Before we get to today’s post….  I need to make an announcement relating to the blog in general.  It seems like we are having host issues and virus issues when using Internet Explorer to view the blog, at least on some versions of IE.  I am presently working on that and hopefully we should be up and running on a new host in a couple of days.  Also with a new and improved design.

For this week leading up to Super Bowl in Dallas, I wanted to share a few fun recipes for you and your friends to try for the BIG GAME.  They will not be over the top cool, but I think they will give you a different outlook on how BIG game football food can taste.  Go big or stay home!

So a few weeks back I was watching the food network … of course right… and took note of a fun grilled shrimp recipe with a hint of lime and red pepper flakes in the base of the marinade and then you skewer it with rosemary leaves.  I thought to myself… genius!  With that said, I thought I would give it a try.

There is not much too the marinade but the choice ingredients make for a very succulent shrimp.

Ingredients

• 16-20 Jumbo Shrimp ( Tails removed and deveined  )
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/2 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• Fresh rosemary
• Chives
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat your grill to high ( 400 Degrees)
2. Prepare your marinade by adding the oil, lime juice, red pepper flakes in a bowl
3. Take the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and toss them in the marinade for a few  minutes while the grill is heating up.
4. With the rosemary leaves, remove some of the sprigs off to create a place for the shrimp, then gently slide the shrimp onto the branch.  repeat the process until complete.
5. Once the grill is ready to go, pop them on the grill and watch them closely.  These guys will cook quickly so give them a turn after about 1 minute.  They will turn pink once they are complete but you DO NOT want them over cooked.
6. Sprinkle with a hint of chives.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking shrimp over high heat, they tend to curl up which is normal.  To keep them from creating too much of a coil, place the rosemary skewer almost lengthwise to keep them on the straight and narrow.

So there you have appetizer one of SUPER BOWL week.  I will be back on Wednesday for some more ideas on how you can have your own tailgate party at your house.  Talk soon and meanwhile I will continue working on the upgrade of zesty to make it better for you.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Friday!  I hope you are having a great day and in the mood for a quick pork dish. You can whip these rosemary mustard pork chops when you are in rush or if you’re really unsure about what to make for dinner.

For this dish I decided to use a simple sauce to enhance the pork flavor.  From there, the pork chops will sit on a large dollop of mashed sweet potatoes.  Can you really beat that?

I started off with a simple sear of the pork chops with a little oil and salt and pepper.  From there I de-glazed the pan with the base of the sauce and then continued to add flavor.  To finish, I jazzed up some sweet potatoes with nutmeg, milk, butter and a dash of brown sugar.  Oh dear  – I love sweet potatoes!!

Ingredients

• 4 Pork chops
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. French’s mustard
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 Cup chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. rosemary (dried)
• 1 Tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tsp. salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Preheat saute pan/frying pan to medium high heat and dry the pork chops with a paper towel.
3. Combine  soy sauce, mustard, paprika, brown sugar and rosemary in a bowl; mix together.
4. Season pork with salt and pepper.
5. Add pork to pan and begin to sear on one side, about 3-4 minutes.  Once complete on one side, flip and do the same on other side.
6. Remove pork chops and place on plate.
7. De-glaze the pan by adding the chicken stock and scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the sauce mixture from step 3 and let thicken for 2 minutes.
9. Add pork back on the pan and place into the oven to finish the cooking process; about 12 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, baste with sauce.



11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When trying to caramelize meat and/or fish, it is essential that you pat it dry (with a paper towel) to remove any excess moisture on top of the meat.  This will eliminate the steaming process and let the meat/fish sear and caramelize more effectively.

I thought I would be somewhat balanced and add some green frozen peas to the plating dish along with a huge serving of garlic mashed sweet potatoes.  I hope you enjoy the day and I will see you all Monday.

Question of the day:  What are your Christmas cooking traditions?

Take care

zesty

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Hello Zesty Cook readers! My name is Kate and I blog at Cooking During Stolen Moments. Huge thanks to Cory for letting me guest post here today.

My husband and I make every effort to avoid having picky eaters in our family. With 5 kids, this isn’t always an easy task. But one of the things we’ve found most helpful is to serve them a variety of foods from a young age. We make sure we don’t decide for them whether or not they’ll like a food. As a result, we have kids that love lentils, salmon, brie, and lots of other foods you won’t find on any children’s menu!

These Apricot & Rosemary Baked Brie Bites have a decidedly grown-up flavor, but they get gobbled up by everyone in our family. They are perfect for entertaining, especially during Christmastime.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4Cup cold water
• 1 round brie, rind trimmed if desired
• 1/2 Cup apricot preserves
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish, if desired

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until crumbly. Slow pour in the water, adding just as much as is needed for the dough to come together.
2. Roll out the pie crust dough and cut into circles with a 2 inch cookie cutter or glass. Press into mini muffin tins.
3. Cut brie into small cubes and place a cube in each mini muffin tin.



4. Finely dice the fresh rosemary.



5. Stir the rosemary into the apricot preserves.



6. Spoon some of the apricot and rosemary mixture on top of each brie cube.



7. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and pie crust is lightly golden brown. Garnish with additional sprigs of rosemary, if desired.

Kate Miller, a mom of 5, blogs at Cooking During Stolen Moments where she is having an affair with her kitchen. Kate uses stolen moments throughout the day to serve up scratch-made food to her family without experiencing any of those dinner hour crazies. Kate specializes in recipes that can be enjoyed by the average family who desires to eliminate stress in their kitchens and processed items from their pantries.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty