Welcome to Mid Week Wednesday!  I have nothing exciting in my life to report except… work work work and some upcoming travel to the DC area.  So I thought I would get right to the point and chit chat about some homemade whole wheat chicken noodle soup that very well might loosen your socks.  I don’t want to come right out and say that it will knock your socks off but I am pretty sure they will be loosened.

A simple concept for sure – packed with flavor and missing all the sodium!  What a treat.  I can honestly say that the results were spectacular as I was only able to get one bowl of soup from the huge pot.   Let’s just say Mrs. Zesty and family enjoyed this one.

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb Whole chicken ( roasted and separated)
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Cups carrot ( chopped)
• 1 Cup Celery ( chopped)
• 1 Cup Onion ( chopped)
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Ginger
• 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme ( optional )
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 4 Cups chicken stock ( I used Organic Chicken stock )
• 3 Cups water
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 2 Bay Leafs
• 1 500g Bag Egg noodles

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare the chicken to be roasted.  Clean the cavity, salt the inside, add a bay leaf to the cavity and splash a dollop of butter on top.





2. Roast until cooked through and browned nicely 9 about 20-25 mins/lb.  Remove from roaster and let cool





3. In a large saucepan preheated to medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic and ginger







4. Let the onion cook down for a few minutes until becoming translucent



5. Toss in the carrots and celery and continue to cook for 7 minutes.





6. Pull all the chicken off the bird and chop into small pieces and set aside.



7. In the sauce pan, start adding your flavor – dried thyme and remaining bay leaf.
8. Toss in the chicken
9. Add the chicken stock and water and let simmer for 45 minutes.



10. Stirring occasionally and testing the seasoning adjust prior to adding the noodles
11. Drop in the noodles and stir to mix.



12. Let the noodles cook through another 10 minutes.



13. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I think the best thing about this dish is that is freezes well and will last the whole week for lunches and or suppers.  Drop it off to your friends or just eat it all yourself.  This is true comfort food that doesn’t take long to make and is super easy.

The Mandolin Slicer Winner

Let’s put our hands together and rise off the chairs for Georgeann from Hurst, TX. Also, the coupons have a few extra days before they expire so make sure you pick up your own mandolin for the kitchen.  Thanks for everyone who entered the contest.  I believe the turn out was successful.  Georgeann – your mandolin is on it’s way.  Make sure you tell me what you think.

I hope you enjoy the chicken noodle soup.  This was my first time using the whole wheat egg noodles.  I did enjoy them and would likely do it again.  In hindsight I would reduce the number of noodles next time for the amount of broth.

I hope you have a great Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

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Did the post title grab your attention?  When I heard this was on the menu as one of the courses for Football Sunday I could not help but feel my mouth water.  I do love ravioli but when you add bacon – it simply kicks this up to an all new level.  What I found pleasantly surprising about this dish was the pea sauce.  It may sound unique and different but it tastes amazing.

Today was an absolute zoo at both work and the house and I find the time keeps flying by during the whole day.  I am working at 10 and 11 o’clock every night as it is the only real time I have.  We are really coming down to the crunch with the house and I am trying to schedule everyone at a particular time to work with our completion date of December 10th.  Between you and me I am not so certain we are going to pull it off.  The bank representative is coming out on Tuesday for the final walk through for his completion report.  If all goes well we will do the final draw of funds on Thursday.  I will keep you posted throughout the coming days on this saga but for now we better get onto the food.

Zesty in law really stepped it up a notch on this one. I think you will love this recipe if you have the time to prepare it.

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 Tsp fresh black pepper
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Cup minced onion
• 1/2 Tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 Tsp dried rosemary
• Sirloin 3/4 lb, finely minced
• 1/4 Cup mushroom duxelle – 1 cup mushrooms, finely minced and slowly cooked with 2 Tbsp butter until mixture is reduced and dry. This mixture is a great thing in the fridge to boost flavors to food and sauces.

Ravioli

• 1-1/2 Cup all purpose flour
• 2 Eggs

Pea and bacon Sauce

1. 1 Cup fresh or frozen peas
2. 1/2 Cup heavy cream
3. 1/2 Tsp minced garlic
4. 1 1/2 Tbsp minced onion
5. 1 Small pinch Herbs De Provence
6. 1/4 lb Bacon minced and crisped.

Method

1. In olive oil slowly cook first five ingredients until onions are soft then add minced sirloin. Cook until meat barely cooked. Add mushrooms and cool mixture.





