Zesty Cook » salad

Simple Barbecue Salad Pizza

zesty — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:00:12 +0000

A simple crust and simple toppings made for a fresh summer pizza without all the grease and without the summer.

This dough recipe comes from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. I really enjoyed this recipe as it turned out really well. For me pizza is all about the crust! Toppings are good but I am a huge fan when it’s light on the toppings and sauce but heavy on the crust.

If you are interested in a new whole wheat pizza dough, I highly recommend this recipe. It is very simple and produces a great texture. I opted for a thin crust and placed the pizza directly on the grill for a little crunch. YUM!

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Packets (1/4 Ounce Each) Active Dry Yeast
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Pizza Toppings

Basil Pesto ( Love this! )
Pine nuts
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomatoes
Arugula

Method

Place water in large bowl – sprinkle with yeast.
Let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).
Brush another large bowl with Olive Oil.
In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil and salt. Stir in flours until a sticky dough forms.
Transfer to oiled bowl (brush top of dough with oil).
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size (about an hour).
Turn dough onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth.
Preheat Barbecue to Medium-High on one side.
Prepare in shape of pizza and begin to assemble pizza dough.
Spread pesto and then some cheese.
Add toppings from above except arugula
On the BBQ, place pizza on the side with no heat and close the lid
Time varies depending on the thickness of your crust (12-20 minutes).
Add arugula at the very end with some more feta cheese.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I like to use indirect heat for the pizza so that the barbecue acts like an oven and doesn’t burn the pizza before it is cooked. Indirect heat refers to putting heat on one side of the barbecue and placing the food on the opposite side.

Have a super weekend and hopefully we get some warm sun… this cold air is killing me.

Take care

zesty

Healthy Roasted Salmon Salad

zesty — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:30:53 +0000

I have been getting some flack as of late. Nothing major, just people wanting to see healthier recipes that can be made in a hurry. Not a lot of ingredients, not a lot of effort to prepare. The hamster was spinning for a while but really when you break it down in your head – think protein and vegetables when in doubt.

Today I paired, a few roasted vegetables ( cause they are good), a chunk of salmon and some leafy pre packaged greens. How easy is that. Dinner can be on the table in 19 minutes from the time you walk in the door.

Watch and see.

Ingredients

Mixed Bag salad greens
Grape tomatoes
Slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
Mixed Vegetables ( I used yellow peppers, zucchini, and asparagus)
Salmon
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Add vegetable to pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast
After about 10 minutes, turn the vegetables and add the salmon. Cook salmon about 6-8 minutes ( depending on thickness)
In a large bowl, add mixed greens, tomatoes, slivered almonds. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic and remaining olive oil and toss
Serve on a plate/bowl and top with salmon and roasted vegetables.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Roast vegetables in bulk and store them in ziploc bags for the rest of the week. Saves a ton of time and you can eat them cold or flash fry them to warm them up for dinner.

How did I do?

Simple – check.

Tasty – check.

Healthy -check.

I think this is a great go to dinner and can be easily changed up to keep you from getting board. You could easily substitute the almonds for another nut, the greens for arugula, the salmon for chicken or another type of fish you have on hand.

Remember protein and vegetables when in doubt. You can dodge the grains for dinner and have those for breakfast and lunch. Have a great Monday and see you on hump day.

Take care

zesty

Balsamic Drizzled Mango Chicken Salad

zesty — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:49 +0000

Good morning and I thank you. For all the nice emails regarding the thanksgiving feast and your request for certain recipes. I will work on getting those for you and post them either Friday of this week or early next week. Today I wanted to share with you a simple salad that can be put together in minutes and meet all the nutritional needs of your body. Salads for lunch can get pretty boring, at least for me so every now and I again I switch them up and keep the flavors unique.

This combination of balsamic, mango with roasted chicken was a great combination. Maybe because there is feta cheese on there as well with some crunch from slivered almonds and firm cucumber. Whatever the flavors may be, try to match texture with sexiness and your salads will make your tummy happy both inside and out. Wow, I just re read that line and it sounds like I am promoting healthy eating. What I was really going for is that if you make foods that look good you are more apt to enjoy them and feel good after you eat them.

OK enough with the sensitive chatter let’s get going and build this salad. I will not put the measurements as it totally doesn’t matter.

Ingredients

Baby spinach
Iceberg lettuce
Cucumber
Slivered almonds
Fresh mango
Roasted chicken
Feta cheese
Tomatoes, grape
Balsamic vinegar

Method

Assemble all ingredients on a plate or bowl starting with the largest vegetables and continuing to chicken and cheese.
Drizzle with balsamic.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a new twist on salads, heat up the balsamic vinegar or whichever dressing you like and pour it over your salad. The warmth of the dressing will start to wilt the spinach ever so slightly and give you a whole different texture and perspective on your salad.

I am just about ready to head into the office. Middle of the week is upon us and the middle of October is approaching. Before I sign off I have a BIG question for you.

What is your favorite SALAD DRESSING?

I am just curious because normally I am balsamic vinegar or a homemade version of olive oil, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spill the beans and tell me yours via email or comments. Have a great Wednesday and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty