Zesty Cook » salad

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

Zesty’s Top 7 Ways to Use Bacon

zesty — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:00:18 +0000

I am working from home today with a sick boy and have a huge craving for bacon. I thought I would kick start your weekend with some pork fat goodness. You agree?

One of my top 25 foods of all time – BACON. It came to me as I was eating the breakfast all last week at Normandy Farm. Of course I scanned the whole buffet before I started to fill my plate, but I always gravitated towards the crispy bacon

Eating some breakfast and thinking about what to write, I thought that I would share with you 7 ways to cook with bacon that have been featured on zesty.

So here goes….

1. Bacon on Pizza

Whether it is traditional pizza using some leftovers or a kicked up portabella pizza – bacon is a great addition.

2. Chutney

I feature two chutney’s ( Apple Bacon Chutney and Pear Bacon Chutney ) so far and both were out of this world yummy. I attribute that to the bacon and to the slow cooking.

3. Bacon and Eggs with a Twist

One of my all time sunday morning favorites “Bacon and Eggs”. Try these fun little twists on a classic – Bacon and Eggs in a Bowl or a 2 minute Bacon Broccoli Scrambled Egg.

4. Bacon Wrapped Fruit

Once introduced to this lovely creation – I fell in love with Bacon wrapped Pineapple. Such a simple yet crowd pleasing treat.

5. Bacon in a Salad

I really do love adding bacon to many salads. I think i like the salty flavor it adds as well as the crunch. The one listed here is not your traditional salad, but this was very tasty with both the crunch walnuts and the firmness of the asparagus.

6. Bacon with Potatoes

Oh yeah – you cannot forget this incredible combination. Try kicking it up a notch at your next gathering with sweet potato skins with Bacon. These babies are amazing.

7. Bacon Mac and Cheese

Well well well… this is a must try if you love mac and cheese. The bacon really takes this over the roof and will make you very very happy.

So there you have it! A fun look at bacon and all its glory. Feel free to share this with your friends using the toolbar on the bottom. Have yourself a great Fridayand I will see you back on October…. Can you believe that?

Take care

zesty

Get Your Greens {On}

zesty — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:59:07 +0000

It’s Friday already and a long weekend to boot! Whoo Hooo. I had great visions of sharing some Zoo pictures with you today however I forgot to bring the camera cable with me so not I have no way of transferring the pictures. Sorry about that… but next week I will for sure.

So with all the traveling and not so healthy eating at times…. I am writing a post for the salad lovers out there. It is time to get your greens on! I remember in NYC and Toronto, where I would go a full day of not eating anything green… shhh don’t tell anyone. Remember you have to live life and take things in moderation. With that said, I am back on the green wagon and going to share with you a simple salad that really tastes great.

Ingredients

2 Cups baby spinach
1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Lemon juice
Sesame seeds, roasted
Flax seeds, roasted
Olive oil
Sliced prosciutto

Method

Preheat a dry pan and roast the seeds and nuts until golden brown.
Prepare the salad base of spinach, prosciutto and avocado.
Add the roasted seeds and nuts.
Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: After you peel your avocado sprinkle it with a hint of lemon juice to avoid it browning on the outside before you eat it. If it does go brown, don’t throw it out – it is still GOOD.

Oh and I got my black plate back from Mom’s. It has been there for over a year. I usually like shooting with white plates but for some reason black looks good sometimes too. I hope you give this salad a try and let me know what you think. Have a great long weekend and I will be talking to you bright and early on Labor Day morning.

Take care

zesty

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

zesty — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Happy Friday! It is hard to believe it is the middle of July already. The weather here to say the least has been subpar. We have had one nice week so far and today we are slated for 16 degrees Celsius or 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say that makes me cranky. So to balance the cranky, we need to find something that makes us happy. Bacon makes zesty happy. Whether it is for breakfast, on a sandwich for lunch or wrapped around something for dinner you can pretty much count on me loving bacon.

A while back I made cinnamon and cream cheese stuffed dates for a family gathering and I really liked them. The texture of the date is something you either love or learn to love. For me I love the texture despite the fact they kind of look like over-sized beetles. Let’s not go there…

So on to this version of stuff dates. I took the same cream cheese and cinnamon mixture, added a little diced apple and then wrapped them with some bacon. I served them over some spinach with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Holy Yum.

Ingredients

12 Pitted dates
1/2 Cup cream cheese
1/4 Cup diced apple ( peeled)
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
4 -5 slices of bacon ( cooked)
2 Cups spinach
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Method

Prepare the dates. Mix the cream cheese, apple and cinnamon together and set aside.
Slice the down the center to create a pocket to stuff the cream cheese mixture inside.
Gently wrap the bacon around the dates and set aside on a plate.
Prepare a bed of spinach with a drizzle of balsamic.
Set the dates on top of the spinach
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Because the dates are serve chilled, you have to cook the bacon entirely. I like to have the bacon crunchy so you have to be careful wrapping the bacon around the date as it may break. If it breaks, it is still OK. Don’t sweat it.

We pack up and leave for camping tomorrow afternoon. We are looking forward to a week in the camper. I will keep you posted from the camper and I have a few new recipes up my sleeve for next week. If you are in the area and want to try some new dishes – drop over and say Hi. Have a super weekend and I will talk to you on Monday from the camper.

Take care

zesty

Chipolte Chicken and Pear Salad

zesty — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:00:33 +0000

Holy Salad again! I am starting to impress myself with my eating habits of late. This was just a quick last minute put together dinner that was tasty for sure but I was starving by 8:00pm. Not the end of the world as you know I love eating and it was just in time for the hockey game to start. For my evening snack I went with a bowl of cereal and my traditional handful of “All Dressed” chips well OK, maybe 2 handfuls and a bit of chocolate at the end.

It takes me back to the sweet and salty post from a while ago. I am definitely both!

Back to the salad

For this simple salad I went with the combination of chicken and fruit which I love. The crisp pear was a great match for the spicy chicken. I just had some frozen boneless chicken breasts that were done up chipolte style from the grocery store. I roasted them in the oven for 25 minutes and chopped them up with some other fruits and vegetables. Here is the mix.

Ingredients

Baby Romaine Lettuce
Sliced strawberries
Sliced Pears
Cooked Chicken breast
Balsamic vinegar
Cucumbers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Olive oil

Method

Cook and slice chicken breasts
Prepare all fruits and vegetables in the salad by washing and chopping to your desired sizes
Organize the salad in the bowl
In a small jar, mix 2 parts oil to one part balsamic – add a dash of mustard and shake.
Dress the salad and serve
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The addition of mustard to the dressing allows the oil and vinegar to combine into a nice rich texture and not break.

So there you have yet another simple salad for your Wednesday pick me up! I don’t really have much to say other than I hope you enjoy the salad. I am not sure what I am going to post for Friday as of yet but I did make another sweet potato dish a couple of weeks back that may be worthy of sharing. Have an awesome hump day and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

A Salad and A Sunset

zesty — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:19 +0000

Well the zoo was amazing and the vacation has been a ton of fun so far. It feels like we have been going non stop day and night and by the time I get to bed I am exhausted. I am not complaining as the kids are having a ball!

We are slated to head over to Halifax, NS today and tonight and stay in a Jungle Theme Room that I booked last night ( the kids don’t know yet). I think they will be super excited as it is a SUITE with bunk beds. Before we get moving along, I wanted to share a fun summer salad with you.

Do you like watermelon? How about fresh basil and mint? The colors and fresh flavor really make people happy. This salad is really fresh and will definitely make you and your guests happy. The combination of juicy watermelon and crisp cucumbers along with the nice sharp flavor of feta – this is a HIT. The citrus dressing just screams summer so eat up and enjoy!

Super Summer Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

2 Cups seeded and diced ripe watermelon
2 Cups seeded and diced cucumber
Quartered green and red tomatoes
Fresh Basil and mint
Citrus dressing (see below)
1/4 Cup crumbled feta cheese

Citrus Dressing

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp.fresh lime juice
2 Tsp honey
1/3 Cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
Pinch of cayenne
Salt (to taste)

Method

It couldn’t be easier. Toss all the ingredients in a big bowl.
For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a lid.
Screw on the lid, and shake until well-blended.
Divide among four plates
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For this one, I wait until just before serving before dressing it. You do not want the fresh basil and mint to become limp and wilted. You can make the dressing up ahead of time in the jar just be sure to give it a good shake before pouring over the salad.

OK, so we got home around 8:30 last night and I looked out onto the deck and saw some of this action…. isn’t this gorgeous?

Around 8:25pm

Around 8:35pm

Around 8:45pm

Have a super Wednesday – we are off in the car for a fun filled couple of days yet again. Talk to you Friday morning before we hit the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade.

Take care

zesty

Tantalizing Tarragon Salad

zesty — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:42 +0000

Not all the time I get super excited about a salad, but today is slightly different. Now, I am not sure if it was the company I was with or the flavors in the salad but let me tell you – this was super good.

Do you like Tarragon? What about honey? Any cravings for toasted almonds? If you said yes to these questions than I am certain you will be licking this bowl just like I wanted too. The salad itself is really simple. Just three ingredients besides the dressing – but the flavor is dynamic!

Ingredients

Head of Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Cup Roasted Almonds
2 Tbsp. Tarragon (dried) or 1 handful of fresh Tarragon
1/3 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Vinegar
1/3 Cup Oil
1 Tsp. Dry mustard
1 clove garlic (crushed)
Salt
Pepper

Method

In the oven or dry roasting pan, toast the almonds until golden brown.
Clean and prepare the romaine lettuce and fresh tarragon.
Combine oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
In a large bowl combine lettuce, tarragon and almonds; add dressing just before serving.
Enjoy!

Zesty Tip: To keep everyone happy at the table you can serve the dressing on the side in case some people do not like it and you will be also able to keep leftovers. I prefer the dressing poured over just before serving but it may not be for everyone.

This salad is a definite keeper. I really like the simplicity of it yet the powerful combination of flavors. I have to thank the camping neighbors for this salad – it is such a great pair with a simple cheeseburger or even something more elegant like a seared piece of halibut. You will not be disappointed with this salad. Have a super day and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

Simple Barbecue Salad Pizza

zesty — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:12 +0000

I am sick of rain! It rained, what feels like the last 14 days straight, and I am tired of it. On the weekend it managed just to stay cloudy long enough for our team to build the baby barn for habitat for humanity. It was quite fun and our barn managed to stand up and look relatively similar to the rest.

The food weekend was quite minimal… we ate out on Friday night as part of our tradition and Saturday was a bit hectic. On Saturday evening in between raindrops I managed to sneak out a pizza on the barbecue and it was a nice treat. 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.

A Fun Filled Sunday

Sunday, June 6th, marked a special day in the zesty household. Mrs Zesty’s birthday!! It is not a big a deal as it used to be as we get older but we still had a great day. Breakfast out at one of our favorite restaurants – Cora’s and a fun afternoon. We wrapped up the day with some Dairy Queen Ice cream cake and a few laughs. All in all a fun day despite the heavy rain and thunder storms. Have a fantastic Monday and I will touch base with you on Wednesday with hopefully something exciting.

Take care

zesty

Sassy Pineapple and Mango Salsa

zesty — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:28 +0000

I love salsa! That is a given so when I thought about a menu items for Sunday to pair with the coconut crusted salmon – I knew it was a summer salsa. There is something about summer flavors with crisp fruit and sharp vibrant colors makes everyone happy. I chose to pair both pineapple and mango for the salsa and give it a little bit with cilantro and red onion. No one in our family are really big onion lovers so I toned down the red onion to avoid any discomfort. I find it is not really that sharp with the sweetness of the fruit. To finish off the flavor matching, I chose to add a dash of hot sauce and cracked black pepper.

Ever try hot sauce with fruit?

Ingredients

2 Cups of fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
2 Cups fresh Mango, diced
A little bit red onion, diced
1 Cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Several dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Method

Put pineapple,mango, red onion and cilantro into a medium-sized bowl.
Add lime zest and juice, oil and hot sauce.
Toss well and let flavors mingle for at least one half hour before serving.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: This works very well with any form of meat or even as a vegetarian dish. It would work great with a stir fry topping or even with cous cous.

Wednesday is here and the week is half over. It is hard to believe that summer is on the way. The weekend was super hot and guess what… I did survive a day of roofing. I am pretty confident in saying that I will never be a roofer full time and I now have a lot of respect for those who do it as a trade. Have a fantastic hump day and I will talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Avocado to the Rescue!

zesty — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:04 +0000

I dropped the ball on Monday and forgot to schedule my post for 8 am as always so it sat in draft mode until I realized around 2:00 that it was not live. Oh dear – what a doofus. So with that being said your Google readers did not get updated with the Juicer Recipes post until yesterday because I have my feed burner set to update at 12:00pm. My bad and I am sorry. However, on the positive side of things – it is looking like I am posting two days in a row.

Not the case but wait until you see this beauty! A simple avocado and egg salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette – simply delicious. The health kick is pushing forward day after day and I am actually loving it. Now don’t get me wrong, I still eat a little treat here and there but very much in moderation. Mrs. Zesty and I are teaming up and by doing it together it is quite fun and motivating. Not that I was a terrible eater before i would sometimes over indulge in some unnecessary snacks at random times of the day.

Without further a do – feast your eyes on this salad. Totally random but lovely just the same. Do you think it is weird that a guy uses the word “lovely” a lot? Oh boy, i am getting off topic a lot today…. my apologies.

Ingredients

Spring Greens
Avocado
Hard boiled egg
Sliced almonds
Blackberries
Grape tomatoes
Balsamic Vinegar

Method

Wash and prep greens, berries and tomatoes
Peel and chop hard boiled egg
Peel and chop the avocado
Add all ingredients together in a bowl
Toss and dress with a drizzle of balsamic.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Peel your avocado just before you are ready to eat the salad and give it a little squirt with some fresh lemon juice to keep it from going brown so quickly.

A great salad for a lunch or even a light dinner.

This salad is very versatile and of course you can add whatever you want. Cold chicken would be a great alternative if you like that or you could even add some garbanzo beans for some extra flavor.

My whole take on salad is add what you like to eat and be simple with the dressing. The one thing that I do not like about salad is when the dressing is too heavy and the greens become soggy and limp. Keep it fresh and crunchy. Have an amazing Wednesday and keep your chin up.

Take care

zesty