hen

zesty — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:19 +0000

Good morning. A slightly different twist than my traditional post today. I wanted to talk to you about the power of the hen and the high quality food source called the “EGG”. Now I often don’t go on rants about health and protein balanced meals and if you saw my physique in full form you would know I do not frequent the gym everyday and pound protein shakes in on a regular basis. With that being said, I am a conscious eater and very much aware of what I am putting into my body. I tend to focus on things in moderation versus being overly strict with my consumption.

OK moving on to the story at hand. Eggs. Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious foods. One large egg contains only 70 calories and an incredible amount of nutrition. Include eggs as part of your healthy diet and let the facts speak for themselves!

What’s in the Egg

Eggs are actually quite nutritious. They are not just fat (yolk) and protein (white). In fact, they contain a wide array of essential vitamins and minerals. Here is what’s in an egg…

Vitamins

A: good for the skin and growth.
D: strengthens bones by raising calcium absorption.
E: protects cells from oxidation.
B1: helps properly release energy from carbohydrates.
B2: helps release energy from protein and fat.
B6: promotes the metabolism of protein.
B12: an essential vitamin in the formation of nerve fibers and blood cells.

Minerals

Iron: essential in the creation of red blood cells.
Zinc: good for enzyme stability and essential in sexual maturation.
Calcium: most important mineral in the strengthening of bones and teeth.
Iodine: controls thyroid hormones.
Selenium: like vitamin E, it protects cells from oxidation.

Benefits

There are no nutritional differences between brown eggs and white eggs.
Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein food.
Eggs are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
The egg yolk is the major source of the egg’s vitamins and minerals.
Two eggs provide one serving from the Meat and Alternatives group in Canada’s Food Guide.

Cooking Methods

Poached
Boiled
Scrambled
Fried
Hard-Boiled
Steamed
Coddled

Recipes

I wanted to share a few recipes over the past little while from myself that use eggs. There are so many recipes where eggs are the feature… below are a few.

Sources

Thanks so much for dropping in today. Eggs in my eyes are 2 things. Delicious and cheap. They are a great way to add protein in your diet for little cost and they are great for any time of the day. Look beyond breakfast when thinking eggs. Have a super Monday and I will touch base with you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty