Ever feel that you are running out of meal ideas with certain foods?  That happens to me sometimes so I try to step back and think about different ways to use that certain ingredient.  The last thing you want to have happen is that you get bored with a great food.  The food of choice today is “Tomato“.  I never used to like tomatoes but as I grew older I have found a new love for them.

I am not a huge fan of the tomato on just any given deli sandwich however but I do love tomatoes roasted, in sauces and on certain sandwiches with cheese.  I just compiled a simple list that I came up with on ways I like to use tomatoes.

Hopefully they will spark your interest to try them.

7 Ways to Use Tomatoes

1. No-Cook Pasta Sauce – In a large bowl combine several chopped tomatoes, a clove or two of minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil to coat tomatoes. Add hot pasta and toss to coat pasta. Bits of fresh mozzarella can be added – they will get a bit melted  when tossed with the hot pasta. At the very end you can add red chili flakes, basil, and freshly shredded Parmesan are all tasty additions as well.
2. Grilled Tomatoes – Slice the tomatoes nice and thick, coat with a little olive oil – season with salt and pepper and grill for 4 mins on each side.  Yum!
3. Toasted Tomato and Pesto Sandwich – Spread two slices of your favorite sandwich bread with your favorite pesto (need a favorite? try this pesto), top one pesto-ed slice with several meaty slices of tomato, sprinkle with salt, sandwich, and enjoy!
4. Simple Salsa – Make your own fresh salsa by tossed chopped tomato with your choice of the following: minced red onion, minced garlic, finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chiles. Add salt to taste. A splash of red vinegar can be tasty, too.  Another addition can be some fresh avocado as well.



5. A Kicked Up BLT – This is a classic with a twist.  This takes a little bit of effort but is so worth it.  I like to take two slices of a thick homemade bread, toast it, top with a little butter and a nice piece of cheddar cheese. After that I add the fresh romaine lettuce, juicy red tomatoes and crisp bacon.  I top it with freshly ground pepper and enjoy!



6. In a Salad – Any salad of your choice – tomatoes are a great addition. Keep it simple and dress it just before serving.
7. Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice - This one is a great fun recipe on a cool day.  Scoop out the insides of the tomato.  To prepare the filling use cooked rice, oregano and ground beef ( or you can omit)  Top with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

So there you have it!  My top 7 ways to kick up the regular tomato.  Let me know if you have any other great ways to kick up the tomato in the comments section.  I will be back tomorrow - Have a great Wednesday.

I am off to New York… and will blog from the BIG Apple on Friday!

Take care

zesty

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The end of the week is here… one must return to a normal life. But not until I share with you a Greek feast that will make your mouth water. On Wednesday night we were invited down to our friends camper for a little Greek. A little Greek was sure an understatement. I ate way too much and I had to unbutton my shorts in hope that I could stand up without exploding.

The lineup included homemade tzatziki, warm fresh pita rubbed with olive oil and done up on the grill, pork skewers, chicken skewers, amazing Greek salad and a couple of beers to wash it down.  Combining the tzatziki, chicken and pork with a bit of the salad on the warm pita bread to create a souvlaki… was out of this world.  I inhaled 4 of these bad boys plus a couple of servings of salad…. hence why the unbuttoning of the shorts.

The flavor was amazing. I ate so much that the next day when I woke up, I could smell garlic oozing out of my forearm… haha oh well. Live life and eat well.
I want to include the whole meal in this post even though I should break it out into three posts so you can get all the details. So first I will start with the tzatziki and move on from there.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 500mg Tub of plain yogurt, strained over cheesecloth
• 1 Cucumber, seeded, peeled and grated
• 2-3 Cloves garlic, grated
• 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Place a bowl underneath a strainer. Set the cheesecloth over a strainer and pour the yogurt inside and let starin for a few hours.
2. Peel and seed the cucumber and than grate it on a towel. Once grated, ensure that you squeeze the water out of the cucumber. This will prevent the sauce from being to thin.
3. In a large bowl, add the strained yogurt, the cucumber, olive oil, garlic, vinegar and salt and pepper.
4. Mix well with a fork and taste for seasoning.
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Do not mix with anything but a fork as it will remove more moisture from the cucumber and make the sauce thin. Leave the food processor away and go old school.

Chicken and Pork Marinade

(Based on 2lbs of both pork and chicken)

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 Head of garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Oregano
• 2 Tbsp. Cumin
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cut your chicken and pork into cubes and set aside. Depending on the amount of chicken and pork create the marinade accordingly.
2. In separate bowls place the chicken and pork. Toss in half the ingredients in each bowl.
3. Mix and cover with saran wrap for up to 4-5 hours
4. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes and let start placing the meat on the skewer. Once assembled, preheat the grill and set the skewers on to cook.



5. Let these brown on each side turning occasionally. Cook time is about 10-12 minutes.



6. ENJOY

Greek Salad

This salad was awesome. Simple and fresh but the flavor was out of this world. Crisp romaine lettuce, red onion, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, oregano, some olive oil and fresh salty feta cheese. YUM.

We left the olives off to the side as there were some nay-sayers on the olives. This is definitely a salad to have at least once a week. Amazing.  I actually was so excited to eat I forgot to take a picture of the final plate with the souvlaki…. oh dear.

I am heading back to the campground.  I just popped home to drop off some laundry and post for you.  Not sure if it is a beach day as of yet but we are having a big barbecue party tonight… I will fill you in next week.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday and welcome to a new week!  I was unsure what to share with you today because I have so much in the hopper and ready to go and there is so much going on in the coming weeks.  As you know from last week, September 1st marks the start of HELP THE STUDENTS event and I cannot wait.  It will be a one month series, featuring simple, quick meals that anyone can prepare with simple everyday ingredients.  They will also focus on being cost effective as well as packing lots o’ flavor.

Before we get into today’s recipe which I pretty much love – I want to share some feedback I have heard over the blog in the last few months both positive and negative.  The positive feedback just reassures me that I am doing something I love and will continue to do.  The negative feedback is what I really love.  Sound bizarre?  Not really.  I find the negative information drives me to deliver a better blog, add more value for you the reader and an enhanced experience for all to enjoy.

Positive Feedback

• Amazing Photography
• Tasty recipes that I can actually make
• Love the Zesty Tips
• Fun to read

Negative Feedback

• Not enough Vegetarian recipes
• Want more posts each week
• More pictures of zesty and his family
• Would love to see more E-books of recipes

On to the Food

Ever need an idea oh how to use up a fresh summer pineapple in a different way?  I know myself I have the hamsters moving in my head all the time to come up with innovative ideas to use fruit in the summer to impress both my palette and yours.

Most recently I had a gorgeous fresh pineapple from the farmers market and I knew I wanted to grill it.  By grilling fruit, the sugars inside caramelize so well and give you that sweet warm texture as you bite into them.  For this quick recipe all you need are a few ingredients and about 10 minutes to whip it up.  I have tried this twice now, so far and it has been a hit each time.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Pineapple ( sliced and cored)
• Vanilla Ice cream
• Pink Peppercorns (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
• Orange zest

Method

1. In a bowl add butter and brown sugar and microwave for 30 seconds.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat
3. Coat the pineapple in the borwn sugar butter glaze and place on grill.  Stay close as it will cook quickly and you do not want it to burn
4. Once golden brown, remove from heat and top with Vanilla ice cream, a few pink peppercorns for a bite and some fresh orange zest.
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a little crunch, try adding some toasted walnuts, peanuts or even pecans to elevate the flavor and texture combination even more.

I hope you enjoyed this quick spin on fresh fruit.  See you on Wednesday for the Help the Students event kick-off.

Take care
zesty

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Happy Monday!  I am on the road again this week visiting clients in Mississippi and West Virginia.  Despite the travels, I have some recapping to do from the camping extravaganza from last week.  I had a blast! We had a blast!  We ate great, the weather was very nice except one rainy day and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

On to the Food

One evening we invited some friends up to the trailer for a dinner at the picnic table.  I was tossing around the menu ideas all day when I finally came up with a hoisin honey chicken breast topped with a fresh mango/pear salsa, grilled sweet potatoes with a brown sugar/butter glaze and a simple orange avocado salad.  I also did a quick grilled zucchini with a orange garlic marinade to compliment the salad.

The prep was fun and at the same time a little different and challenging with limited supplies.  Counter space was definitely at a minimum as well but indeed we did prevail.

Chicken Marinade

Ingredients

• 5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 4-5 Cilantro sprigs
• 2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tsp. Ginger
• 1 Clove garlic
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 1-2 hours before grilling.
2. Preheat grill over medium heat.
3. Place chicken and let sear on one side ( about 6 minutes )
4. Flip and continue cooking on other side until cook through
5. Remove from heat and cover with foil to let the juices move back to the center of the meat.
6. ENJOY!

Mango Pear Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 Mangoes
• 2 Pears
• 1/4 Cup cilantro ( chopped )
• 1 shallot ( finely chopped)
• 1 Tbsp.  Hot sauce
• Juice of two limes
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Method

1. Peel and chop both the mangoes and the pears
2. Place in a large mixing bowl and add all other ingredients.
3. Let flavors come together for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Place on top of bbq chicken.
5. ENJOY!

2 Way Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 3 PEI Russet Potatoes
• Fresh rosemary
• Drizzle of Olive oil
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Method

1. Peel potatoes and microwave potatoes for 9 minutes
2. Cut into medallions and place in two separate bowls
3. For the russet potatoes combine rosemary, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and mix to coat.
4. Grill over medium heat to achieve char marks and until they are fork tender with a nice crust.
5. For the sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill over medium heat.
6. In another bowl, melt butter and brown sugar in the microwave and brush on the sweet potatoes as you grill each side.
7. Cook until a crust is formed and they are tender on the inside.
8. ENJOY!

Orange Avocado Salad

For the orange avocado salad, you can refer to the full recipe.  The flavors in here are amazing and really a nice fresh flavor for the chicken and the starchy potatoes.

Zesty Tip: When preparing for a dinner party – take the time and organize the menu, ingredients and the prep time.  This will allow you to enjoy the company as opposed to sweating in the kitchen.

I am aboard the plane to Alabama and then driving over to Tupelo.  I hope you have a super Monday.  Stay tuned for a simple grilled quesadillas that impressed the pickiest of eaters.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday to you!

Let’s call the past weekend a somewhat productive weekend around the house.  I was able to get the garage set up and cleaned.  It is looking better all the time and I even got to use the pressure washer on the floor which I love to do.  We finally inked the deal and got a second car.  That was exciting.  We bought a used Mazda Protege 5 and so far are loving it.  We were also successful in sourcing a Nintendo Wii and the Wii Fit plus.  My sides and arms are killing me as we speak from boxing just a little too much and perhaps a little to intensely.  But oh my it is FUN.

Let’s start this week off with a simple shrimp recipe that you can do all year round and really impress your taste buds.  Shrimp is really easy to cook, takes hardly anytime and are good for you.  I chose to flavor them today with really two simple flavors; coconut and lime.

Do note that I did eat a lot more shrimp than in the picture.  I was having problems getting a decent picture so I zoomed in on one lonely shrimp so you could see the grilling detail.  With the coconut milk they will get nice and charred if you are not careful.

The flavors compliment each other with the sweet of the coconut and the sharp burst flavor of the lime.  I paired these shrimp with just a simple green salad and fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 20 shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Lime
• Salt
• Pepper
• Coconut Milk

Method

1. Place shrimp in a large seal-able baggie. Add the garlic, coconut milk, lime juice, salt and pepper to the bag.
2. Toss to coat shrimp evenly with marinade ingredients. Place bag in refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.
3. Preheat grill to high heat 475°F – 500°F (245°C-260°C). Oil grill to prevent sticking.
4. Place shrimp directly on the grill and cook for 1 minute per side or until nicely charred and opaque.
5. Remove shrimp from the grill. Serve hot with a drizzle of fresh lime.
6. Serve over salad
7. ENJOY!
   

Zesty Tip: Be careful not to over cook the shrimp.  I have said this numerous times before but it really is the key to success.  Also for an extra kick you could use a little bit of jalapeno pepper to enhance the flavor and make it a bit spicy.

Zest’s To Do List

Today is a bit of a crazy day but I had a pretty good enough of sleep and are ready to go.  On top of normal everyday events that happen at the office I have a ton of blog stuff to get caught up on.

1. Meet with Open Sky about sourcing
2. Work on finishing up the makeover for Mardi at Eat Live  Travel Write.
3. Multiple Logo designs on the go for numerous foodies including FoodForLa, ANutritionisteats.com and BrainGutsHands just to name a few.
4. Complete the free Makeover for Adi at Oatonomy who was the lucky Giveaway winner.
5. Work on the face lift and relaunch of Caitlin’s Operation Beautiful

A Shot of the New Second Hand Car

So there you have it… pretty much a day in the life of zesty couple with a lot of eating, a lot of water and a whole lot of smiles.  I hope you have a great day and I will talk to you later.  The announcement I spoke about is official and I will be talking about it on Thursday.

Take care

zesty

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Ever crave a good old fashion cheeseburger?  Well this kid craves them all the time.  I know it is not great for you but listen to this… How about some extra lean ground beef, a whole wheat bun, mushrooms, onions (if you like them), dash of mustard, and a splash of ketchup.  Oh wait – you can’t forget the cheese.

For my cheeseburger, I play a little game called “Hide the cheese”.  I can hear you saying “Oh dear, this zesty guy is crazy”.  Well that is partially true but hear me out.  I like to put the cheese inside the burger when I mix it.  For this I cut the old cheddar cheese up in little cubes and add it to the beef mixture. By doing so, it ensures the beef to be juicy and gooey and embed the flavor in every bite.

I went ahead and paired the burger with some savory potato wedges, some sweet potato chunks and a simple salad. They were a huge hit as always.Follow along below and check out the process.  Pretty simple but fun and let me know what you think of the zesty tip today.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef
• 2 Eggs
• Black Pepper
• Button Mushrooms
• Onions
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Cheddar Cheese

Method

1. Prepare the ground beef in a large mixing bowl





2. Preheat grill to medium high heat
3. Add eggs and pepper too beef and mix well.
4. Cut cheese  into small chunks and add to beef



5. Using your hands, incorporate the cheese into the beef



6. Form the patties to the size of your liking ( I prefer to have them a larger circumference and a thinner height)



7. Place patties onto a plate and press your thumb in the center of the burger making a slight indentation



8. Clean your grill as it is reheating.
9. Place the burgers on the grill and do not move them until a nice crust is formed.  You can do a half turn for grill marks if that tickles your fancy.





10. In a frying pan, over medium heat add olive oil and saute the onions until translucent.



11. Add mushrooms and continue cooking down until golden brown.





12. Turn the burgers over, add your favorite barbecue sauce if so desired and continue cooking until no longer pink



13. Remove from heat and let rest.
14. Assemble the burger to your liking.





15. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To prevent the burger from puffing up in the center as it cooks, I press down in the center.  Also another great tip is too not add sauce to your burgers to early. It will just burn as most sauces have sugar in them.

So I guess that wraps up the “Zesty Ultimate Cheeseburger”.  This was a really fun post to do and I hope you enjoy it!  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send me an email.  Have a great Thursday and I will see you with a weekday wrap up tomorrow.
Take care

zesty

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Today is the day!!  Our first family excursion by vehicle.  I am so excited although somewhat nervous , well not really but you know what I mean.  One of my favorite meals was on tap last night.  Nothing special, nothing fancy just some grilled beef , grilled sweet potatoes and some sugar snap peas sauteed with Balsamic Vinegar.  YUM!

Here are some shots

For the sweet potatoes, I microwave two on HIGH for 9 minutes, then slice them about an inch thick – toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and toss on the grill.

For the peas – I simply just stir fry in olive oil and toss in some balsamic vinegar and cook through (serve crunchy and hot).

Zesty Tip: Next time you grill beef – try turning the meat only ONCE ( Cook completely on one side before flipping and the end result will be juicy and rewarding).

I have a guest post lined up for tomorrow, Thursday and a fun post scheduled for Friday as I am not sure how much internet I will have through the week.  I will post you all on the trip once I return.

Take care

zesty

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This is where it all begins.  Remember that I promised a killer barbecue night at the sister and brother in law‘s?  The rest of this week is going to be dedicated to some fabulous dishes we had and Friday will cap off the total package with a final shot.

To start off the fun list of posts I am starting with what I classify as a killer pork loin with some bite.  If you like pork and you like stuffing – this pork loin is for you.  Check out the simple process and pull this off for your next dinner party.

Ingredients

Stuffing

• 8 slices of bread
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chopped Onion
• 1/2 Tsp.  Spiced Red Pepper (My first Epicure experience)

Pork

• 2 Pork Tenderloin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Butcher Twine

Method

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. Using a food processor chop the bread coarsely.





3. Preheat saute pan.
4. Add butter to pan and melt gently; add onion and begin to brown.
5. Toss in bread and basil and cook over low heat.
6. Add in spiced red pepper.



7. Add salt and pepper and cook through for about 10-12 minutes stirring often.
8. Take the pork loins, split them open and lie them flat as shown below.







9. Place the stuffing on top of the first pork loin and then seal it with the second loin.







10. Tie with butchers twine; rub with salt, pepper and olive oil.





11. Take to the grill and sear outside on medium high heat.





12. Continue cooking to desired doneness.



13. Remove and let rest.
14. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking meat that is stuffed and quite large, it is best to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat has been cooked to your desired internal temperature.  The last thing you want is for the meat to look done on the outside but uncooked when you go to cut into it.

Well I hope you enjoyed this pork post!  Stay tuned throughout the week for great dishes from the barbecue event of the year.

Have a great Tuesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Does the title just make you want to reach through your screen and have a bite? Well when I made this the other day on the freshly cleaned BBQ grill, I could not wait to sink my teeth into it. I was craving pork on the barbie topped with a rich sauce and coleslaw. It is such a dirty sandwich but ohhhhh so good.

I used to be intimidated by cooking full pork loins as opposed to little chops but really in retrospect there is nothing to be scared of. They cook very quickly, easily and are always tender. Can you beat that? Now I know I have cooked a fair amount of pork in my time on zesty but this sandwich stacks right up there with the apricot pork pasta, apple mustard chops, rosemary mustard chops.

The one thing I am not overly impressed about with this post is the picture.  I had a hard time getting a good shot of this sandwich.

Ingredients

• 1 Pork loin
• 1 Steak Bun
• 2 Tbsp. Barbecue Sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Coleslaw

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
2. Rub pork loin with olive oil, salt and pepper.





3. Sear pork loin on both sides and then turn heat down to medium ( you can also use the indirect heat method to finish cooking if you have time ).



4. Once seared on one side, apply barbecue sauce.



5. Complete the cooking process and let rest; Toast Bun while the pork rests.



6. Slice on an angle and top sandwich with pork.
7. Add Slaw.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking meat or veggies on the grill make sure to add the sauce at the end of the cooking process to avoid burning.  Think simple on the grill.

Time is running out as I prepare for Jamaica and the to do lists are not diminishing.  I am really looking forward to it but there are so many loose ends to tie up.  I hope you have a great Thursday and enjoy the pork loin sandwich.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Monday is here again!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was great minus all the cleaning we did to prepare for the open house on Sunday but oh well, things you have to do.

The weather was really cold all weekend, very very cold.  Other than scooting out for groceries and some other necessities such as chocolate covered almonds and licorice babies, the traveling was pretty much kept to a minimum.

This quick sandwich I am sharing today is a super simple staple at the zesty house.  It takes a total of 9 minutes to make which in my mind is pretty awesome.  I find the hardest thing to do is cook when you are beyond hungry.  The next time you are in that situation – this sandwich is your answer!

For grilling in the winter I use my Hamilton Beach Indoor Grill.  It is simple and easy to clean which, for me, are keys to an essential kitchen gadget.

Ingredients

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• Cooking Spray
• Baby Spinach
• Cheddar Cheese (Or whatever cheese you have on hand)
• Whole Wheat Roll/Bun

Method

1. Preheat Grill.
2. Coat top and bottom of grill with cooking spray.
3. Place chicken breast on grill and close the lid.
4. Wait for 8 minutes, meanwhile toast your bun and prepare your cheese and spinach toppings.
5. Assemble Sandwich and top with your favorite condiment (I went with the basil mayonnaise ) and a great side dish (Oven Baked Fries).



6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When using an indoor grill, I like to keep the meat as plain as possible while cooking to avoid burning and big mess.  In order to avoid having a bland sandwich, take the opportunity to kick up your condiments and toppings.

Here are some of the treats that I picked up on Saturday…. Yummm

Licorice Babies

Chocolate Covered Almonds

Ju Jubes

Macaroon Truffles

I hope that you have a great week.  I am not totally sure what to share with you for tomorrow.  Do you have something you want to see?  Tell Zesty what to make!

Take Care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty