PHEW what a week!  Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping in again for another food filled post.  I was unsure as to what to have for dinner on Wednesday night as I was getting ready for work in the morning – when I remembered that I had some lean ground beef in the freezer.  Every time I would open the freezer it would make a little chirp to me that it was too cold and wanted to be cooked.  I could only take that for so long so finally I took it out to thaw and here we are today.

I was kind of in the mood for a cheeseburger but was unsure because we had no whole wheat buns to go with it and really any toppings outside of mustard and ketchup but I convinced myself…. GO FOR IT!

What a reward…. take a look at this.  I topped a few with cheese and left a few without for a leftover treat that you will see next week.  I may have even impressed Mrs. Zesty to a whole new level.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean ground beef
• 2 Cloves garlic ( chopped)
• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Dried/frozen basil
• Cheddar/marble cheese
• 1 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef and all the dry ingredients and mix well together.











Have you ever tried this frozen basil before. It is amazing. So fresh and so convenient especially in the off season.



3. Form patties and place on roasting rack.





4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until no longer pink inside the meat ( you can peek if you need to)





5. Remove from oven and top with cheese; place back in the oven until melted.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking ground beef, I like to use the roasting pan with slats in it to allow the grease to follow away from the meat.  This ensures you are getting the leanest most healthy form of that particular meat.

This little treat goes well with a side of salad or just on it’s own between your favorite whole grain bun.  Heck I just eat them by itself.  Sometimes you can’t just beat a homemade cheeseburger.  What is your little trick you put in your ground beef/turkey/chicken before cooking it to add that flavor you love?

Around the Blogsphere

Well as I have been wandering around the blogsphere this week…. I have bumped into a couple of wicked recipes that are must try’s in my books.  Take a look over here and let me know what you think.

• A recipe for stove-top granola by the Hungry Yogini.  This will knock your socks off for sure and I cannot wait to try it.
• A somewhat genius idea for salad dressings can be found over at Choosing Raw.  This I have to sink my gums into.
• And last but not least… I found two things I love wrapped into one over at Joy’s site – Can you believe an Avocado Pound Cake?  YUM!

That is all I have for this week.  I hope everyone has a decent fun filled friday and a great weekend.  Today is the last day you can tell all your friends about the Blog Makeover giveaway so “Let it out” and I will be announcing the poor soul that has to work with me for a makeover on MONDAY!

Take care

zesty

Happy Friday!  As I type this post early on this snowy Friday we are getting geared up for our first snow storm of the year.  Exciting?  No not really but I guess some people like it.  So far. all schools have been canceled but I am still planning on going into work.  We are supposed to get 20 cm today which is not too bad but the wind is supposed to pick up to 80km/hr.  Since we live in a wide open area it will likely feel that there is a hurricane around us.  I am really trying to look for full grown trees to shelter around the house.

Do you think I am crazy for looking at this option?  I am not very patient when it comes to watching trees grow for 20 years before they will block the wind.

On To the Food

The title catches your eye especially if you love chicken and garlic.  This recipe is a spin on a classic roasted chicken but there a couple of techniques that really enhance the flavor compared to your normal run of the mill chicken.

The marinade in this recipe really kicks up the internal flavor of the meat and the double cooking method also forces the flavor to be enhanced.  It really is a great trick if you have never tried this method in the past.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Head of garlic
• 3 shallots
• 1 Tbsp herbes de provence
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• Small pinch all spice
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

1. Blend all ingredients except the olive oil in food processor then  add 6 tsp olive oil
2. Rub inside and outside chickens and marinate in fridge 2-4 hours.
3. Take the head of garlic and loosen but do not peel, remove papery skins. Coat with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast chicken at 350 degrees in shallow pan for 90 min or till done and for at least 1 hour
5. Add the garlic head, covered with tin foil in own pan to the oven and roast for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. Set chicken aside for at least 30 minutes.
7. Degrease roasting pan, then de-glaze with juices from resting chicken and 1 ½ cups of chicken broth.
8. Separate chicken to pieces, preserving the skin as best able, and place on boiler with skin side up.
9. Place thin slices of ½ lemon over top.
10. Pour juices into broiler pan, but not over the chicken and broil to hot (8min depending on oven).
11. Use ½ lemon remaining and add juice and reduce sauce, by ½ or till thickened, season with salt and pepper and a small amount, 1 tsp or so butter to enrich and smooth sauce.
12. Serve chicken with sauce.



13. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Don’t forget about that roasted garlic.  Serve the roasted garlic with the chicken for the garlic lovers in the house.

Big plans for the weekend?  I am pretty sure I don’t have anything major on the go.  Looks like I may be doing some shoveling for sure.  I better go get a shower and head into the office.  Have a great weekend and let me know if you have any questions about the recipe.

Take care

zesty