Ever feel that you are running out of meal ideas with certain foods?  That happens to me sometimes so I try to step back and think about different ways to use that certain ingredient.  The last thing you want to have happen is that you get bored with a great food.  The food of choice today is “Tomato“.  I never used to like tomatoes but as I grew older I have found a new love for them.

I am not a huge fan of the tomato on just any given deli sandwich however but I do love tomatoes roasted, in sauces and on certain sandwiches with cheese.  I just compiled a simple list that I came up with on ways I like to use tomatoes.

Hopefully they will spark your interest to try them.

7 Ways to Use Tomatoes

1. No-Cook Pasta Sauce – In a large bowl combine several chopped tomatoes, a clove or two of minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil to coat tomatoes. Add hot pasta and toss to coat pasta. Bits of fresh mozzarella can be added – they will get a bit melted  when tossed with the hot pasta. At the very end you can add red chili flakes, basil, and freshly shredded Parmesan are all tasty additions as well.
2. Grilled Tomatoes – Slice the tomatoes nice and thick, coat with a little olive oil – season with salt and pepper and grill for 4 mins on each side.  Yum!
3. Toasted Tomato and Pesto Sandwich – Spread two slices of your favorite sandwich bread with your favorite pesto (need a favorite? try this pesto), top one pesto-ed slice with several meaty slices of tomato, sprinkle with salt, sandwich, and enjoy!
4. Simple Salsa – Make your own fresh salsa by tossed chopped tomato with your choice of the following: minced red onion, minced garlic, finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chiles. Add salt to taste. A splash of red vinegar can be tasty, too.  Another addition can be some fresh avocado as well.



5. A Kicked Up BLT – This is a classic with a twist.  This takes a little bit of effort but is so worth it.  I like to take two slices of a thick homemade bread, toast it, top with a little butter and a nice piece of cheddar cheese. After that I add the fresh romaine lettuce, juicy red tomatoes and crisp bacon.  I top it with freshly ground pepper and enjoy!



6. In a Salad – Any salad of your choice – tomatoes are a great addition. Keep it simple and dress it just before serving.
7. Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice - This one is a great fun recipe on a cool day.  Scoop out the insides of the tomato.  To prepare the filling use cooked rice, oregano and ground beef ( or you can omit)  Top with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

So there you have it!  My top 7 ways to kick up the regular tomato.  Let me know if you have any other great ways to kick up the tomato in the comments section.  I will be back tomorrow - Have a great Wednesday.

I am off to New York… and will blog from the BIG Apple on Friday!

Take care

zesty

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Why did I write wake up in the title…. I think it was more for me.  I am a little sluggish today but things will change.  It’s Friday!  Whooo Hooooo.  Alright, enough shenanigans and let’s get right to the serious parts.

Ever have basil pesto?  Of course you have… did you love it?  I am assuming so!  Well last week on our camping expedition we experimented, of course, and made some cilantro pesto because well we didn’t have basil but we had cilantro.

Genius, I know!  Am I impressing you yet?  I didn’t think so.  Well well well, I knew I loved cilantro in all things such as salsas, chutneys, with lime and fish but you make a pesto with this stuff and you will be over the moon.  I paired it with the black bean burgers as a condiment and well – the crowd loved it.

It had a nice bite to it but the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts were such a nice balance.  At one point I thought I could smear this on the side of the camper and eat it.  The recipe is super simple.  Here is the low down.

The recipe below assumes you have a food processor. But all I had at camping was a blender.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Parmesan cheese ( cut into 1/2 inch pieces ) ( I only had grated )
• 1 Clove garlic
• 2 Cups fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 Tsp. salt

Method

1. With the machine running, drop the cheese down the feed tube and chop about 10 seconds. Remove and reserve.
2. Chop Garlic, then add cilantro and pulse about 20 times ( Scrape down sides).
3. With the machine running, drizzle Olive Oil down the tube and process until mixed. (Scrape down Sides)
4. Add pine nuts, reserved cheese and salt and pulse until nuts are chopped.
5. Let sit and store in a jar
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: As you build the pesto, make sure you taste it along the way. If you find it needs more salt, add some extra cheese and a little pinch of salt. If it is too thick and not blending/mixing properly add a little olive oil. Experiment and have fun!

Give this a try, I am confident you will like it.  Have a super weekend and I will touch base with you on Monday from the “WINDY City”.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Valentine’s Day!  Hopefully everyone had a fun weekend regardless of where you are in this world of ours.  We had a fun family weekend, including a spur of the moment trip to Halifax ( which means I get to go to Costco ), a trip to the pool for swimming lessons and of course a family outing to the grocery store.  So Mrs. Zesty and I are really caught up in the show Dexter.  Do you ever watch it?  It is very interesting, demented and overall disturbing however we keep watching the next episode on the dvd box sets.  We completed season oine Saturday night and rented season 2 last night.

On Saturday, I made a large batch of spicy chicken legs, cheese quesadillas and a large serving of sweet potato fries to relax on the couch and watch Dexter.  Sounds good right?  Well I must say the food was yummy but guess what?  You cannot relax when you watch Dexter.  It is too intense – I find myself propped up at full attention and usually in an ackward position for the entire 53 plus minutes of the episode.  I need to know if you watch Dexter and feel the same way as us.

For the chicken, I wanted something full of flavor with a little heat.  To do that, I combined a few tablespoons of Basil Pesto, and some homemade sweet chili sauce.  The results were very “WOW”.  We easily ate 4 chicken legs each and the only thing left were the bones.

Ingredients

• 10 Chicken Legs
• 3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
• 1 Tsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• 2 Garlic cloves ( crushed)
• Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. In a large roaster, place the chicken legs in pan after ensuring they are patted dry.
3. In a bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix together.
4. Pour over chicken rubbing it in gently with a spoon.
5. Cover pan and roast for 2 hours.
6. In the last 30 minutes, remove the cover and let the legs get crusty and brown.
7. Top with a slash of lime and a bit of ZEST.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Normally I baste the chicken through out the process to add extra flavor but in this case the pesto has a high oil content so I avoided basting in this particular case.  I counted on the crust of the chicken to provide all the flavor.

Back to back spicy dishes in the winter really make me smile.  Not overly hot but the hint of heat help warm your insides.  The Spicy Pasta Shrimp from last week would go very well with some of this left over chicken as well.  Substituting chicken and shrimp is something I do all the time depending on what I have on hand.  I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day and I will definitely see you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

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As I write this post – I am pretty excited.  I just got back from the house and I am so impressed at the progress the builders made with the upstairs baseboard.  Great work guys!  Also, we received a delivery for the post in the middle of the main floor and we had to check it out.  It looks awesome!  I am getting excited -  can you tell?  OK  sorry for getting off topic.

On To The Food

Who loves Pesto? Pick me pick me!  I am a huge fan of pesto, however I never made sundried tomato pesto before.  My only experience has been with the traditional basil pesto.   On Sunday I thought I would give this a try and see how it turned out.  It was a huge success!  I found it a little strong but I really enjoyed the flavor overall.

Below are the simple ingredients and steps to make it happen.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup pine nuts
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Small bunch parsley
• 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Puree everything together in a food processor until smooth.
2. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to let the pesto sit out for about 20-30 minutes to let the flavors come together. If you are putting the pesto on pasta there is no need to reheat it – just toss it in with the warm noodles and serve.  It is also great as a sandwich condiment.

I am just watching an awesome episode of Criminal Minds.  I am addicted to that show.  What is your favorite TV show?

I hope you have a great Wednesday.  I will talk to you tomorrow and share with you a quick dish using the pesto.

Take care

zesty

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Oh Yum!  I was walking around the grocery store picking up some much needed supplies last week and I noticed that asparagus was on sale.  I do enjoy asparagus but I do not buy it very often due to the high price.  However after buying this vegetable treat,  I had to come up with a fun recipe to use the asparagus plus I had made another batch of homemade basil pesto ( which I love ).  I took some chicken breasts out of the freezer and my mind was set - Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadilla!  It’s a mouthful in more ways than one.  The flavor combination with this dish was simply amazing.

Quesadillas are so quick and easy to make and offer a lot of options for picky eaters as well.  You can dress them up or down according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 2 Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 1/2 Cup Cooked Chicken
• 3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
• Asparagus ( trim tips )
• Mozzarella and Monterey Jack Cheese

Method

1. Warm pesto and chicken in a sauce pan until heated through.



2. Add asparagus and continue cooking for 4 minutes over medium heat.



3. Remove filling from pan, add tortilla to the dry pan and then add the filling on top of the tortilla.



4. Top with cheese and remaining tortilla.
5. Flip after 1 minute until crisp.
6. Top with sour cream.



7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking with pesto, I tend not to add additional oil to the pan as there is enough oil in the pesto.  This will prevent the dish from getting saturated with oil and also ensure it tastes fresh.

If you love quesadillas and asparagus  – I totally suggest you try this dish.  Have a fabulous day and see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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Well well well!  Happy Good Friday to you!  What a day yesterday to say the least.  I am really excited about the generosity and kind words you had to say about the clothing line and the giveaway; I greatly appreciate it.

As you recall on Wednesday I had asked for some advice on what to take to work for our potluck yesterday.  After getting some great advice and options, I chose two items.  For the main course I went with a crowd favorite and somewhat of a staple around here -  chicken fried rice.  As for the salad/appetizer I went with the recipe featured below.

A pungent pesto pasta salad which included homemade pesto, fresh market vegetables and penne pasta.  Overall the potluck was a success as there was lots of variety and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  I did not take any pictures as there were a lot of people around and I didn’t have my good camera… please forgive me.

Here is a quick look at what went in the salad:

Ingredients

• 1 Lb. Raw Penne Pasta ( cooked )
• Double batch of basil pesto ( see recipe for details )
• 3/4 Cup Carrot sticks
• 1 Yellow Pepper ( sliced )
• 1 Red Pepper ( sliced )
• 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Green Pepper ( sliced )
• 2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
• 1/8 Cup Parmesan cheese ( grated )

Method

1. Cook pasta according to instructions and let cool.
2. Prepare basil pesto according to instructions.
3. Slice peppers in long strips and then cut in half.
4. Dry roast pine nuts in saute pan until lightly brown.
5. Place pasta in large mixing bowl and add peppers, carrots and tomatoes.
6. Add pesto and mix gently trying not to bruise the tomatoes.
7. Top with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When dressing salads, it is very helpful to actually put the dressing at the bottom of the bowl and all the ingredients on top.  Then use a tossing motion with your utensils to gently mix the ingredients together lifting from the bottom and folding on top.  This is essential when dressing delicate greens.  This is not so crucial with a cold pasta salad.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Easter and I look forward to coming back on Monday with some more fun and exciting stories.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

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Here we have a zesty dish that in the past 12 months – I would rank as one of my favorites.  I ate this bowl of basil beef pesto fettucine in literally 4 minutes.  How is that for indigestion issues?

Every flavor was so amazing.  The dish is comprised of everything I love – basil, beef, pesto, carrots and whole wheat pasta.  Can one really go wrong?  I will let you answer that.

As for the technique for making the sauce, I chose the braising method.  I did this for a couple of reasons.  First, I had a chunk of roast beef saved from a previous meal that was sitting idle in the fridge.  I wanted to revive it and make it moist and tender again.  Secondly, I chose a sturdy carrot to go in the sauce.   To mitigate the issue of a soggy carrot, I cut the carrots quite large on the bias and added them in last to the braising liquid.

The addition of the pesto was easy as I had some left overs from the other day when I made a nice sized batch.  This stuff is sooooooo good.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups whole wheat fettucine
• 1/2 Cup pesto
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Carrots (chopped)
• 1/4 Beef stock
• 1/4 Water
• 1 1/2 Cups cooked beef (chopped)
• 1 Garlic clove (chopped)
• Fresh parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Preheat saucepan to medium heat and sear the beef (about 3 minutes).



3. Add chopped garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Toss in carrot and stir; cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add stock and water, turn the temperature up to high and bring to a boil;  Do not put the lid on.
6. Let the liquid reduce to a thick consistency.
7. Add pesto and stir until warmed through.



8. Drain pasta and add to sauce; toss together.
9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Before adding the braising liquid, as I always say, sear the beef before hand in a little olive oil and lock in the flavors.

This dish will work equally well with chicken or pork.  To convert this recipe into a vegetarian dish, you could add tofu or simply bulk up on the veggies and be happy.

Question of the day: What is your favorite dish involving pesto?

I hope you have a great day and I look forward to all the exciting feedback and comments.

Take care

zesty

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Homemade Basil Pesto

Happy Tuesday!  I am somewhat excited as I get to share with you a super simple homemade Pesto recipe that you have to try!  Usually I find myself focusing on one or two foods that I find in the grocery store that either happen to look great or on sale.  I then try to wrap my brain around ways to use those ingredients to make 2 or 3 dishes until the ingredient is gone.

Just last night I found some great looking basil which is a perfect excuse to use my Cusinart Food Processor.  I am a big fan, as you may already know, of using all the food in the fridge and trying to minimize waste as much as possible.  Although, I have been known to toss some spoiled food out at times but it really “ROTS” me.

I have been meaning to share this versatile basil pesto recipe with you for some time now.  As you may know, my favorite herb is “BASIL” – I absolutely love it.  This basil pesto is  a treat whether you use it as a sandwich spread, pizza sauce, on top of  pasta or even smear it on your favorite meat, chicken or fish.  You will be pleasantly surprised with the flavor it packs.

The recipe below assumes you have a food processor.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Parmesan cheese ( cut into 1/2 inch pieces )
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Method

1. With the machine running, drop the cheese down the feed tube and chop about 10 seconds.  Remove and reserve.









2. Chop Garlic, then add basil and pulse about 20 times ( Scrape down sides).





3. With the machine running, drizzle Olive Oil down the tube and process until mixed. (Scrape down Sides)
4. Add pine nuts, reserved cheese and salt and pulse until nuts are chopped.
5. Let sit and store in a jar



6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I know for me it is sometimes hard to get fresh basil this time of year so when I find a really great crop I tend to buy a lot of it and freeze it. You can see a great set of instructions over at Kayln’s kitchen with more details on how to do this.

I look forward to sharing with you in the near future a few different ways I like to use basil pesto. Stay tuned and by all means you know I want to hear about your favorite ways to use basil pesto.  Have a great day and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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