Before we get to today’s post….  I need to make an announcement relating to the blog in general.  It seems like we are having host issues and virus issues when using Internet Explorer to view the blog, at least on some versions of IE.  I am presently working on that and hopefully we should be up and running on a new host in a couple of days.  Also with a new and improved design.

For this week leading up to Super Bowl in Dallas, I wanted to share a few fun recipes for you and your friends to try for the BIG GAME.  They will not be over the top cool, but I think they will give you a different outlook on how BIG game football food can taste.  Go big or stay home!

So a few weeks back I was watching the food network … of course right… and took note of a fun grilled shrimp recipe with a hint of lime and red pepper flakes in the base of the marinade and then you skewer it with rosemary leaves.  I thought to myself… genius!  With that said, I thought I would give it a try.

There is not much too the marinade but the choice ingredients make for a very succulent shrimp.

Ingredients

• 16-20 Jumbo Shrimp ( Tails removed and deveined  )
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/2 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• Fresh rosemary
• Chives
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat your grill to high ( 400 Degrees)
2. Prepare your marinade by adding the oil, lime juice, red pepper flakes in a bowl
3. Take the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and toss them in the marinade for a few  minutes while the grill is heating up.
4. With the rosemary leaves, remove some of the sprigs off to create a place for the shrimp, then gently slide the shrimp onto the branch.  repeat the process until complete.
5. Once the grill is ready to go, pop them on the grill and watch them closely.  These guys will cook quickly so give them a turn after about 1 minute.  They will turn pink once they are complete but you DO NOT want them over cooked.
6. Sprinkle with a hint of chives.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking shrimp over high heat, they tend to curl up which is normal.  To keep them from creating too much of a coil, place the rosemary skewer almost lengthwise to keep them on the straight and narrow.

So there you have appetizer one of SUPER BOWL week.  I will be back on Wednesday for some more ideas on how you can have your own tailgate party at your house.  Talk soon and meanwhile I will continue working on the upgrade of zesty to make it better for you.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

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

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Another Monday gone and Tuesday begins.  I hope you had a great day yesterday.  It seems like the days are flying by even faster with the time change on the weekend.  It is getting dark so early.

I want to talk about a couple of things… one being about a killer fruit salad with a honey lime dressing and the other topic being the house.  The fruit salad is simple yet so refreshing.  I am always trying to find nice fruit all year around but it gets tougher as the season comes closer to winter.  This recipe will give you a great idea for a  breakfast/lunch addition or just something to have on hand at all times for both kids and adults.

As for the house, it is coming along quite well ( minus the window issue ).  The painters started yesterday and rolling on the primer like there is no tomorrow.  We hope to have the whole house primed and painted one coat by Thursday.

Before the update I have a funny story.  Last night we drove out to the house after work to take some new pictures on the progress thus far.  We were rushing as it was getting late so we ran up to the front door, turned the knob and looked at each other – uh oh it was locked.  We started to laugh as we both knew there was no key for the door knobs as they were just old knobs the builders had hanging around at their house.  We ran to the side door…. locked.  Back door…. locked.  Windows…. locked.  Oh dear the only reason I went to the house was to get pictures for you.  I then realized that the tiny little basement window was left open for the hoses to run outside so I crawled in there and jumped down.  All in all… too funny.

Ingredients

• Any fruit you want  ( cut into cubes)
• 1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 1 Tsp. grated lime peel

Method

1. Peel and prepare all the fruit in a large mixing bowl
2. Mix the lime juice and honey and add the lime peel at the end.
3. Toss, let rest and serve
4. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The acid in the lime juice will prevent the fruit from bruising and becoming brown in color.

House Update

As promised, some interior shots after the drywall, seam filling and now some painting.  The picture quality is not great due lack of lighting.

Upstairs Hallway

Bonus Room

Family Room

Kitchen

Interior Doors (just delivered)

Awaken your Senses Reminder

Here’s how to vote for me:

1. Go to www.youtube.com/quakertalk. Click on the VOTE tab. Click on my video entitled “Autumn Medley.”

2. Click on the BIG GREEN THUMBS UP to cast your vote. Voting closes Friday, November 6th.

3. Please tell your family and friends and pretty much everyone you know to vote too!

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Last night we had a real craving for salmon.  A few years back I was watching the food network and local chef Michael Smith as he created this coconut crusted salmon dish. 

As I watched it - I copied the recipe down on my notepad and tried it the very next day.  It was delicious! 

So every now and again when we are having a salmon craving I sometimes throw this recipe in the mix.  It is a great combination of sweetness with the salmon.  In my mind, the salsa really sets it apart and makes it a real show stopper and crowd pleaser. 

The presentation with the salsa on top of the carmelized coconut makes my mouth water.  Not too mention the salsa calls for ” juice of a lime” one of my favorite fruits. Hence the theme of my website and my name.   I hope you enjoy the recipe and feel free to try your own flavours in the salsa and let me know how you made out. 

Caribbean Coconut Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 4 x 6 oz salmon filets, skin removed
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put coconut into a freezer bag. Drop in the salmon filets one at a time and toss to coat. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with Caribbean Salsa ( recipe below )

Caribbean Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
• 1 x small red onion, diced
• 1 cup of fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Several dashes of your favourite hot sauce

 Directions:

1. Put pineapple, red onion and cilantro into a medium-sized bowl. Add lime zest and juice, oil and hot sauce. Toss well and let flavours mingle for at least one half hour before serving.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty