OK – I am pumped! Opensky and zesty have teamed up for what I am calling “GET A SLICER” giveaway.  Everyone has the chance to win a fantastic product.  The Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus Mandolin, is a household kitchen product that I cannot live without.  It will time and time again make you look like a super star in the kitchen.  Whether you are making the perfect French Fries or just some sweet carrot match sticks – this can do it all!

So let’s get this show on the road…. Here it is in all it’s glory.  You are getting $42 Value for FREE so make sure you get over to the promo page and enter your name right NOW.

Now onto the details

I wanted to create a little more excitement on how to enter into this contest instead of just the traditional – sign up thru RSS. Opensky has come up with a super easy way to enter for a chance to win a Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus Mandolin.

How To Enter:

• Head on over to this promo page and enter you name to win.

The Rules:

• 1 winner will be generated at random. Everyone else who enters will receive a 10% off discount. The coupon can only be applied towards products in “MY” Shop. The coupon expires one week after the promotion begins so make sure you head over to “MY” Shop and use your coupons right away.
• The winner will receive 1 Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus Mandolin
• Contest will end at 5pm EST April 9th, 2010.

Mandolin Uses and Recipes

No matter what you like to eat in your kitchen, this mandolin has a use for you.  Here are just a couple of times I used my mandolin and the results were fantastic.

Super Sweet Parsnip Chips

Homemade Healthy Fries

Do you guys remember when I did the healthy version of French Fries.  Let’s just say that it was somewhat of a popular recipe around the world.  I am not tooting my horn by any stretch of the imagination but there has been a lot of positive feedback on the recipe and technique including one famous foodie.  Check this out below…

Anthony Bourdain says:

March 23, 2010 at 9:15 pm (Edit)

We tried your fry recipe and they were really, really great. They were the best that we have ever made at home! Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Mandolin Tips

A few tips I have learned over the past in using this slicer include:

1. Be careful – these blades are SUPER sharp
2. Use long fluid strokes especially when slicing hard root vegetables such as a potato or parsnips
3. If you are chopping a lot of fries for example you can place the mandolin up higher so the potatoes have a place to pile up underneath – just ensure that the mandolin is sturdy and will not slip.
4. Clean and dry thoroughly after use to avoid water staining dirt build up

Recap

OK, so there you have it.  This is one of the most exciting giveaways ever on zesty.  To me whoever wins and buys this product is going to be super happy.  I have not used such a “MUST HAVE” product in the last 15 years.  I am thrilled to have teamed up with Opensky to offer such a fun prize.  By all means if the mandolin is not a favorite of yours or you already have one – no problem.  Head over to “MY Shop” and check other great products.

Have yourself an awesome Wednesday and I will talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Ok, so I have to confess a little bit here. I totally forgot to post yesterday being Monday and all do to the holiday. My apologies for that. To make it up to you I think I have a pretty tasty recipe that you can try at home and I think you even may be impressed at the fact it is “HEALTHY“. Whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies with a couple of unique ingredients that I have been dying to try for a while now.  Agave nectar and apple juice in cookies really keeps them on the healthy and lighter side by avoiding the heaviness of the oil and the sugar.

Let me know what you think of the recipe but I think they turned out quite good. They are chewy in texture as well as being soft. They are nice right out of the oven or slightly warmed in the microwave.  I like 18 seconds of warming time depending on your microwave of course.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 Cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 Cup organic unbleached white flour
• 2 Tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 1/4 Cup flax seeds
• 1/2 Cup low Fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
• 1/4 Cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
• 1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.
3. In another bowl or blender combine remaining liquid ingredients.
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients.
5. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons, about two inches apart, on to the baking sheets.
6. Press each cookie with moisten fingers or a spoon to flatten.
7. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
8. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.



9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an even softer cookie, I like to slightly under cook the cookie as it will continue to cook internally after you take them out.  The apple juice and yogurt will also aide in the moisture department.

So there you have it, a fun healthy recipe you can try at home.  I had to test the cookies out of course as I watched the Olympics.  They turned out just as I hoped.  Is anybody else following the Olympics closely?

Stay tuned for a post that you will not want to miss tomorrow.  It is all about Zesty and Opensky giving back to all of you.  Have a fantastic Monday Tuesday and I will talk to you bright and early in the morning.

Take care

zesty