A successful weekend has concluded and Mrs. Zesty has arrived back home from a getaway with the girls.  While away, I on the other hand had somewhat of a normal weekend with the kiddos.  We did have a lot of fun working outside in the yard, watching the Curious George dvd at 6:45 am, cooking and making a mess in the kitchen as well as playing hide and go seek.  All in all, a great weekend and somewhat relaxing.

Of course with that being said, you have to eat!  I was unsure what to eat all day Saturday, i just couldn’t come to grasp with what i was craving and for me that really bugs me.  I did some grocery shopping on Friday night to avoid hitting the shops on Saturday.  In the groceries I spotted some fresh basil which I love and a nice batch of cherry tomatoes.  Me and basil are almost like baseball and glove – tough to survive without the other.  Here are a few of my basil infused addictions:

• Garlic Basil Cheeseburger
• Beans Basil and Balsamic
• Easy Stuffed Grilled Pork Loin
• Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadilla
• Puffy Pineapple Pizza

That showcases a few and I can honestly say I think it is my favorite herb as you can tell by browsing some of my recipes.  Now that we know I love basil – I knew I wanted to use that in whatever i was going to make for lunch.  Then the energy efficient light bulb when off in my head, how about a toasted chicken sandwich with a basil tomato compote on top.

Sounded pretty good to me.  And this is how it went down.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of Whole wheat bread
• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp. Salsa
• Handful of grape tomatoes
• 1 Slice Havarti cheese ( you could use any – I just happen to have this)
• 2 Sprigs of fresh basil
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 and roast chicken breast until cooked through.
2. In a saute pan, preheat to medium and add the salsa, tomatoes, pepper and cook down until tomatoes begin to break down ( about 6 minutes )
3. Add basil and stir through.  Meanwhile your chicken is cooked you can add it to the pan whole and coat it with the sauce form the tomatoes and salsa.
4. Pop your toast in the toaster and then begin to assemble your sandwich.
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Do not let this sandwich sit for a long time because the bread will become soggy and that will not be ideal.  Of course I will always get one soggy one as I am slow with the camera.

Even though I had a hard time coming up with figuring out what I wanted to eat – the results were pleasing.  I would definitely make this sandwich again.

The Seeded Grape

As I was browsing the grocery store on Friday – I noticed grapes were on sale.  I am always on the look out for a grape sale cause both kids love them and polish them off in no time.  So I grab these grapes with a proud smile on my face.  I walk in the door and say ” I got grapes!”  Immediately I am swarmed with the two turks at my legs.  I wash a couple of handfuls and put them in the bowl… all seemed well.  Ella chomps down a couple in a heartbeat, meanwhile Carter looks at me and says ” Umm Dad, these have seeds in them”.  Oh for poop sake – that is no good!  Needless to say a better part of my weekend food prep was spent slicing open grapes and picking the seeds out.  I will be more attentive to the details next time on the grape front.

Have a super start to your week and I will see you all on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Now for anyone concerned I know these are not brand new but this flavor is relatively new and I wanted to feature it as the grocery item of the week. With everyone scrambling for back to school lunches and day-time snacks the triscuit has been a staple since 1907.

Flavor: Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil – Can you believe how good these taste!

Triscuit crackers are made by a unique process that allows for a great tasting, hearty, crunchy cracker you can feel good about eating. Crunch to your health! Sensible snacking. Heart Healthy: Made with 100% whole grain, 0g of trans fat, low saturated fat (contains 4 g fat per serving), good source of dietary fiber, no cholesterol, and sugar-free (not a reduced calorie food) per serving.

Well, yeah, sure all of those great nibble highlights can only mean one thing! They have to taste awful. That is what I thought as well. Once you sink your taste buds into these little delights – your whole outlook on the cracker will be changed forever. Our family can not get enough of these babies. Whether they are on their own, with a little cheese on top or my all-time favorite red pepper jelly, these triscuits are a must have in our pantry.

Now, there is this great cracker that really tastes great. Triscuits Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Baked Whole Grain Cracker is as good as any bag of potato chips or bowl of Doritos. Eat 6 of them – 120 calories! There is even a cool recipe for a creamy bruschetta spread on the back of the box. And it is great!

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat, Soybean Oil, Maltodextrin, Salt, Onion and Garlic Powders, Black Pepper, Monoglycerides, Modified Cornstarch, Olive Oil, Citric Acid (for Tartness), Natural Flavor, Palm Oil.