Happy Friday and salut to you. I was kind of excited to wake up this morning and start writing this post for you. I made this little sandwich wrap on Wednesday night after work and I have been thinking about it ever since. Remember on Wednesday I posted about the slow cooked braised beef and served it with the roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Well I had two pieces of beef left over for the following day – and this is what I came up with.

I sliced the beef into pieces and warmed it back through in the frying pan but not without kicking it up a notch.  A drizzle of honey, pinch of oregano and a squirt of fresh lemon were the extras that made the pan.  After the beef was finished getting somewhat caramelized on the outside ( thanks honey) and moist and tender on the inside, I removed it from the heat and gasped at it for a few minutes.

Ok, I am ready to continue.  I warmed up a couple of pitas in the oven, grabbed some tzatiki, some feta cheese and baby greens.  The wrap was ready to assemble.  As I starting laying out the wrap I could almost taste the flavor combination and was certain I would need two of these fellas for sure.  Not too often do I say OMG after I take a bite of something but this wrap was a guaranteed 9/10.

Ingredients

• 2 Leftover Sirloin Steaks slow roasted, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1/2 Tsp. Oregano
• Juice of half lemon
• Tzatiki sauce
• Pita bread
• Baby greens
• Feta cheese

Method

1. Preheat frying pan and warm beef with a little olive oil.  As it is searing, add the honey, oregano and lemon juice.  Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes over medium heat stirring often.



2. Grab the pita bread and toss it in the oven to warm it through, maybe 3-4 minutes.
3. Assemble the wrap – smear some tzatiki sauce, beef, feta cheese and baby greens.









4. Run to the table and eat
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: In this particular case, I didn’t want the pita bread to get crispy.  To prevent that you can rub a little water on the bread before placing it in the oven.  This will act as a steaming mechanism and keep the bread from getting crunchy.

OK, I am going to head out here and prepare for the day. I hope you have a super friday and a good weekend.  Not sure what is on the go this weekend but I will be back on Monday with something to EAT.  Enjoy the weekend!

Take care

zesty

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‘ello food lovers!  Happy Wednesday!  Ever since last week I have had Greek on my mind.  Yesterday when I left work, Mrs. Zesty called and asked what we were having for supper.  We were tight on time because Tuesday is soccer night so I made a pit stop at the grocery store and went right back to Greece.  I picked up some feta cheese, some tzatiki sauce, a few fresh tortillas, some roasted chicken already cooked and a Greek wrap was born.

Quick, easy, very tasty and filled the spot in 7 minutes.  Basically the amount of time we had before soccer was calling out our name.

Ingredients

• Whole wheat Tortillas
• Chicken, cooked
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Feta cheese
• Tomatoes, diced
• Lettuce, washed and chopped
• Black pepper

Method

1. Smear some Tzatiki sauce on the base of the tortilla.
2. Start with the lettuce and tomato, than layer some chicken on top, followed by some feta cheese.
3. I add a little more Tzatiki at the top to hold it all together.  Sprinkle with black pepper and wrap it up
4. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Don’t overfill the wrap like I tend to do as it will be difficult to close and you make a mess all over your chin and shirt…. and no I didn’t do that.

Around the Blogsphere

A New Cookbook

Jeff Pirtle from Dinner Revolution has created an amazing e-book that is going to change the way we do dinner.  He has included me in a special offer for all my readers.  Normally the book retails for $27 but right now he is giving away Dinner Revolution for FREE for all the zesty readers.

What do you think of that deal? I say SUPER job Jeff and thanks so much for including zesty and all of you. To get your free copy of the book just visit here.

Blogger Fundraiser

A fellow blogger, Susan from the Great Balancing Act,  was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma and the food blog world got together with the organization from Janetha at Meals and moves and put together an online auction to raise money for Susan.

Read more about Susan and the auction that was over at Janetha’s blog.

The results were amazing, inspiring and very proud to be a part of.  Zesty chipped in and donated to full blog makeovers which raised over $1050 dollars.  Kind of exciting but the real excitement comes from the over $26,000 that was raised in a mere 12 hours through the online community.

The only words I have for that is AMAZING.

Alright, back to the grind for me.  Have a super Wednesday and we will talk soon.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday!  What signifies summer more than outdoor grilling, fresh basil, garden tomatoes, and great family and friends to join and share?  This past weekend we hosted Mamma’s Zesty birthday celebration.  It was filled with grilled pork tenderloin topped with an apricot and apple chutney, bbq turkey and beef sliders, delicious salads, roasted vegetables, fresh bruschetta and of course a big birthday cake.

The dish I want to share with you today may just be my favorite pasta salad ever.  I was contemplating flavors and browsing a few recipes online when I came across this Jamie Oliver recipe and immediately knew this would be a hit.  I had all the ingredients on hand and I knew it would match the summer theme I was going for.  I did a couple of swaps including adding some creamy feta cheese and omitting the yellow grape tomatoes and olives.

Here is the Zesty adapted version.

Ingredients

• 310g/11oz fusili pasta
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 255g/9oz red cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 Tbsp. Feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chives
• 1 handful of fresh basil
• ½ a Cucumber
• 4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, or to taste
• 7 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Throw in the pasta and cloves of garlic, boil until al dente, drain and run under cold water to cool.
2. Put the garlic to one side to use for the dressing.
3. Put the pasta into a bowl.



4. Chop the tomatoes, chives, basil and cucumber into pieces about half the size of the pasta and add to the bowl.
5. Squash the garlic cloves out of their skins and mush in a pestle and mortar. Add the vinegar, oil and seasoning.



6. Drizzle this over the salad, adding a little more seasoning to taste.



7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an even more condensed garlic flavor you can roast a whole head of garlic in the oven at 350 for about an hour.  Just cut the top of the head off, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap with tin foil.

Here are a few snap shots at some of the eats from the weekend.  We served 14 people and had a blast.

Have a super Monday and I will talk to you on Wednesday morning.

Take care

zesty

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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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Come here Friday and give me a hug!  Ahhhh thank you.  Happy Friday to you!

After visiting the new local market last week, I left with a nice pork roast that I was planning to roast for sandwiches, stir-fry and whatever else rolled through my brain. This dish was an ad hoc lunch prepared in less than 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon.

A couple of days prior, I slow cooked the pork roast for about 8 hours with a combination of Apricot Jam, Rosemary and splash of apple juice. To say the least – the meat was amazing! So tender, juicy and full of flavor.

Ingredients (Pork Roast)

• Pork Roast
• 1/2 Cup Apricot Jam
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary
• 3 Tbsp. Apple Juice

Method

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and set to low and cook for 8 hours.  Your final roast should look similar to this below.  Oh so good!

Ingredients (Pasta Dish)

• 2 Cups cooked Pork Roast
• 1 Cup Button Mushrooms
• 1 Cup Broccoli
• 1 Cup Baby Spinach
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese
• 2 Cups Spiral Pasta
• 1 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Ginger
• 2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

1. Preheat Large Pan on Medium- High Heat and add olive oil.
2. Add pork pieces and mushrooms, sautee for 3-4 minutes until the pork and mushrooms caramelize.



3. Add Ginger and Garlic, Cook for 3 more minutes
4. Add Soy Sauce and Hoisin Sauce



5. Add Orange Juice and Broccoli – stirring to coat the broccoli ( be sure to add a sprinkle of salt on the broccoli to ensure it stays bright green.
6. Add Spinach – cook for 1 minute while stirring ( If you find the hoisin sauce is sticking to the pan which is quite possible due to all the sugars – add a tablespoon of hot water to the hot pan and de-glaze the pan and get all those great flavors.



7. Add Walnuts and cooked spiral pasta (you can use whatever pasta you have on hand as well).



8. Plate and top with Feta Cheese.
9. Enjoy!

As part of the zesty tradition, I can’t wait to hear what people both think of this recipe as it is so simple but quite tasty and also what’s your favorite type of pasta. Again happy Friday and I hope you have a great weekend.

