Zesty Cook » food

Top 7 Foods under $1

zesty — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:00:59 +0000

Can we eat healthy and not break the bank? A couple of years ago I wrote an article about grocery prices going out of control and I still believe that is the case. Over the past couple of years especially with all the world issues, food prices have not reduced in many areas. With that said, there are still some great foods that will not break the bank and offer you lots of nutrition. I compiled a list of my top 7, added some links to foods recipes I have made using these ingredients and I would love for you to add other ones you may think of just in the comments section.

Foods under $1 Per Serving

1. Oats

High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with nuts and fruit in the morning, make oatmeal cookies for dessert.

2. Eggs

You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein.

Serving suggestions: Poached Eggs for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and leftover eggs for dinner.

3. Kale

This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch.

Serving suggestions: Chop up some kale and add to your favorite stir-fry or pasta dish or KALE chips.

4. Potatoes

Because we often see potatoes at their unhealthiest—as fries or chips—we don’t think of them as nutritious, but they definitely are. Eaten with the skin on, potatoes contain almost half a day’s worth of Vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium. If you opt for sweet potatoes or yams, you’ll also get a good wallop of beta carotene. Plus, they’re dirt cheap and have almost endless culinary possibilities.

Serving suggestions: Try Easy Breakfast Potatoes; sweet potato fries for dinner, or baked potatoes.

5. Apples

I’m fond of apples because they’re inexpensive, easy to find, come in portion-controlled packaging, and taste good. They are a good source of pectin—a fiber that may help reduce cholesterol—and they have the antioxidant Vitamin C, which keeps your blood vessels healthy.

Serving suggestions: Plain; as applesauce; or in baked goods like Apple Granola Muffins.

6. Bananas

At a local grocery store, I found bananas for about 19¢ apiece; a dollar gets you a banana a day for the workweek. High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

Serving suggestions: In smoothies, by themselves, in cereal and yogurt or of course banana bread.

7. Beans

With beans, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. Not only are they a great source of protein and fiber, but ’bonzos are also high in fiber, iron, folate, and manganese, and may help reduce cholesterol levels. And if you don’t like one type, try another—black, lima, lentils … the varieties are endless. Though they require soaking and cooking, the most inexpensive way to purchase these beans is in dried form; a precooked can will still only run you around a buck.

Serving suggestions: In salads, by themselves, or even in dips.

Let me know your thoughts on this as I really think it a a valuable post just to reiterate to you that we can still eat healthy and cut costs. Have a great day and add your comments and tell me some other food items.

Take care

zesty

Zesty Does the G!

zesty — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:00:48 +0000

Happy Friday! I have a special announcement that I wanted to share with you today. It is local news to Prince Edward Island and it marks the launch of a new free monthly magazine called the G! I have been fortunate enough to be chosen as a contributor to the magazine from the sense of food and everything about it. Needless to say I am pretty excited to say the least. I also met with the G! team and emphasized the importance of a blog in this particular time and space and worked with the folks to come up with a design that would depict the G! in a way that pops.

More details on the G!

G! A Sassy Offshoot of The Guardian is the Island’s source for ‘Infotainment’ – a free monthly magazine featuring articles, pictures and musings for a thriving demographic ages 25 – 44. Leaving the ‘regular’ news to the local daily newspapers, G! offers its readers a slightly irreverent, entertaining take on the world.

Each month, G! will feature different themes. Food, fashion, entertainment, fitness and technology will be explored by regular columnists and guest contributors. Never boring. Sassy, not serious.

Over 25, 000 free copies of G! will be available Island wide in coffee shops, restaurants, corner stores, gas stations, hair salons, grocery stores and various locations. And did we mention it’s free?

Zesty in the G!

The first issue was released to the public yesterday and there is definitely a buzz in the air. I got my hands on a few copies earlier this week and it is pretty cool. Being a part of some bigger magazines in the past for simple articles seemed really neat at the time but to be a monthly contributor so close to your community holds a special place in your heart. The first issue is titled “The Eatin’ & Drinkin’ Issue” and I focused my article on some abnormal party foods to take your house party to the next level.

It was super fun coming up with an article on this topic. I chose to feature were the ever popular and simple – “Parsnip Chips”. Remember these? Only 5 minutes to prep and super fun to eat! Here is a snapshot and a peek at the parsnips.

Stay tuned for some more fun in the G! and feel free to email or comment any questions you may have about the G! If you want to follow more closely you can follow them on Twitter or check out the new blog! Have a great weekend and if you are in Canada… Have a great long weekend!

Take care

zesty

Top 9 Party Planning Ideas

zesty — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:00:17 +0000

Hey you! End of the week is here and I wanted to switch up things a little bit and share with you some tips I try to use when planning for a get together or party. Now these ideas are nothing earth shattering or unheard of but it is just a guideline that may ease some stress around “PARTY TIME“.

For a simple centerpiece, arrange bunches of flowers ( daisies, etc in small tin buckets )
Plastic glasses and utensils make cleanup easy
When serving messy meals like ribs, use lightweight bandannas instead of thin napkins
Dress salads just before serving
Keep lots of napkins and or paper towel on hand to wipe up spills
To keep beverages cold longer, place in a full tub of ice, water and salt ( 1 Tbsp. per Quart of water )
Use checklists and try to divide up tasks among your helpers
Plan ahead and prep whatever you can ahead of time.
Have Fun while doing it

Ok, so it is 8:55 pm o’clock in the evening ( last night ) and I just realized I have a client meeting at 9:00 that I totally forgot about so that is going to eat into my evening of relaxation. Oh well – I will still try and sneak a piece of fudge and possibly some killer banana bread before hitting the sack.

Have a great weekend and I will talk to you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Zesty Buys a New Camera Plus Updates

zesty — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:00:26 +0000

The time is here! I have been wanting a new camera for a while now. After discussions with photographer friends and research online, I took the plunge and purchased a Canon Rebel XSi. I didn’t really have a lot of time to do my research as you will find out below.

Zesty on the Road

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a large pizza chain in Nova Scotia, Canada to do a photo shoot for their new website and menus. Of course I was excited but nervous at the same time. I have been shooting food for quite a while now but I would not consider myself a professional by any stretch of the imagination. So before the shoot, I decided to pick up the new camera, learn how to use it and borrow some pro lighting from a photography friend of mine.

The shoot went pretty well. There were a few wrinkles tossed in the mix with some lighting issues but I overcame them ( I think ). I am still in the middle of digitally editing the pictures to ensure the light and final product is perfect.

Here are some shots inside the test kitchen where the photo shoot was held.

Zesty in the Media

Just last week I was approached by a women’s based magazine in New Jersey, First for Women magazine in regards to featuring ZestyCook.com in an upcoming issue. The topic they were interested in was “How to organize your fridge“. I was more than happy to do the interview and answer any questions they had. After speaking with them, it seems that zestycook made the cut and will be appearing in the November issue.

I guess there is a first for everything! I have never been mentioned in a magazine before so I am looking forward to the issue. For some reason I feel like a kid inside a candy store.

Amazing Food Blogs

As mentioned earlier regarding photography, I get a lot of inspiration from reading professional blogs that take amazing food photography. A while back I wrote a post on how to take amazing food pictures and a lot of people have used those tips to enhance their work. But if you want to see some amazing shots up close and personal – you need to check out these sites below. If you know of other sites that take amazing pictures, please add them in the comments..

Happy Tuesday to you! I hope you have a great day today. I will have a house update soon as well as a couple of homemade baked good recipes to share.

Take care

zesty

Zesty does Jamaica – Hey Mon!

zesty — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:00:01 +0000

WOW! I spent last week in Jamaica and I can honestly say that it was amazing! The weather and resort was nothing short of phenomenal. Even though I had to work during the day I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I did run into a couple of issues on the technical side which made my zesty time limited. The internet was very slow to the point where it was useless. It was nice to take a break at the same time as I had all the posts scheduled before I left.

I arrived home yesterday and I am somewhat relaxed but tired at the same time. Today’s post is not about food as much as it is about my recap of last week including pictures of the resort along with some restaurant pictures.

The food and restaurant pictures will come throughout the week as I break down my visits to the A la carte restaurants and share with you the cuisine.

Location: Lucea Jamaica

Resort: Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton

Duration: 7 Days

A view from outside our room.

The king size bed.

A snapshot of the couch and my belt.

A look at the jacuzzi.

A nice handcrafted wooden art piece.

A peek inside the shower.

Yes… we stayed at Villa 32.

Breathtaking views.

Look at the water.

A nice little hut to lie down on.

The sun beginning to set.

and continuing to set…

Finish off with a sunset.

I hope you enjoyed my Jamaica recap. Have a great Monday and I will see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Zesty’s Favorites of the Week III

zesty — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:00:19 +0000

Another week has passed… and it is time for another installment of Zesty’s favorites of the week. For this week I am doing a few return picks as well as a few new blogs that I have been checking out. I think you will enjoy the line-up for this week.

I find this weeks selections have a lot of variety in both personality and style. Let me know what you think by dropping a comment and checking out these great blogs.

EzraPoundCake – If you love great recipes and a great blog… in addition to stunning photography, this one is a must see. Simply Amazing! Check out the sauce on these muffins.
Eating Bender - As a self-described “Lazy Chef,” Jenn of eating bender works to balance a crazy college schedule with the desire to create fast, easy and delicious recipes. You can see how Jenn gets in the culinary mood for fall by checking out this link.
Katheats - If you didn’t already know, Kath is a huge lover of Oatmeal… check this bowl out, it will knock your socks off!
VeggieGirl – Overall, a great blog with great veggie recipes. Talk about a cool post…. check out how to multi task.
Creative Confectionary – All I can say is WOW. This blog is something else. Witty and funny writing style, complimented by great recipes and a fun atmosphere. Jennifer really has the whole package. For some great Candy Corn Halloween Cupcakes visit today!
Carrots and Cake - Soon to have a feature post on Zesty…. I just love this blog. Any leftover apples aching to be baked. Check out this sweet little treat.
Care to Eat - A great duo of Andrea and Erin. Talk about fun and exciting to read. I suggest everyone follow this blog, you will not be disappointed! Simple ideas, great philosophy – truly a must see.
Megans Munchies - full of a variety of recipes, food finds, and food blog fun. Megan loves to be creative and come up with unique flavor and texture combinations when playing in the kitchen. As an added bonus, she tries to make all her recipes as healthy as possible! Be sure to check out this special treat
Kitchen Table Medicine - Did you know that squash was a ‘super food’
Southern Plate - Check out some old fashion American Macaroni and Cheese

Zesty Tip: When using Herbs – remember dried herbs should cook for a long period of time to maximize the flavor and fresh herbs should be used at the very end of the cooking process.

I hope everybody has a safe and happy Halloween in addition to a generic Happy Friday. I look forward to another fun and exciting week… until next week.

Take care

Zesty

Zesty's Favorites of the Week II

zesty — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:00:16 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! Well folks another week has passed and more food has been consumed. How is everybody doing? As you know, I started a ritual last week where every Friday I would feature some excellent food blogs and display some of the great content around the world.

Before we get started, I have to first say a special thank you. I received the “Premio Arte Pico was given to me by: Jo@KitchengirlJo@blogspot.com

This is an interesting one that originates from Uruguay and is called the Premio Arte Pico from a blogger who makes dolls. You can visit her site here.

The acceptance of Premio Arte Pico has some rules:

1) Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Advertise name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winner, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Share these rules.

I would like to pass this award onto:

Jenny@PickyPalate - where you will find something for even the pickiest eater around. Drop in to find great family friendly recipes and check out her nice design. Good work Jenny!
Caitlin@SeeBrideRun - here you will find not only great food ideas… but a super creative writing style that will keep you coming back for more. Great job Caitlin!
Lindsay@happyherbivore – over at Lindsay’s pad you will find great whole food recipes, interesting articles as well as a very clean design to get around. Keep up the good work Lindsay!
Heather&Mark@HangryPants – These two have got it going on… great site – great pictures you will be glad you dropped in.
Sarah&Alex@BrokenYolks – Talk about energy… these two have more energy than you can imagine. Always interesting posts and so informative. Great job guys!

Zesty’s Favorite Posts of the Week

Katheats – Pumpkin Party – Can you really beat pumpkin anything this time of year?

Dr. Nicole Sunden – 55-healthy-school-lunch-ideas – Super Ideas.. great Site

Culinary Cory – Twice Baked Potato Wedges – Potatoes anyone… oh so good!

VeggieGirl – Baing Bread? Is it possible after all – I am such a huge bread baby…. looks amazing

Megan’s Munchies – Caramel Apple Kiss Cupcakes – Caramel and Apples… zesty comes running … great post megan!

Carrots and Cake – Low Fat Baked Zita – Oh wow – some good old fashion baked pasta… bowl please!

Erin Cooks – The Sunday Saga of Ravioli – Homemade Ravioli… that is high end… awesome work Erin!

Herbs and Spices Recap

As promised, I went through and compiled all your entries and came up with the most common list according to Zesty’s Top 10 herbs and spices based on everyone’s comments. Thanks again for a great response. A lot of people had agreed or just varied slightly and there were a few that some spices that no one mentioned. Without hurting anyone’s feelings – I just went through and noted the common ones and created the new list.

Garlic
Ginger
Rosemary
Basil
Cumin
Cinnamon
Cilantro
Chili/Cayenne
Thyme
Parsley

Well I hope everybody has a fantastic Friday and a great weekend! Let me know what you think of all the great links I shared with you. Take Care

Zesty

Zesty's Favorites of the week

zesty — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:00:35 +0000

Hey folks… It’s Friday!!! I wanted to switch things up a bit and share some great blogger friends with all of you as well as pass on an award that was graciously given to me earlier this week. I am planning on doing one of these posts each week and feature a number of fun and exciting food blogs. Let me know if you think this is valuable as we share each others ideas.

Excellence Award

I was very fortunate and excited to receive the Excellent blog award from Natasha over at Healthy and Gourmet. Thank you Natasha!

So now I would like to take this time to pass it on to three great blogs. For these winners if you would be so kind and choose three of your favorite blogs and keep this award moving along.

And the lucky winners are:

Carrots and Cake – Tina over at Carrots and Cake will show you a great way to find a healthy balance in your everyday lifestyle. Go check her out – you will be very glad you dropped in. Her blog is very professional and easy to find the information you are looking for right away. Keep up the good work Tina.
Krista’s Kravings – Krista will show you a great attitude and fun and exciting ideas on how to create a healthy lifestyle and be accountable for what you eat. Krista always come off as very optimistic in her writing and is full of energy – you will be happy you stopped by and make sure you bookmark for great meal ideas.
Southern Plate – Christy will definitely show you some killer recipes from the South. Head on over to Southern Plate and I promise you will have meal ideas for many days to come. I am really impressed with the quality of recipes as well as the simplicity of them. Great job Christy!

Zesty’s picks of the week

VeggieGirl – Ever want some healthy eating ideas? How about a passion for nutritional cooking or just want to look at some great pictures? If you answered yes to any of these – i suggest stopping by VeggieGirl you will be happy you did!

The Hungry Mouse – Over at Jessie’s blog you will definitely find innovative food ideas… exceptional photography, not too mention fresh new content daily. Witty comments and a great writing style is defintely in store at The Hungry Mouse.

Megan’s Munchies – One of my first food blogger buddies – Megan is sure to serve up some outstanding recipes. Whether they are quick meal ideas for a busy lifestyle or home baked cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth you will definitely find something to your liking. If you like Pumpkin – this is the blog for you. Keep up the great work Megan.

Katheats - I happen to bump into kath’s blog about 4 weeks ago. All I can say is wow. This blog is a great read. Kath’s writing style is very interesting and for me motivational. She is very up beat and positive and has a great outlook on life. Stop by Kath’s internet haven for great healthy food recipes – you will be very happy you did!

PinkPeppercorn - Great recipes… stunning pictures… and an amazing reader experience. You will find yourself reading through all her posts. How about kicking it up at PinkPeppercorn?

Thinkinsidetheicebox - This spot has it all…. great pictures, great recipes and you can tella huge passion for food. I also found great tips and tricks in the kitchen. be sure to check out this one… you may learn something.

Exposing Kids to New Flavors

zesty — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:00:25 +0000

Have fussy children? It’s very common. Creating a game may help expose your child to different foods. The game we have came up with at our house is ” tasting one new food a day”. We just started this recently with our son (3 1/2) who is quite a picky eater. If it is not chicken fingers, fish sticks, crackers and cheese, bread with butter or cheerios and milk – you can almost forget him trying it.

This motivated us to start this new game because all kids love to play games. So the game simply consists of creating a diary for each day and having your son or daughter taste a new food that they have never tasted before. Have your child create a smiley face or a sad face beside each daily entry if they liked the food or not. At the end of each week count the number or happy faces. If the number of happy faces is 5 or greater than the child gets to eat his or her favorite meal. Children are more likely to try new foods with this reward like atmosphere and once it becomes a normal activity you will hopefully see the diary go away and this become a natural occurence for your child.

This will hopefully allow them to discover new foods they actually like and create a new bond with your children and food. Medical studies have shown that kids who develop healthy eating habits tend to be more attentive at school and have more energy while learning whether in academics or athletics.

So I suggest you try this technique or by all means let us know who if you have any other new or creative ways to get your children to try new foods. I welcome your ideas and comments as I am sure this is a very common problem for many parents out there.