Zesty Cook » pepper

Toasted Chicken Basil Tomato Sandwich

zesty — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:00:57 +0000

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:

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

Preheat oven to 350 and roast chicken breast until cooked through.
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 )
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.
Pop your toast in the toaster and then begin to assemble your sandwich.
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

Grocery Item of the Week – Triscuits

zesty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:00:43 +0000

An old classic – gets kicked up!

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.

A Night of Sizzling Summer Sirloins

zesty — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:00:13 +0000

Well as most of you know by now – I like to keep things simple when it comes to food. The odd time I go all “chef like” and kick it up a notch but most times I tend to stay pretty regular and simple. Last night was no exception. I was sitting at the office wondering what to make for supper – debated some roasted salmon, some olde fashion spaghetti and then a thought rolled in my head from a commercial iI heard on the radio. Two for One Sirloins at Sobeys!

That was all my little brain needed – as I packed up may bag and headed home, all I could think of was sizzling steak on the barbecue. Some other thoughts creeped along side as I wondered what I could make with the steak. Being on PEI, and being somewhat of a meat and potatoes boy one side dish was pretty easy… potatoes. Too add a little more health to the meal I thought lets steam a little cauliflower and broccoli. When cooking vegetables – I pretty much always follow the technique for perfectly cooked vegetables as the results speak for themselves.

So I quickly made my way home with two delicious pieces of sirloin steak. I say hi to the family and then march out to fire up the barbecue. I turn the barbecue on to high heat to warm up the grill and prepare the meat to sizzle.

Preparation

Getting back to the simple things in life – I just take olive oil and rub a small amount on both sides of the meat and then follow it up with some fresh black ground pepper. I do not salt the meat as it tends to tense up the meat and extract the natural juices ( which we do not want to do )

Bring Steaks Out of the Cold: Have steaks at room temperature before grilling.
Check the Oil: Lightly oil the grilling rack before putting steaks on (it keeps meat from sticking and cracking while keeping the natural juices in).
Get the Grill Hot: Preheat grill to 600 to 800 degrees F and keep it at this temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before putting steaks on.
Avoid the Flip-Flop: Only flip once after five minutes of grilling.
Ditch the Fork: Use tongs or a spatula (A fork allows juices to spill out).
Don’t Perform Surgery with a Serrated Knife: To see if steak is finished, press on it with the palm of your hand. It will feel spongy when rare, have some resistance when cooked to medium and be firm when well done.
Rare: Squeeze the pad at the base of your thumb. It should feel spongy and feel very little resistance.
Medium: Press on the middle of the palm of your outstretched hand. It should feel firm.
Well Done: Squeeze the base of your small finger. It should feel firm with no give.
Give it a rest. After grilling, give the steak a rest for a couple of minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting into it. A drizzle of olive oil or a pat of butter gives the steak a handsome sheen and spectacular flavor and finish.

While the steaks are resting i grab the potatoes , add some butter and spoon up some fresh vegetables and relax with the family and enjoy an old classic summer meal.