Hello from Charleston, West Virginia.  Yesterday was a busy day in Mississippi and right after the client meetings I drove back from Tupelo to Birmingham Alabama to fly out of this morning.  The flight times just worked out a little better from Birmingham than Memphis. Right after the client meetings we decided to take a quick drive down the road to Elvis’ old house where he grew up and visit there for a few minutes.  Very fun and I even picked up a couple of souvenirs.

I am dying to share this recipe with you since last Thursday, not because it is stellar and earth shattering but simply due to the fact that it tasted amazing and was super easy to prepare.  I really love quesadillas and have featured a couple of my favorites in the past:  Super Simple Stunning Quesadillas and  Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadillas.

This recipe is up there with flavor and simplicity.

Ingredients

• Bbq Chicken
• Whole Wheat Tortilla
• Red peppers
• Basil
• Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese (shredded)
• Bacon
• Mushrooms

Method

1. Cook off bbq chicken, bacon and mushrooms and set aside.  ( you can use left overs if you have them as well )













2. Line up the tortilla and start assembling the filling



3. Add all the ingredients and finish with a good layer of cheese on the top to help the top tortilla to stick.





4. Grill over medium heat – moving as needed to achieve a nice golden brown color.  Gently press on the outside of the quesadilla to force the edges to connect from the cheese.
5. Flip over and repeat the process.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If using mushrooms in quesadillas, I feel it is crucial to cook them down to remove the water from the mushrooms.  Otherwise they will make your tortilla soggy and cause it not to crisp.

I am hanging here in Charleston for a couple of days so let me know if you guys know of good places to eat here and I will be sure to check them out.  Have a superb Wednesday and I will talk to you back at home on Friday.

Take care

zesty

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Grilled Quesadillas w/ Bacon

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Happy Monday and Happy Belated birthday to my US neighbors. This week is action packed on the zesty front with 7 blog consulting gigs to finish, work work, zesty cooking, soccer and some chores outside to stay on top of before I am on vacation next week.  Did I tell you we rented a 36′ camper trailer next week to hang out by the water and do nothing but play, relax and eat?  I am pretty excited to say the least.

Do you ever feel that you want to get take out because you are lazy and do not want to wait for lunch or supper?  I have that feeling sometimes but I often revert and hold off my cravings with a dish like this one below.  It is super easy, tasty and really takes all of 15 minutes to make.  You could not even drive out , order and take it back home in 15 minutes.  Next time you are on the fence for wanting take out – give this dish a try.

There is not shortage of flavor, with fresh lemon zest and rich hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups Penne pasta
• Handful of baby spinach
• 1 Head of broccoli
• 1 Cup chopped button mushrooms
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp.  Soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp.  Hoisin sauce
• 1 Lemon ( juice and zest )
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Garlic clove ( chopped )
• 1 Tsp. thyme

Method

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, mushrooms and begin to cook down and add the garlic and thyme.
3. Now toss in the broccoli and begin to brown ( about 2 minutes )
4. Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and mix together.  Pour into mushroom and broccoli mixture.
5. Add spinach and cooked pasta and stir to mix thoroughly.
6. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve it up.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To avoid the broccoli getting soggy, keep the heat on, constantly stir and avoid over crowding the pan.  Over crowding will cause it to steam and quickly become soggy.

Now this dish is nothing over the top but it is a great dish for a quick meal and another way to easily clean out your fridge before grocery day.  I so despise throwing out food from the fridge so dishes like these aide in that by throwing in some vegetables that may be on the verge of breaking down.

Let’s kick start this busy week with a bang!  I hope you have a fantastic Monday and I will be back with a “very special” post on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Penne Pasta in a Hurry

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5. Welcome Back and A Spinach Mushroom Pasta

Ummmm well the least I can do is say Hi and welcome back to what I would call a fun 48-72 hours.  I have officially upgraded servers and moved to a different hosting company due to “my” issues that I have been dealing with due to the excessive growth with Zesty…ya right.  Anyway moving on and I am happy so far with the new host provider, Media Temple, and I look forward to growing with them and hopefully not having any major issues.  With that said, my next tasks are going to be focusing on the outstanding work on the blog consulting side of things, growing Open Sky which I have terribly neglected lately as well as revamp Zesty’s approach and look moving forward.

Some things will never change.  I will continue to cook fun, easy and idiot proof recipes for you to “hopefully” enjoy and document them along the way with pictures to aide in your at home preparation.  I think today will not disappoint.  What do you get when you take roasted mushrooms with Parmesan cheese, pan seared chicken breasts with balsamic and orange reduction, fresh spinach and some whole wheat pasta?

Answer = YUM

This dish was actually quite tasty and as I was evaluating it last night – the one thing I would alter was the amount of sauce.  I had very little as it reduced so much so in the ingredients below I will display what I did but you may want to increase the amounts if you are a sauce lover.

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Chicken breasts ( sliced)
• 2 Cups Whole button mushrooms
• 2 Large handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cook pasta according to directions
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange mushrooms on sheet



4. Coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some Parmesan cheese; toss to coat evenly
5. Roast for 20 minutes turning occasionally





6. In a saute pan, turn to medium heat and begin to cook the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Once the chicken begins to brown toss in the roasted mushrooms, orange juice, remaining balsamic and let reduce for 4 minutes



7. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted





8. Add noodles, mix thoroughly and dress with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.





9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For me this tip is all about balance.  Use the balsamic and orange juice to balance themselves but be sure you have enough sauce.  This was my only mistake in this dish.  I feel it would have been even better with more sauce.

OK  – so here we go.  Finally I feel like zesty is back to normal.  Get ready for some exciting stuff to come and I want to hear from you.  Tell me what you think of the recipes, what recipes you would like to see, whether you would like to participate by doing a zesty post or if you just like stopping in here each day to check things out.

I am wide open and very flexible and there is nothing I will not answer.  Have yourself a great Wednesday!

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Welcome Back and A Spinach Mushroom Pasta

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Ok, where do I start.  The New Years eve gala was nothing short of amazing.  When you see the food line up I think you will agree.  On top of all the food the night included some adult beverages, some funny board games ( FART and Apple to Apples ) as well as some great music and even some dancing.  I will not delve to far into the dancing aspect of the evening.

For these toasts, I listed the ingredients and method for each of the three flavors.  You will also see in the pictures that there was a 4th toast which was called Fig and Balsamic.  This was a pre-made spread from the superstore so I didn’t include it in the post.  It was quite tasty nonetheless.

Roasted Onions

• 1 or 2 Onions ( sliced)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1Tbsp. butter
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tsp Rosemary, thyme, oregano

Method

1. Slowly brown onions in butter and olive oil.
2. Season with salt and pepper as well as those herbs desired.
3. Dried and fresh herbs can be used but the more delicate herbs should be added near the end of the cooking time.
4. Total time will probably be over 30 minutes as this avoid the onions burning.
5. Little attention is required during this time.

Sauteed Mushrooms

• Mix of mushroom types sliced, Portabella and Shitake were used. Quantities depend on how much is desired.
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Method

• Brown in heated pan that has butter and oil added to melt.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook until mushrooms brown and reduce in size

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheese

• 2 Red Bell Pepper
• 5 Oz soft goat cheese
• 1 Tsp. minced shallot
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Roast peppers until skin is blackened and place in paper bag to steam. This will make peeling the skin easy.
2. The peppers can be roasted on grill, over a gas burner or through broiling.
3. Dice the peppers once cooled and peeled.
4. Mix with the remaining ingredients and allow flavors to blend.

Slice baguette to about 1/2 inch thick. Grill on one side, or drizzle olive oil over parchment paper lined pan and place toasts on the paper. Add toppings and again drizzle with olive oil and bake in 350 F oven.

The bottoms will toast and crust from the olive oil, and the parchment will prevent sticking.

The first of quite a few great dishes to remember 2009. Stay tuned for some more great recipes that you can make for you and your family.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

New Years Gala Assorted Toasts

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Happy Friday!  Sorry for the delay in posting.  I actually never had time to write last night as we were at the house until 11:00pm prepping the upstairs for the painter today.  Progress is moving along and things are starting to take shape.  We picked out some plumbing fixtures today which are in stock… whoo hooo.  We seem to be struggling on lighting fixtures but hopefully we can find something we like soon.

On to the food

Take a look at this dish… first glance you may think it is a little odd which may be true but I like to call this – the fridge leftovers plus some eggs.  I had some left over potatoes, corn and mushrooms in the fridge and I was not sure what to do with it.

As you know I really hate throwing out perfectly good food so this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms
• Corn
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Large Potato ( cooked and cubed)
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Add butter to a saute pan and heat to medium heat
2. Add mushrooms and begin to brown ( about 3 minutes )
3. Toss in potatoes and cook for 6 minutes; stir in leftover corn and mix thoroughly.
4. Create two hallow areas in the pan to crack the eggs.
5. Cover pan and let the eggs cook for about 4 minutes.
6. Remove and plate



7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Never waste food!  That is my tip.  Just try making crazy dishes like this one and see what you like.

Alright – I have to run to a meeting and figure out some house stuff.

To Do List

• Meet with the railing people
• Pick out some lighting… please
• Order the quarter -round molding
• Confirm cabinet arrival on Monday

Hope you have a great day!

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Fridge Leftovers… Plus Eggs

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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

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Zesty’s Ultimate Cheeseburger

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Thursday has arrived.  What a day yesterday!  Work was busier than a New York City subway station and on top of that I was so excited about the giveaway post.  So far there has been a really good response to the book giveaway and I am really looking forward to reading more comments.  Thanks so much everyone.

Ever crave pasta but you are so hungry that you dread waiting to make the cream sauce, the toppings and the pasta so you break down and not bother making it.  Well that has happened to me many times, but with this dish – it no longer happens.

This is a staple dish is zesty’s kitchen with often a variation of vegetable, pasta or meat.  This really is a 15 minute dish that requires two pots/pan to make.  Your kind of dish if you are in a rush and starving.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pasta (your choice)
• 2 Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1 Cup Broccoli
• 1 Tbsp. Basil Paste or 1 Tsp. Dried Basil
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 Can of Skim Milk

Method

1. Cook Pasta according to directions ( 10 pasta cooking tips ).
2. Prepare chicken and slice into strips.
3. Peel and chop garlic.



4. Add Tbsp. Olive Oil to medium-hot sauce pan.



5. Stir fry chicken and garlic until opaque.



6. Add Basil Paste.



7. Continue cooking until chicken begins to brown, then add the cream of mushroom soup and milk Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.





8. Bring back up to a gentle boil and add broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.



9. Drain pasta, add pasta to sauce, stir gently, and serve.
10. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.



11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  When making cream sauces always be cautious of turning the burner on too high – anything with dairy in it will boil and burn very quickly.  To thicken the cream sauce however, you can use a slurry technique which combines a teaspoon of cornstarch or flour with cold water (to avoid lumps) into the sauce and bring to a gentle boil.

Now that was easy!  A no nonsense kind of meal that is hearty, tasty and appealing.  I like it!  If broccoli is not your favorite, I have often made it with spinach, mushrooms or even frozen peas.  Gotta get the greens in there somehow!

I hope you have a great day… the weekend is almost here.  If you have not already done so… visit the giveaway and make sure you get your comment submitted.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Easiest Chicken Broccoli Pasta Ever!

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Hey everyone!  I had a craving for Pizza last night – however we didn’t have too many pizza ingredients on hand.  Being stubborn, I took a closer look in the fridge and came up with a few toppings that I thought just may do the trick.  The funny part was that they were all left overs from previous posts this week.  That made me smile and think of the LeftOverQueen and all her delicious recipes she shares with us using leftovers. I was excited!

Once digging around in the fridge I found some spinach which I had left over from the Red Pepper Jelly Chicken Sandwiches.  I also rooted around and found some mushrooms left over from the Apricot Pork with Feta and in the meat drawer I found a half of package of bacon left over from the b.

I was totally impressed.  But after that, I realized I had no pizza sauce!!  Oh no what am I going to do?  I ripped apart the freezer and I came up with some Homemade Tomato Sauce.  I thought to myself… this will work. We are ready to make a pizza.

Follow along and let me know what you think of this slightly different leftover pizza.  I guess before I begin, I went ahead and made the dough in the bread maker – however I forgot to capture some pictures of that so just follow along with the instructions.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Teaspoons salt
• 2 Teaspoons sugar
• 4 Cups all-purpose flour or bread machine flour (I would have used Whole Wheat but I ran out)
• 4 Teaspoons fast rise yeast
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1 Cup Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese Blend
• 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Cooked Bacon Chopped
• 2 Handfuls of Spinach
• 1 Cup of Mushrooms
• 3 Tbsp. Tomato Sauce

Method

1. MEASURE all ingredients except cornmeal into bread pan in order listed; Select dough setting.
2. While the bread maker is working its magic – you can prep your toppings. I chopped up some bacon and started to render that over medium heat.



Zesty Tip: For crispier bacon while frying add a tablespoon of water to the pan when it reaches the high heat.

3. Using a tablespoon of the left over bacon fat I added the mushrooms and sauteed those for 3 minutes over medium heat then added the spinach as well a squeeze of a half of lime (this will brighten up the spinach).



4. ONCE the bread maker is complete – remove dough to lightly floured surface and cover with plastic wrap; Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
5. SPRINKLE cornmeal on large 16 inch pizza pan or on a pizza stone and press dough into pizza shape; Cover with a towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.



6. SPREAD with desired sauce.



7. TOP with some bacon and a light coating of Monterey Jack Cheese.



8. TOP with the mushrooms and spinach.



9. TOP with the Monterey Jack Cheese and then a sprinkle of feta.



10. BAKE at 425F for 20-30 minutes. I like to bake the pizza stone while the oven is pre-heating and then transfer the dough to the hot pizza stone sprinkled with the cornmeal to dress it.



11. Let cool for a couple of minutes, slice to your size liking and ENJOY

As always, zesty wants to know – what are your absolute favorite toppings on your pizza? Tell me the must haves for you!  I hope everyone has a great Thursday… look forward to hearing from you.

Zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Zesty’s Homemade Pizza… Want Some?

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