The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the water is as blue as blue can be.  Oh What a place!  Regis and Kelly are here and they have been since Saturday doing this week of shows from beautiful Prince Edward Island and they have been raving about it.  Really you cannot disagree.

Last night at the camp site I made a delicious appetizer that was a HUGE hit.  I saw it a couple of weeks ago on the food network.  It was on the show “Best things I ever ate” and it was Giada’s favorite snack.  Basically it is roasted nuts tossed with brown sugar, butter and fresh rosemary.

Simply put….. DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

• Variety of Nuts
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Rosemary

Method

1. Roast nuts in oven or on BBQ until golden brown and warmed all the way through
2. In a large bowl, add some butter, brown sugar and fresh rosemary.
3. Once the nuts are complete, remove from the heat and add to the bowl.  The hot nuts will melt the butter and brown sugar.
4. Mix to coat evenly
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Use a nice mixture of nuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, peanuts etc for that extra flavor and texture.  These even got a taste from the trailer next door.  I heard rumblings of a great party treat.

Alright I am back to the campground and ready for another fun filled day.  Last night’s dinner was pretty tasty and I will be featuring it likely on Friday.  Not sure what to cook tonight – but that is all I can think about.  I love to EAT!  Have an awesome Wednesday and check out Regis and Kelly if you have time.

Take care

zesty

Friday is here!  Earlier in the week I prepared a roasted chicken for some extra meals.  I realized I had purchased two of these little suckers because they were on 2 for 1 at Sobeys.  I put one in the freezer but left the other one in the freezer.  When I noticed it in the fridge on Tuesday night I thought I would roast it and use it as a protein source for another dish or two.

The one thing I love about roasting chicken is that you can start with a blank canvas and take it to whatever country you want.  This time I chose a simple Hoisin Soy Glaze and pretended I was in Asia.  So easy and so tasty – this chicken was packed with flavor.  I know because the chicken wing was begging for attention when I pulled it out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• Dash of Soy sauce
• Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Garlic Powder
• Frozen Basil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare bird by cleaning and patting dry
• Add salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder to cavity
• Rub hoisin and soy sauce on outside of bird.  Season the outside with salt, pepper and basil.
• Add grape tomatoes in the roasting pan.
• Dollop with a pat of butter to ensure the skin will get nice and golden brown
• Cook uncovered until legs are loose about 20 mins per pound.
• Cover and let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.
• ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Season the inside of the chicken cavity.  After washing it and drying it well, be sure to season the inside of the bird with salt and pepper and whatever other flavors you want.

What is your favorite flavor on your chicken?

It really is that simple.  This bird is great on it’s own with some smashed potatoes and veg or in a salad the next day or even in a casserole which you will see next week.  Chicken in versatile and healthy so eat it up and enjoy.

A huge weekend is set here at the zesty house because the landscapers are finished and we have grass seed.  So my job is to WATER WATER WATER.  Sun is slated for the whole weekend so it should be great.  Have a fun weekend and I will see you on Monday.

Take care

zesty