2. For ravioli make well with 1 cup flour on counter and break eggs into the center.  Mix eggs and slowly incorporate the flour. There should be excess flour, use as needed. Knead until a clean finger poked into the mass comes out clean and easily.



3. Shape by rolling into thin using a machine, adapter or hand.



4. Cut in to shapes and add stuffing. Wet edges and seal.







5. Dry the noodles slightly. Cook in plentiful water that has been well salted.
6. For sauce crisp bacon, drain paper towels and set aside.
7. Soften onion and garlic, add herb mixture.



8. Add peas and cream and simmer about 3 minutes, do not let reduce to much.





9. Puree mixture or pass through a fine sieve and reserve the sauce. Add bacon just before saucing the ravioli.





10. ENJOY!

Well I am heading out to the house tonight to check in on progress.  I hope you have a great Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Wednesday! As I write this, I am still in Antigua and was able to take some more pictures of the beautiful scenery while out at lunch yesterday. The weather has been excellent as well as the food. I tried to take a couple of pictures of my lunch at “THE STICKY WICKET“.   Cricket is very popular here and this place is connected to the ever famous Stanford 20:20 Stadium. I attached the pictures near the end of this post.

Well remember how I promised to feature some baked goods this week?  This post will not let you down!  Before we begin, lets talk about these little morsels of goodness.  I first had these when I was a little grasshopper compliments of my grandmother who, as you might have guess by the title of this post, was French.

To describe galettes, they are like biscuits but with a tighter texture and more compact. The addition of a little bacon fat make these “UNBEATABLE“.   Whether you push a little indent in the middle of these for some molasses, smear some butter on them or dip them in your next over easy egg yolk – you will fall in love with these and possibly become addicted.

These are not the easiest treat to make as they are a cross between a homemade biscuit (which are pretty simple) and a homemade roll ( which can be time consuming due to the kneading process).

Ingredients

• 4 Cups white flour
• 2 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 Cup butter (plus a little bacon fat if you have some)
• 1/2 Cup-3/4 Cup ice cold water

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 400 F.
2. Add the first 4 ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine well.
3. Add enough cold water to make it stick together.
4. Let stand 1/2 Hour.
5. Knead dough (2 minutes) then cut into small chunks.
6. Once in small chunks, begin to knead each piece and shape into a small circle as if you were making rolls.
7. Place on an non greased cookie sheet and bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes)



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When working with dough, there is a fine line with “over – working” the dough which will cause the galettes to be tough. Take your time and experiment and when in doubt, under work the dough and you will be OK in the long run.

I really hope you enjoy the family pastry and I hope you try it in your kitchen.

Antigua: Day 2

A view outside the Sticky Wicket

A closer view outside the Sticky Wicket

A view inside the Sticky Wicket

Warm Foccacia bread to start

The Sticky Wicket wrap and Fries ( avocado, beans , chicken, tomatoes... yummy)

A shot from the field grass

The back entrance to the wicket

The Cricket Field

Have a great day

zesty

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It’s Tuesday and I’m spending it in Antigua!  Lets just say it is a whole new world over here, simply gorgeous.  It is hard to believe how time flies when you are busy and having fun.  I just landed here yesterday and I will be gone again tomorrow… but oh well.  It is a nice place to visit and enjoy the views.  I am staying at the Buccaneer Beach Club which is very nice to say the least.  I have my own little villa which you can see below and I am about 17 steps to the beach.  That is tough to beat.  I posted some pics at the end of the post for you to see… now on to some great cookies.

As with yesterday’s fatayer I wanted to focus on baked goods this week.  With that being said, I have a fun simple cookie that you will love – a versatile peanut butter cookie.  Whether you want a crunch, a soft chewy texture, chocolate or butterscotch chips, this cookie can handle it.  Next time you are in the mood for a homemade cookie, I suggest you try these.

To compliment the salty flavor from the peanut butter, you can try adding a handful or two of chocolate in any form or even butterscotch.  Let me know what you think of these peanut butter cookies.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup shortening (chilled)
• 1 1/4 Cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tbsp.  milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 Cups white all purpose flour
• 3/4 Tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 Tsp. salt

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 375 F.
2. Cream peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture above slowly and beat at low speed until mixed thoroughly.
4. Drop from a spoon onto non greased baking sheets.
5. I pushed down with a fork to ensure the crispy texture.
6. Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes until set and lightly brown.  These are very similar to the chewy chocolate chip cookies for me as I take them out when they just start to brown as I don’t want them to dry out and become crumby.
7. Cool slightly and set on cooling rack.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you want your cookies to have a crunch, push them down with a fork like these ones.  They will firm up quicker and offer the great texture you come to expect in a homemade peanut butter cookie.  If you want them softer and chewier, drop them from a spoon, use creamy peanut butter but forget pressing them down.

Since we’re finished with the recipe, I figure that you might be curious about my trip to Antigua.  I’ve included some pictures below.

Zesty in Antigua

A view to die for

Does it get any better than this?

The walkway to my Villa and down to the beach

Outside the Villa

Outside the Villa... Again

Inside the Villa

Question of the day? What is your favorite drink with a fresh baked homemade cookie?  Is it milk?  or tea?

Have a great day today and I hope this lightened your day and made you smile.

Take care

Zesty

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Happy Friday!  Wow – what a week.  As of 12:03am this morning I made it home.  I had some problems getting internet connection at the airports today so I am putting this post together on very little fuel.

I have been wanting to post this beef barley stew for a couple of weeks now but I keep forgetting.  That is until now.  With the recent stint of cold weather this wholesome comforting dish will make you warm from the inside out.

This recipe is compliments of my mom.  It is really an easy dish to make with either fresh stew meat or left over meat from a roast.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
• 1 cup medium pearl barley
• 1 Tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 Tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 Tsp. pepper
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1/4 Cup each frozen green beans and corn

Method

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown meat on all sides and onion in oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the broth, barley and seasonings; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add carrots and potatoes; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-40 minutes or until meat and carrots are tender.
6. Stir in frozen green beans and corn at the very end.
7. Check for seasoning
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Try making your own broth and freezing it.  When you have a chicken or roast next time, save the bones and boil them in water for about 2 hours with celery, onion and carrot and then strain the stock and store in ice cube trays for instant homemade stock.

I am back at the office today – so I will be able to catch up on comments, emails and all the great blogs out there.  Thanks so much for stopping by and by all means do not forget to sign up for the giveaway.  Leave a comment and enter to win.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend… the holidays are fast approaching.

Take care

zesty

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Ever since I was a little boy, I always loved raisins. Whether they were right from a box, inside pastry, added in main courses or in my favorite… bread - I always loved them. Raisin bread is on e of my favorite things to eat. Freshly sliced with a butter on top….. I could eat it all the time. Now I tend not to get raisin bread that much at the bakery/grocery store but from time to time I like to indulge.

But this time around I thought I would try and make a loaf from scratch - it is an old family recipe and sometimes we use to add walnuts. I am not crazy about walnuts on their own but inside this bread they are actually quite tasty. They give the bread a nice texture as well. So below is the recipe for zesty’s raisin walnut bread - I hope you enjoy it!!

Ingredients

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 cups lukewarm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together honey and 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water.
2. Add whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups of white flour and salt. Stir until well combined. Add enough of remaining white flour until dough leaves sides of bowl.
3. Sprinkle flour on a flat dry surface. Turn dough onto the surface and knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic. Don’t make the dough too dry.
4. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with damp cloth and set aside in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
5. Punch dough down and turn on to floured surface. Knead raisins and walnuts into dough. Shape (round, long, square,) into 1 large loaf and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 425°F. Using a spray bottle spray loaf with water. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on rack before slicing.

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Their system of paying before you are seated takes the guesswork out of the process. The dinner was a thunderous bargain for the money.

They were attentive, and sat us at a table of our choosing. The waitress was there in a flash to take our tickets, and the order for our drinks. First off the buns baked in a muffin type pan, they were big, light, fluffy and very tasty not to mention warm from the oven.

The all you can eat mussels, with the drawn butter were great, and the refills we had made us think we would not eat our lobster, but we did. After the mussels came the homemade seafood chowder and beef barley soup. I went with the chowder – I must say it was delicious. After the starters came the salads – coleslaw, potato salad and garden salad – very tasty but just a preliminary to the big dance.

The lobster was next. It was hot, juicy and cooked just right. The shell was cracked in the right spots, making a shell cracker unnecessary.

Then came the desserts.  All you can eat pie, cake, ice cream and frozen yogurt. They were homemade and wonderful.

 I had to try a couple of desserts just to make sure they were good!  I went with a couple of old classics – Lemon Meringue Pie and Strawberry Shortcake.  The Lemon pie was excellent and a table favorite where as the shortcake was just fair.

We almost rolled out of there with the quantity of quality food we had… Absolutely Delicious

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