Good morning, afternoon or night! It’s Friday morning and the frost is lining the trees.  A gorgeous start to the day. What a better way to start off your day than a balanced nutritious breakfast. Wow – that sounds like something from a parenting report or a TV commercial – but you know better.

I am really just making a glorious transition into today’s post. This dish is really not in need of a recipe but I thought I would share it with you as just a different option in the morning. Some folks have cereal, others do eggs and toast, maybe some oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, pancakes or waffles – which are all great choices.

Today, I wanted to share a quinoa breakfast as an alternative to oatmeal.  Before doing so, here are some quick facts on QUINOA

Quinoa Nutrition: The most protein of any grain, great source of vitamins & minerals – iron, magnesium, Vit E, potassium, amino acids, fiber – ideal for vegetarian or vegan diets.

Cooking Quinoa: Simple to cook, like rice. Cooked quinoa looks a bit like couscous, but is more substantial and slightly crunchy.

Prep & Cook Time: 5 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook time

For the dish below, I followed the instructions on the bag/box and topped it with some fresh fruit, a few almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup.  It was actually quite tasty.  I never realized the nutritional value in Quinoa until recently.  We bought a huge bag at Costco on the weekend so it is experimental time for me.

Question of the Day:

What s your favorite way to prepare Quinoa?

A couple of Frosty shots

I hope you have a great Friday, leave a comment or hit me up on twitter or even post it on my facebook.  Looking forward to hearing all the ways to prepare quinoa.  Have a fun filled weekend and I will see you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

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US Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and you know I have been harping on brussel sprout side dishes that will make your mouth water.  Most recently I posted about the roasted plum and brussels and a couple of years back we had this classic!  One of my all time favs.  Roll out the cutting board for this one…. and try it next week.

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Have you ever had figs, maple and Brussels sprouts in the same dish?  If you remember from past thanksgiving summary, I gave you a heads up on some amazing vegetable creations.  I do not cook Brussels sprouts that often, however this dish was one of my favorites with Saturday’s turkey dinner.  The roasting flavor of the Brussels sprouts paired with the sweetness of the figs and maple was a great combination.

As far as simplicity goes, this dish is very easy to make yet packs that powerful aroma when serving.  You could serve this as a side dish for almost anything – fish, chicken, pork, beef – you name it.  It could also be served as the star of the show if you so desired.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Brussels Sprouts ( halved )
• 2 Figs ( Dried and chopped finely )
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. In a bowl, add halved Brussels sprouts and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread Brussels sprouts out evenly to prepare for roasting.



4. Roast for 20-30 minutes until done.



5. In a small sauce pan, add chicken stock and figs and bring to a gentle boil.  Then turn to simmer and let reduce.  Add maple syrup and continue to let it reduce for 10-15 minutes.



6. Once the Brussels sprouts are fully roasted, remove the pan from the oven and pour the maple fig mixture on top.  Toss to coat evenly and place back in the oven until ready to serve.





7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making chicken stock from scratch – be sure to make it in large quantities and freeze it when you can.  You can store it in freezer bags, ice cube trays or even containers for a quick fix when you are in a pinch.  As for health benefits – it allows you to control the sodium content and customize it to your liking.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it if you enjoy Brussels sprouts.  Even Mrs. Zesty who had never tried a sprout in her life – attempted these and was pleasantly surprised.  Contact me through the comments and let me know what you think of this recipe.

Have an awesome Wednesday and stay tuned for Friday fun day with a movember update..

Take care

zesty

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Hey All,  Here is a simple pasta dish that you can make on a fall evening when you want to get warm.  I am just sitting in the airport waiting to fly home this morning and so far so good from a flight perspective.  Timing is a little bit tight so I wanted to go back to a post from almost 3 years ago that is a great dish to make as the leaves change and the temperature begins to cool down.

In looking back at this dish there is something missing… Can you guess what it is?  Protein!  Yes.  So to make these an even better balanced dish, I would recommend maybe some shrimp or chicken as well.  Either or will work but I really think some grilled or pan seared shrimp with a hint of chili pepper and lime would be a super match.  Such a match that I am kind of licking my lips at 6:45 am.  Strange I know… but True!

Comfort food…

This is a very rustic dish packed with a great flavor and texture combination.

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables for this dish; there is really no limit as to what you could add for variety.

Ingredients

• Organic Spaghetti
• 1 Acorn Squash
• 1 Medium White Onion
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Cup Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
• 1 Tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

Sauce

1. In a medium sauce pan add a touch of olive oil and saute the garlic.
2. Cook gently for 4 minutes, then add maple syrup and soy sauce and bring to a boil.
3. Let reduce for 10 minutes on simmer.

Vegetables and Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. Prepare acorn squash and white onion and cut into small chunks, place on lined cookie sheet.



3. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.



5. Add tomatoes to cookie sheet.



6. Baste vegetables with the sauce at this point.
7. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and peel squash.
9. Cook spaghetti as per directions (reserve 2 Tablespoons of pasta water).
10. Once cooked, add pasta back to the cooking pot, toss in the vegetables, pour over the sauce and reserved water.
11. Mix gently.

 

12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If at anytime you find your sauces to thin or runny, add a slurry to thicken the sauce.  A slurry is a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to 2 tablespoons of luke warm water.  Mix that together without any lumps and add it to the sauce.  bring the sauce to a boil and watch it thicken.  adjust amounts of starch and water based on the quantity of sauce.

What is your favorite side dish to eat with pasta? Mine has to be fresh bread of any kind.  Park me in front of this plate with a slab of homemade bread and zesty is a happy camper.

Have a great Wednesday and I will chat with you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

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Hi All!  First of all I would like to thank you for all the emails and comments on New York City and listing your experiences and choices for when we land there in full force later next week.  I am pretty excited and cannot wait to explore the big Apple.

As we get onto the food of the night last night, I opted for simple flavors with big taste.  What do you get when you combine salmon, Canadian maple syrup, mustard, garlic, lemon and  butter? To describe in more detail the salmon was very tasty!  The crusted bread crumbs on top mixed with lemon zest and butter really brought it over the top.  Super simple to make and takes just 8-9 minutes.

I paired the salmon with the nice crunch of homemade Kale chips which turned out to be a great combination.  Ever have Kale chips?  So delicious and oh so easy!!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 Portions of Salmon
• 2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 2 Tbsp. Mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper
• Sprinkle Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 Tsp. Lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 3/4 Cup bread crumbs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and garlic and mix together.
4. In another bowl, melt the butter in the microwave; then add lemon and breadcrumbs.  Mix together and set aside.
5. Lay out the salmon pieces on the parchment paper.  Place the maple mustard mixture over the top with a spoon and rub it in gently; continue you for all 4 pieces.
6. Then spoon the bread crumb mixture on top.
7. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.  Switch oven to broil if need be to create a golden brown crust on the top.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: You can try whatever type of protein you want with this combination.  White fish, chicken, or even pork would work with this flavor profile.

There you go, I hope you enjoyed this simple versatile recipe that really pushes the flavor to the next level by just using simple fresh ingredients.  I am heading to work to wrap up the week and than it is back to yard work.

The grass needs to be cut, flower beds need weeding and some pruning is awaiting in the garden.  Speaking of garden – it is coming along really well and I will share with you some of the highlights at the first of the week.

Have a super weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday to you!  Did you watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Curling Final last night?  It was a great game for sure and came right down to the very end.  Leading up to the game we had both Saturday and Sunday breakfasts.  On Saturday morning, I whipped up a batch of Oatmeal flax pancakes that were so goooooooooooood.  I could not wait for Sunday morning to arrive so we could eat them again.  See we didn’t finish all the batter on Saturday so I just wrapped it up and covered it in the fridge for yesterday.  DELICIOUS!

Pancakes are so simple yet very powerful.  You can do traditional white pancakes with butter and syrup, you could try a whole wheat version, you could whip up a potato pancake or you could try these.

All of the above are good but these oat flax pancakes with a hint of maple syrup will honestly make you smile… I promise.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 Cups milk or soy milk
• 1 Cup Whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. Agave syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Plain Yogurt
• 1/3 Cup Chocolate chips ( optional )

Method

1. In a large bowl, blend together oats and milk and let stand 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, flax, salt and cinnamon.
3. To the oat mixture, add the yogurt, agave syrup, chocolate chips and the large bowl of dry ingredients.
4. To make pancakes, use approximately ¼ cup batter per pancake. Cook over medium-high heat on a grill or lightly-oiled frying pan.
5. Serve with maple syrup.
6. ENJOY!
   
   

Zesty Tip: While it’s still hot, spread each pancake with natural peanut butter and let it melt and get oozy. Top with sliced bananas and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

OK another week is about to start so keep your chin up (or down if you are walking so you don’t trip) and have a great day.  I am getting some products in the mail this week to give a try so I should be back Wednesday with some fun information on what the mailman delivered to Zesty.  Enjoy the pancakes if you have time to make them for supper and if not try them when you can.

Take care

zesty

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It is all about potatoes and all about the Potato festival happening next month in September.  I was approached and asked to do a piece with John Pritchard on the infamous PEI ingredient “Potatoes”.  I was more than thrilled and of course said YES.  This will be featured in the August addition of the G! so needless to say I was pumped for a couple of reasons.

Wednesday evening I went over to John’s kitchen and we worked (mostly John as I took pictures) on a couple of dishes inspired by potatoes. Over the two hours we spent together, I likely asked John 3000 questions as I am very intrigued as you know with the career of cooking and well I just love talking “FOOD“.

As we were prepping the dishes before the photographer showed up it was very casual and organized.  Once the camera-man showed up and was ready to shoot the final product, John went into full fledged chef mode.  You could tell he was back in his element and was moving at mach speed to dress the plates and complete the dishes.

Glorious Food

Check out these shots….. Are you drooling yet?  The recipes and full details will be released soon.

Here is a potato crusted halibut, served a top a warm brussel sprout slaw and a tomato jam.

Below is a seared shrimp and scallop dish served on a bed of fresh sauteed corn and fresh herbs, a little bit of bacon and drizzled with a reduction of a maple syrup and potato reduction.

I ate this dish and was a very happy camper.  Thanks John!

The Kitchen Set-Up

Here are a few shots of John’s cool industrial kitchen set-up.

Of course I took pictures all along of the food and the dishes as they came together.  The recipes will be featured in the G! as well as on zesty once John completes the writing of the recipes.  I will definitely be sharing them with you. They both involved fresh local ingredients either from his garden or the local markets.  It was great to see a “PRO” in action.

Here are some shots from the garden

A little bit about John

John has been ‘chefing’ professionally since 1986, to raves in Canada and abroad. John’s passion for fine cooking truly runs the gamut, from traditional ethnic to contemporary, haute cuisine to bistro. After working with some of Canada’s finest chefs, John moved to Bermuda to expand his horizons, directing the kitchens of the country’s best restaurants, most notably at the exclusive five star Elbow Beach Resort. John has also been the star of a TV show called  Red, Hot & Ready.  It is John’s wit, intelligence and occasionally shocking candor that keeps you coming back for seconds!

Since April of this year, John has embarked on a slightly different twist on his career.  It of course still involves food – full service catering.  John is offering a full service catering experience that includes, weddings, in house parties, corporate/ office gigs, other events and even cooking classes.  In recent news, John Pritchard Cuisine won top prize at the 2010 Savour Food and Wine festival and is also playing a big part at the upcoming potato festival in September.

I had a great time on Wednesday and I learned a lot as well.  I want to take this opportunity to thank John for letting me come into his kitchen as well as thanking the G! for hooking me up with such a fun event. Have a great Friday and a super weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Welcome to the day after Canada Day!! We survived and had a great time.  We went down to Charlottetown Summerfest at the waterfront, we had a family barbecue ( which I forgot to take my camera ) but the food was amazing and we stayed up for the fireworks.

I will give you a little recap on the fireworks and include a short video compliments of Jeff Docherty at Jeffdoc.com after I share with you my off the cuff front end loaded waffles that I made this morning.  Because I have the way off today, breakfast can be a little more elaborate.  Not to say this is over the moon but I must say it was pretty tasty and filling. 

For breakfast, are you all about taste or more about wondering if you can make it to lunch before dying of starvation? I think I am a little bit of both.

Ingredients

• 3 Waffles
• Raspberries
• Banana ( sliced )
• Ground Flax seed
• Maple Syrup
• Molasses
• Raspberry Yogurt
• Grapes

Method

1. Cook your waffles according to your liking.  I just used frozen waffles but feel free to make your own in your waffle maker with a simple pancake batter.
2. Top with remaining ingredients



3. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I may hold off on the yogurt as it was a bit too heavy and it started to make them soggy.  I may opt for a dollop of whip cream or omit altogether.

2010 Charlottetown Fireworks

Again, before we begin, I cannot take any credit for this next piece as Jeff Docherty at Jeffdoc.com uploaded the video and the quality is excellent.  Thanks Jeff.

I hope you have a great friday and a wonderful weekend.  We are contemplating a trip to the zoo, a zesty junior haircut, and possibly some lawn tractor shopping.  I know can you believe it… our grass has started!!

Take care

zesty

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Hey to you!  I was walking around the kitchen on Sunday afternoon wondering what to do with another big squash that was hand picked by “The Best Builders” around when I noticed some nutmeg sitting in the pantry.  A little light bulb went off and thought that it would be a great combination.  I then wandered over to the fridge as I knew that we had some “real” maple syrup.

That was enough to call it a dish.  Below is the scoop on how this goes together.  Pretty simple yet a perfect fall treat.  Here is a shot of my laptop as I was playing around with the settings on my camera.

Ingredients

• Carrots
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prepare and peel the carrots and squash.  Cut into chunks and place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, nutmeg and maple syrup.
3. Throw in a roasting pan and let cook for 25 minutes.
4. Remove and toss in tomatoes.
5. Cook another 15 minutes.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking grape tomatoes, I tend to put them in later in the cooking process so they do not completely break down and become mush.

That dish is pretty simple yet satisfying.  Very nice for this time of year for sure. 

I spent a little time at the house (with no power) tonight with my car headlights on cleaning out the utility room.  I think we are getting some heat in the house tomorrow!  The boiler is being installed. 

Question of the Day

How do you heat your house?  Let me know – I think it will be interesting as we go across the globe.

Have a great Tuesday.

Take care

zesty

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So I have a fun and interesting story for you today as well as a great Halibut dish.  If you have been following the weather, you likely heard that Hurricane Bill was set to hit in the Atlantic Canada region yesterday.  With that said, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the house site and clean up any loose garbage/debris to prevent it from blowing around and causing any damage.

After we cleaned up, we had a truck load of wood that we normally just bring down to the builders house so they can burn it for the winter.  Once we got there, the guys came over for a chat as we were unloading the truck.  Things were going well as usual when Albert (the Builder ) asked ” Zesty, when are you going to cook something and post it on your blog that has no sodium.  I was on looking last night and couldn’t find any.” I started laughing and then promised him that Monday’s post would be a a tribute to him.  After we laughed and carried on for a bit, I noticed his huge garden to the left.  Within minutes they were picking zucchini, squash and fresh parsley for me to take home.

Driving home, I planned to use these vegetables with a nice fish dish.  I knew the guys liked fish  and I thought some nice grilled garden vegetables with a maple glaze would work nicely with grilled lemon and dill halibut.  To compliment the fish, I created a quick crisp salad with garden tomatoes, leaf lettuce, raisins, cashews and seeds from the Oh Nuts treat bag at the Summit.

Check out the details below.

Ingredients

Grilled Vegetables

• Zucchini
• Summer Squash
• Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Real maple syrup

Lemon Dill Halibut

• 5 Halibut Steaks
• 2 Lemons
• 2 Sprigs of Fresh dill
• Black Pepper
• Olive oil

Crisp Summer Salad

• Leaf lettuce
• Grape tomatoes
• Raisins
• Cashews
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Orange Peppers
• Cucumber
• Celery

Method

Grilled Vegetables

1. Slice, clean and rub vegetables with oil and pepper.



2. Grill over medium heat, turning occasionally.
3. Baste with maple syrup regularly, continue until caramelized.



4. Once cooked, remove from grill and cut into bite size pieces.



5. ENJOY!

Lemon Dill Halibut

1. Preheat grill over medium heat.
2. Oil grill and fish to prevent sticking.



3. Season halibut with pepper, lemon and dill.
4. Grill on one side until cooked; then turn over and complete cooking process until fish is white and flaky.
5. Remove from heat and hit with a splash of lemon.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When grilling fish make sure both the grill and fish is well oiled to prevent sticking.  As well, be sure just to turn the fish once to avoid the fish from falling apart.

So there you have it,  I hope you like it guys!  I was supposed to fly out to Washington yesterday but due to the weather all flights were canceled so I am home until later today.  Have a great Monday and enjoy your day.

Take care

zesty

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I’ve only made these pancakes a couple of times but they are so good that I had to share them with you.  The secret ingredient, as far as I can see, is nutmeg.

This recipe is perfect for Christmas morning!  Wake up, open a few presents and you can then whip up these pancakes in no time.  The whole grain oatmeal pancakes are super simple with an easy to follow recipe.

The first time I made these pancakes, I found them to be so hearty and filling that I had a hard time finishing three of them.  Normally, I can eat three pancakes before the rest of the family is even seated!

Enough about my voracious appetite, lets get started with the oatmeal pancake recipe.

Quick note, as I have said in the past, make sure your ingredients are fresh especially the baking powder.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Oats
• 1 Cup All Purpose flour
• 1 Cup Whole-wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. Honey

Method

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium low heat.



2. Whisk together the oats, flours, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
3. Using the same whisk, but in a second bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, vanilla and honey.



4. Pour the wet into the dry mixture and stir briefly, just until combined.
5. Spoon into the skillet.



6. Once bubbles form on the outside of the pancake and do not fill in again  – it is time to flip them over.



7. Flip just once  – plate them up.



8. Enjoy!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas day! Let me know what Santa brought you – I love hearing about all the fun gifts.

Take care

zesty

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