Take care

Zesty

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Happy Friday and welcome to the closest day to the weekend you can get!  Whooo Hooo.  So as of late I have been trying to eat more salads in the middle of the day instead of sandwiches and other things for lunch.  Whether it is working on the waist line or not – we shall see!  Let’s just say I really do love salads but sometimes I get tired of the same ole dressings you see inside the fridge door so most of the time I just whip up my own.

It is nothing extravagant by any stretch just a simple vinaigrette.  Lately I have been obsessed with Balsamic Vinegar! I love it.  The tartness and the flavor in such a small amount is incredible.  Here is a simple salad I whipped up.

During the excitement of building the salad, I forgot to add the walnuts before snapping the pic…. my apologies

Ingredients

• Few handfuls of Leaf lettuce
• Grape Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Feta cheese
• Red peppers
• Cucumbers
• Toasted walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp. Garlic ( crushed)
• 3/4 Cup Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Chop and toss all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Over a medium dry saute pan, slowly roast the walnuts until toasted.
3. In liquid measure or small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  I also like to use a mason jar to add it all in and throw the lid on and shake it up.
4. Dress the salad
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Dress your salads just before serving to avoid wilting of the greens and causing the salad to be soggy.  Also if you are adding nuts to the salad it is a nice idea to toast them before adding them to the salad for enhanced flavor.

So that is my salad!  No of course if you are interested in salads then the world is endless.  The varieties and possible ingredients go beyond what the mind can imagine.  If you want to participate in a Salad Challenge – go check this out.  RhodeyGirlTests is hosting a “I LOVE SALAD” Challenge.  I think I should check it out.

Question of the day: Favorite Dressing

What is your favorite dressing?  Does it depend on the greens, vegetables, or do you have a staple that you go to every time?

I am off for now but back again on Monday.  Zesty will be performing super dad duties all weekend as Mrs. Zesty is off for a girls weekend of running and shopping.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was filled family activities such as a family music lesson, shopping for furniture, a fun family dinner, lots of Sudoku and some relaxation.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  It is back to another week at the grind.

 How is your work going?  Mine seems very hectic but time is flying by and I am surviving.  I try not to complain about work because I love what I am doing and often times nobody listens when you complain.

I have been meaning to share this salad with you for a while and I keep forgetting.  It has made it to the top of my list  now and ready for display.  I was first introduced to this salad a few months ago by a Zesty -In-Law.  I really like the ingredient selection and the balance of flavors.  I am pretty sure you will have a hankering for this one when you see the details.

This was one of the features at our New Years Day potluck.

Ingredients

• 1 Pint each of red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion ( chopped)
• 1/2 Cup Kalamata or black olives
• 1/4 Cup Red wine vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 Cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
• 250g Whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 14 Cup raisins
• 1/4 Cup Toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Cut tomatoes in half, then place in a large bowl.
2. Chop onion and coarsely chop olives; add with tomatoes
3. Drizzle with vinegar and oil.
4. Add feta, dill and dried seasonings and mix well; Let stand at room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions.  Add raisins to the boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking.
6. Before draining pasta, remove 1/4 of pasta water.
7. Drain pasta and raisins then add to tomato mixture and stir.  If you find the pasta too dry, add a little bit of water.
8. Taste and add more cheese and dill if desired.
9. Spoon into bowls and top with toasted pine nuts



10. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a slightly drier version of the salad you can omit the olive oil and just go with the red wine vinegar.  Zesty in law did just that and it was fabulous.

I was really impressed with the tomatoes in the salad.  I am not a fan of olives at all but I didn’t mind them in this salad for some reason.  I think my favorite part had to be the feta cheese and the fresh tomatoes.  This is a huge success in the summer when you can use your garden fresh grape tomatoes.

What is your all time favorite pasta salad? I am always on the look out for a great pasta salad that can be made on a Sunday and ready to eat through the week when you are in a pinch.  Tell me yours in the comments.

I hope you have an awesome day today.

Take care

zesty

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Let the planning begin!  After the big news of the house finally selling and things moving forward, yesterday was packed full of planning.  I made some calls, met with the architect, and had a meeting last night with the builders. I really am getting pumped up about this process.   I was even so excited that I went to staples and bought a big day organizer so that I can keep all my contact information, quotes and scheduling.

I received a special delivery in the driveway yesterday after my first phone call – a 48 foot tractor trailer. We are going to store our stuff in the trailer until we get the house complete.  This means we are homeless as you might have wondered.

But what are parents for really?  To the parents we go… in the interim.  The only part of this process I am dreading thus far is the packing and loading of the tractor trailer for storage.  But you never know… I may pick up the phone yet and hire someone to load it after we pack it.  I will keep you posted.

Needless to say, yesterdays food plan was a bit of a write off.  However I did have the chance to roast some grape tomatoes in the oven and prepare a pretty fun salad.  This salad, in my mind, screams summer.  It basically consists of three main ingredients – tomatoes, feta cheese and pasta.

It is dead easy to make, has a great flavor combination and really hits the spot.

Ingredients

• Grape Tomatoes  (roasted )
• Feta Cheese
• Roitini Pasta ( cooked )
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl, add tomatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper; toss to coat;
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add tomatoes; bake until soften and roasted.
4. Cool tomatoes and then coarsely chop.
5. In a large bowl add pasta, tomatoes, feta cheese, parsley and toss gently.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When adding dressing to salads, even as simple as olive oil – it is a great idea to dress it warm to enhance the flavor and have the flavors amalgamate quicker.

Happy Friday to you and I hope you have a great weekend.  I will see you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Thursday!  Can you really believe it is Thursday already?  Hard to believe I know… so much going on these days that it’s all a blur.  So before we get into the food – I thought I would give you an update on zesty gear sales.  They are not selling as fast I would have hoped but I realize that I need to get some more exposure and more reach.  If you are a blogger, feel free to mention it on your blog as it would be greatly appreciated.

Now onto the food..

I wanted something quick, fresh and spring like so I chose a simple salad with nice big chunks of feta cheese, topped off with a pungent balsamic vinaigrette.  It was easy to throw together and it works great as a side dish or even as a quick meal in a rush.

Ingredients

• Fresh Romaine Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Chives
• Cucumbers
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Prepare all vegetables and toss them in a bowl.
2. Add vinegar, oil, basil, mustard, salt and pepper  to a large bottle and mix thoroughly.
3. Drizzle with dressing or dress the empty bowl with the dressing and add the salad to the dressing.  Toss gently.
4. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making dressings from scratch, make enough in advance and save it in the fridge for future use.  Just give it a good shake before using and it should last up to a few weeks.

I realize as I wrote the beginning of this post – it may come across as if I am begging you to buy zesty gear – I didn’t mean to portray that image.  I am just really focused on making a positive impact on the Food Bank as it is a great cause.  I just wanted to reiterate that.

I still have not decided what to do with the breakfast for 50 as of yet so if you didn’t have a chance to vote or leave your ideas in the comments please let me know.  I will soon have to make my mind up and prepare for that.  I hope you have a great Thursday and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Tuesday!  I have been meaning to prepare some quick dips for entertaining around the holidays for a while now and for some reason it just gets pushed down on my list of things to do.  That is, until now.  I am about to share with you a super simple Greek dip that is always a huge hit at the parties and family functions.

This dip is so versatile and quick to make.  Next time you are heading to a potluck or a gathering sign yourself up for an appetizer and try this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Block Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Dill
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
• Chopped Green Onions
• Chopped Cucumber
• Diced Black Olives
• Diced Tomatoes

Method

1. Mix cheeses, yogurt and spices until blended smooth (either in a food processor or by hand).
2. Pour mixture into dish and spread evenly.
3. Top with fresh vegetables.
4. Enjoy!

I like to serve this dip with homemade toasted pita chips.  Simply break up some pita bread and throw it on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees turning once until crispy.  This is a great dish… give it a try.

I hope everyone is having a great week thus far.  I look forward to sharing another party appetizer tomorrow.  Have a great day and good luck finishing your shopping.  Don’t forget about Zesty’s present.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty