Whooo Hoooo – I am back home!  But it is cold…. damn weather and only to get worse.  I might have something that you can whip up and warm up for those cool evenings.  How many of us are busy as a beaver and feel we make up excuses to eat healthy?  Pick me Pick me… but with this simple salmon dish, you are in and out of the kitchen in 15 minutes, eating on the couch or table and happy as a clam.

For those of you who are not fans of salmon this will work with any protein for the most part.  White fish, chicken, pork, tofu – you name it it will taste great.  The dish is all about the relish.  The freshness of lemon, combined with the sweetness of the raisins and the crunch of the almonds.

Ingredients

• 4 Salmon portions
• 1 Clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp. Balsamic
• 3 Tbsp. Raisins
• 1/4 cup Almonds, toasted
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Fresh Tarragon
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly rub olive oil, salt and pepper over salmon.  Roast in the oven about 8 minutes per inch of thickness
3. In a large pan, add remaining olive oil to pan. Saute garlic and shallot until translucent about 4 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, raisins and let simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Finish the relish with the toasted almonds.
6. Top the salmon with the relish, tarragon and serve over salad.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Try not to overcook the salmon.  The last thing you want is dry overcooked salmon.  If you want a little more lemon flavor you can cook the salmon in a little bit of the lemon juice to cook the salmon.

Alright, I have a busy day of catch up at the office.  I will talk to you all on Wednesday but until then have a good start to your week and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Friday!  As I type this post early on this snowy Friday we are getting geared up for our first snow storm of the year.  Exciting?  No not really but I guess some people like it.  So far. all schools have been canceled but I am still planning on going into work.  We are supposed to get 20 cm today which is not too bad but the wind is supposed to pick up to 80km/hr.  Since we live in a wide open area it will likely feel that there is a hurricane around us.  I am really trying to look for full grown trees to shelter around the house.

Do you think I am crazy for looking at this option?  I am not very patient when it comes to watching trees grow for 20 years before they will block the wind.

On To the Food

The title catches your eye especially if you love chicken and garlic.  This recipe is a spin on a classic roasted chicken but there a couple of techniques that really enhance the flavor compared to your normal run of the mill chicken.

The marinade in this recipe really kicks up the internal flavor of the meat and the double cooking method also forces the flavor to be enhanced.  It really is a great trick if you have never tried this method in the past.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Head of garlic
• 3 shallots
• 1 Tbsp herbes de provence
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• Small pinch all spice
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

1. Blend all ingredients except the olive oil in food processor then  add 6 tsp olive oil
2. Rub inside and outside chickens and marinate in fridge 2-4 hours.
3. Take the head of garlic and loosen but do not peel, remove papery skins. Coat with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast chicken at 350 degrees in shallow pan for 90 min or till done and for at least 1 hour
5. Add the garlic head, covered with tin foil in own pan to the oven and roast for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. Set chicken aside for at least 30 minutes.
7. Degrease roasting pan, then de-glaze with juices from resting chicken and 1 ½ cups of chicken broth.
8. Separate chicken to pieces, preserving the skin as best able, and place on boiler with skin side up.
9. Place thin slices of ½ lemon over top.
10. Pour juices into broiler pan, but not over the chicken and broil to hot (8min depending on oven).
11. Use ½ lemon remaining and add juice and reduce sauce, by ½ or till thickened, season with salt and pepper and a small amount, 1 tsp or so butter to enrich and smooth sauce.
12. Serve chicken with sauce.



13. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Don’t forget about that roasted garlic.  Serve the roasted garlic with the chicken for the garlic lovers in the house.

Big plans for the weekend?  I am pretty sure I don’t have anything major on the go.  Looks like I may be doing some shoveling for sure.  I better go get a shower and head into the office.  Have a great weekend and let me know if you have any questions about the recipe.

Take care

zesty

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Driving home from work yesterday afternoon, I was starving and realized that I did not take anything out for supper. At that point I decided to pull into the super market and attempt to put a meal plan together on the run. I made it to the meat department and noticed that Pork Loin Chops were on sale so the wheels started turning as I came up with an idea for pork chops. They were so thick and looked incredible yummy.

Ingredients

• 2 Pork Loin Chops Center Cut Bone-In
• 10 Scallops
• 2 cups of Baby Spinach
• 1 cup of Shitake Mushrooms ( coarsely chopped )
• 1 cup of Apple Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Sweet Chili Sauce
• Cracked Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. Season both sides of Pork Chops with cracked black pepper
3. Pan sear the pork until golden brown crust forms
4. Place pork in roasting pan and place in oven for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through
5. With the pan drippings still in the frying pan, add apple juice, garlic, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and bring to a boil and then let reduce.
6. Once reduced by half, add mushrooms and spinach to the sauce.
7. Start another Sautee pan and heat up some olive oil and sprinkle some red pepper flakes in the oil.  Once hot place the scallops in and sear on both sides until golden brown.  Once complete remove from heat and set aside.
8. After the mushroom and spinach cook through add the scallops to the sauce as well and stir to coat the scallops.
9. Ready to plate. I like to place a big scoop of brown rice on the bottom of the plate and then set the pork chop on top followed by the delicious reduction of sauce, mushroom, spinach and most of all tender juicy scallops.

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