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

1. Preheat a dry pan and roast the seeds and nuts until golden brown.
2. Prepare the salad base of spinach, prosciutto and avocado.
3. Add the roasted seeds and nuts.
4. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
5. 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

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Well Well Well…. Did you think I got lost in New York?  Not really the case, but we did get stranded on Sunday as the flight was cancelled due to weather conditions in the JFK area.  On top of all that, we had to check a bag because we shopped too much and in that bag I had placed my power cord for the laptop… ooops and the laptop died.  That is the sob story as to why no post on Monday.

Too make up for the missed day I thought I would do a recap of NYC in pictures and share with you a shrimp recipe that I whipped up last night that made my heart sing.  Oh so good and oh so easy to prepare.

NYC Recap

Things We Did

• STOMP
• The Lion King
• Mets Game
• Hop N Go Tour – Central Park, downtown loop, world trade centre
• Shopped at Century 21 – mind boggling
• Hit up Macy’s for 3 Hours
• Hung out at Times Square
• Ate at the Shake Shack!!
• Became Subway gurus

Times Square in the Night

Times Square in the Night

The Food Emporium

A Cool Curved Building... can't remember the name

Trump Towers

Some greenery

Radio City Music Hall

New York Mets Stadium

Good Ol'e Lulu

New York Public Library

YUM... Chipotle

Atop the double Decker bus I spotted this on the lamp post.... Classic

Ever Have this Popcorn?

Times Square

Times Square Street Sign

Empire State Building

Empire State Building

Eataly.... so good

Zest in Central Park ...relaxing

Curry Fig Shrimp

Ingredients

• 16 Large Shrimp
• 2 Figs , chopped
• Lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Curry Paste
• 1/4 Cup water
• 2 Cups spinach
• 1 Cup of Basmati rice
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

Method

1. Preheat a sauce pan over high heat and add olive oil.
2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and quickly sear the shrimp, 30 seconds per side.  Pull them out of the pan and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
3. Add garlic, lemon zest, maple syrup, figs and curry paste.  Stir quickly and lower the heat to medium.  Add water and let reduce for 2 minutes.
4. Toss shrimp back in the sauce and coat evenly for 1 minute.
5. Remove shrimp leaving liquid in the pan to saute the spinach.  Cook the spinach until wilted about 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve over rice
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Don’t over cook the shrimp!  It is very easy to do, just ensure as soon as they become translucent, you remove them from the heat.

OK, I better get my butt to the office and start the work day.  I hope you enjoyed the recap and again sorry for the lack of posting on Monday.  I will talk to you all on Friday.

Take care

zesty

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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

1. Prepare the dates.  Mix the cream cheese, apple and cinnamon together and set aside.
2. Slice the down the center to create a pocket to stuff the cream cheese mixture inside.
3. Gently wrap the bacon around the dates and set aside on a plate.
4. Prepare a bed of spinach with a drizzle of balsamic.
5. Set the dates on top of the spinach
6. 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

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Hitting you up wit a re post today as I am away from home for today and the weekend.

Some things will never change.  I will continue to cook fun, easy and idiot proof recipes for you to “hopefully” enjoy and document them along the way with pictures to aide in your at home preparation.  I think today will not disappoint.  What do you get when you take roasted mushrooms with Parmesan cheese, pan seared chicken breasts with balsamic and orange reduction, fresh spinach and some whole wheat pasta?

Answer = YUM

This dish was actually quite tasty and as I was evaluating it last night – the one thing I would alter was the amount of sauce.  I had very little as it reduced so much so in the ingredients below I will display what I did but you may want to increase the amounts if you are a sauce lover.

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Chicken breasts ( sliced)
• 2 Cups Whole button mushrooms
• 2 Large handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cook pasta according to directions
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange mushrooms on sheet



4. Coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some Parmesan cheese; toss to coat evenly
5. Roast for 20 minutes turning occasionally





6. In a saute pan, turn to medium heat and begin to cook the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Once the chicken begins to brown toss in the roasted mushrooms, orange juice, remaining balsamic and let reduce for 4 minutes



7. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted





8. Add noodles, mix thoroughly and dress with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.





9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For me this tip is all about balance.  Use the balsamic and orange juice to balance themselves but be sure you have enough sauce.  This was my only mistake in this dish.  I feel it would have been even better with more sauce.

Tell me what you think of this recipe, what other recipes you would like to see, whether you would like to participate by doing a zesty post or if you just like stopping in here each day to check things out.

I am wide open and very flexible and there is nothing I will not answer.  Have yourself a great Friday and weekend!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Every now and again I feel I come up with a dinner that is really really good!  Last night may have been one of those nights.  I started with a big piece of beef, almost like a blade roast (just a little thinner) and I had some homemade marinara sauce that I wanted to use.  I also had a pile of grape tomatoes that have seen better days in addition to brown rice and spinach that I was thinking about all day.

I was home in the afternoon awaiting zesty junior off the bus so I put these in the oven for 3 hours with the sauce, tomatoes and some seasoning and all I can say about the beef – ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  Tender, succulent, could not pick it up without it falling apart.

The joy of braising beef, you are pretty much always impressed with the results.

Ingredients

• Boneless Beef ( 1-2 lbs)
• 1 Cup Marinara sauce
• 2 Handful or grape tomatoes
• 1 Tsp. Dry mustard
• 2 cloves garlic ( crushed )
• 1/2 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. Water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Preheat an oven safe pan on top of the stove and add the olive oil.  Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the pan to sear both sides.  About 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, dry mustard, garlic and grape tomatoes and pour over the beef.
3. Cover and place in the oven for 3 hours.
4. Remove from the oven and set the meat aside ( covering with tin foil )
5. Place the pan back on the stove top and bring to a boil.  We will create a slurry with the cornstarch and water to help thicken the sauce to finish the sauce.  Once the sauce is boiling, add the slurry and let it thicken for about 5-6 minutes.
6. Let’s assemble the dish.  I like to put the raw spinach on the bottom of the bowl and top with a little sauce to begin the wilting process, then I serve a little bit of rice, and top with the beef.  Then ladle a little more of thickened sauce on top.







7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The key to the sauce it make sure it has the right consistency.  Because the Marinara had oil in it – it will break apart once cooked for so long.  The combination of cornstarch and water helps thicken and bring it back together.  The sauce is the star of the dish in my opinion.

Zesty’s Spontaneous News

Well Well Well Have I got news for you!  Yesterday on a total whim I went ahead and booked a family vacation for Disney World!  I know, kind of crazy and kind of fun.  I could not pass up the price and we knew the kids wanted to go on a plane.

Now you ask yourself, why is he telling me this?  Well I kind of need your help.  I do not have a hotel booked yet and we have not decided to stay in the Disney resort or just outside.  I feel we will be doing other things in Orlando other than Disney so we will rent a car for ease of getting around but I am still pondering the hotel situation.

If you have any suggestions by all means email me or leave them in the comments – they would be greatly appreciated.

I hope you have a great Wednesday, as I sit here and look out the dining room window – we are buried in snow.  The driveway is completely full and we are just waiting to get cleaned out.  The sun is shining, the snow is blowing and it is freezing out.  I cannot wait for Florida!

Take care

zesty

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Happy Monday to you! Some days you just need something simple to eat.  Something that will comfort you if you are feeling down, something quick if you are in a rush.  This no nonsense chicken soup will definitely do the trick.  Simple flavors really make you realize that good food can be made easy.

Honestly when I was making this soup, I thought it might be a bit bland in flavor until I hit it with the fresh lemon juice and ground pepper.  It woke the soup up and made it SING.  This is a must try for any soup lover.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Long Grain White Rice
• 6 Cups Homemade or canned low sodium chicken stock
• 2 Cups Water
• Chicken breasts ( cut into thin slices)
• 2 Carrots ( chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 350g (12 oz) Spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp. Olive oil
• Fresh Ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the rice and carrot in a large saucepan with the stock and water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, saute the chicken with the oil until slightly brown adding the garlic and 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon juice and set aside once no longer pink.
3. Add the sliced chicken to the pan and simmer partly covered for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Stir in the spinach and continue simmering for another 5 minutes or until the rice is tender and both the chicken and spinach are cooked.
5. Stir in remaining lemon juice and pepper and serve hot.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Add some crunch to your soup by adding roasted pine nuts at the very end just before serving.  It will add a nice texture to the somewhat smooth soup.

I must really  say that these soup has been one of my favorites that I had had in a long time.  I think it also offers a nice canvas to add any other vegetables you would like but I think keeping it simple is one of the attractive elements.

Zesty Hits the Media

Well you know how shy I am in real life right?  Ummm just joking!  Just last week I was speaking with the Guardian as they wanted to do a special piece on Zesty and how it all began.  The Guardian is the local newspaper serving PEI so I was more than happy to oblige.

They also wanted to shoot a video in zesty’s kitchen with some holiday flare.  So many ideas went through my head thinking of what I wanted to share with you.  It came down to doing something simple and fun and also a recipe that kids can help create.  These cookies were really fun to make even with the crazy twist.  They taste pretty good out of the oven as well.

All in good fun and hopefully the videos will continue.

Have a super start to your week and I will see you all on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I have a pretty fun recipe to share with you today.  Remember back around the new year  – we went to a potluck and I was unsure what to bring.  Well I was surfing the net looking for ideas and I strolled by Heidi’s 101 Cookbooks and found an very interesting and delicious pasta dish.  Once laying my eyes on the picture I was hooked and then I read deeper into the recipe and I was all set.  I had all the ingredients on hand minus the mozzarella so that was a snap to pick up.

I thought about adding a few ingredients to it that I had on hand not that it needed it -I just thought it would be nice to use of the stuff I had in the fridge.  The additions were chicken, bacon and roasted tomatoes.  Let’s just say it was a huge hit at the potluck.

Ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells
• sea salt
• 2 Chicken breasts (sliced and cooked)
• 8 pieces of bacon  (cooked and crumbled)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups well-chopped fresh spinach
• 10-12 Roasted grape tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• zest of 2 lemons
• 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded or torn into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.





2. Butter/oil a large casserole dish or baking pan – something roughly equivalent to 13×9-inch pan.



3. In a separate saute pan cook the bacon until crispy and then remove and set aside.



4. In a separate saute pan dry roast the almonds until brown and then remove and set aside.
5. Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain pasta, toss with some olive oil. Set aside.
6. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Saute the chicken with a couple pinches of salt until no longer pink.







7. While the chicken is cooking, pop some tomatoes in the oven to start the roasting process – toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 12-15 minutes.







8. Back to the chicken -stir in garlic and roasted tomatoes and let cook for a minute.  Toss in bacon and spinach. Cook for just about 20 seconds, until the spinach collapses a bit.









9. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds and 1/2 of the zest; mixing extremely well, a minute or so.



10. Now sprinkle the bottom of baking dish with the rest of the zest.



11. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, now sprinkle with some of the cheese and chicken mixture, add more pasta, then more cheese and more chicken mixture until complete. Finish with a layer of cheese.









12. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly.
13. Serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds.



14. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: This pasta dish was really really good!  The only thing I noticed is that if you overcook it at all it will become pretty dry.  To avoid this you could add a little lemon juice to the chicken mixture and just be sure not to over bake the pasta and eat right away.

Around the Blogsphere

Are you ever looking for great blogs that have fun and exciting recipes?  I thought you would be so I decided I would share with you a few of my favorites in case you didn’t already know.

Here are some great recipe blogs that you will sure to find handy.

Kayln’s Kitchen – For a great combination of home cooked ideas, healthy alternatives and all around great recipes – this is a great spot.

Southern Plate – For all things Southern, Christy has it covered.  If you have never been here – it is a must to see.

RecipeGirl - This site has a lot of action, great recipes and Lori really knows how to cook.  Check it out.

Bakerella - Ever want to learn how to make the most amazing cake pops.  Bakerella is really amazing.

Joythebaker - For all things baking, it is a must to check out Joy.  You may never leave.

So there you have it.  A truly fun recipe to try on a Sunday afternoon and a great list of recipe blogs that you should check out for sure.  I hope you have a great Wednesday and I think I may have a little announcement on Friday.  Nothing major but just a little more fun.

Have a super Wednesday.

Take care

zest

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Ever just go off the wall and try to create a different side dish that you never tried before?  Enter spinach and cabbage saute. I was unsure what this would turn out like but was willing to give it a whirl as cabbage was on special and I had some spinach to use up before expiring.

Pretty simple to make as I used “real” cranberry juice as the sauce and let accompanied with some red pepper flakes and garlic for flavor.  A fun twist on a combination that I never had before but I would make it again.

The details are here if you want to give it a spin.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp.  Olive oil
• 2 Cups Cabbage ( chopped )
• 2 Cups Spinach
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper flakes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/4 Cup Cranberry Juice
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Method

1. Heat up a saute pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil, garlic and red peppers and extract the aroma.
2. Add cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Toss in the spinach and salt – let wilt down for 2 minutes – stirring constantly
4. Add cranberry juice and let cook down until it becomes a sauce and thickens.
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Make sure the cabbage is cooked through so it is not tough.  Normally cabbage is poached and becomes very tender or consumed raw in slaw ( but cut very thin) – so just ensure you give the cabbage enough time to soften up.

The weekend is upon us.  The weather is looking somewhat dismal for tonight and tomorrow but hopefully it will clear up for another great fall weekend.  I hope you have a fun weekend with whatever plans you may have and I will be back in action on Monday for hopefully something sweet…. I need to bake!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday and Happy Belated birthday to my US neighbors. This week is action packed on the zesty front with 7 blog consulting gigs to finish, work work, zesty cooking, soccer and some chores outside to stay on top of before I am on vacation next week.  Did I tell you we rented a 36′ camper trailer next week to hang out by the water and do nothing but play, relax and eat?  I am pretty excited to say the least.

Do you ever feel that you want to get take out because you are lazy and do not want to wait for lunch or supper?  I have that feeling sometimes but I often revert and hold off my cravings with a dish like this one below.  It is super easy, tasty and really takes all of 15 minutes to make.  You could not even drive out , order and take it back home in 15 minutes.  Next time you are on the fence for wanting take out – give this dish a try.

There is not shortage of flavor, with fresh lemon zest and rich hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups Penne pasta
• Handful of baby spinach
• 1 Head of broccoli
• 1 Cup chopped button mushrooms
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp.  Soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp.  Hoisin sauce
• 1 Lemon ( juice and zest )
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Garlic clove ( chopped )
• 1 Tsp. thyme

Method

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, mushrooms and begin to cook down and add the garlic and thyme.
3. Now toss in the broccoli and begin to brown ( about 2 minutes )
4. Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and mix together.  Pour into mushroom and broccoli mixture.
5. Add spinach and cooked pasta and stir to mix thoroughly.
6. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve it up.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To avoid the broccoli getting soggy, keep the heat on, constantly stir and avoid over crowding the pan.  Over crowding will cause it to steam and quickly become soggy.

Now this dish is nothing over the top but it is a great dish for a quick meal and another way to easily clean out your fridge before grocery day.  I so despise throwing out food from the fridge so dishes like these aide in that by throwing in some vegetables that may be on the verge of breaking down.

Let’s kick start this busy week with a bang!  I hope you have a fantastic Monday and I will be back with a “very special” post on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Friday.  As promised, a fun little post today thanks to some free goodies that were sent to me from the fine folks at Swanson Health products.  Included in the package last week are Natural Organic Almonds ( YUM), Raw Organic Honey and some Eden Organic Kamut Pasta Vegetable Spirals.

I have never tries Kamut before so I was quite anxious to give it a whirl.  I will try anything once but I was a little unsure what to pair it with.  I decided to keep it an all “vegetarian” dish.  Anyone proud of me?  Really simple dish that was quite long lasting and filling.  The pasta had a great flavor and I will definitely eat it again.  Not sure I can buy it here so I will have to hit up Swanson or the Eden folks for some more.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Kamut Vegetable Spirals
• 1 Can 15 oz Black Beans ( drained and rinsed)
• 2 Cups baby spinach
• Handful of grape tomatoes
• 1 Tsp. Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic ( chopped)
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1 Tsp. cumin
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook Kamut according to the directions.
2. In a separate sauce pan, heat over medium and add olive oil
3. Toss in black beans and tomatoes and begin to cook through
4. Add garlic, lemon juice and cumin and let cook for 3 minutes
5. Toss in spinach, salt and pepper.
6. Drain pasta and add in to bean mixture.  Mix well and serve.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Be gentle on the black beans, you do not want to have them turn into mush so when you are stirring them be sure to stir underneath them and try not to break them down.

I love getting free stuff sent to the house.  I am just like a kid when that happens.  I get so excited and get the whole family involved.  If you are a blogger, what was the favorite package you ever received?

Have a super Friday and a fantastic weekend.  Mine is action packed and will fill you in on Monday.  Rumor on the street is that we may be going to the Stock car races.  Zesty Junior’s eyes lit up like glow plugs and cannot wait.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty