Can you believe it is Monday already? Time is flying by as of late and it is hard to believe. This weekend was action packed to say the least but an enjoyable one regardless of the less than ideal weather.  As a family we volunteered our time at our local elementary school to help build a new playground.  With over 200 volunteers it was quite a site and the playground is going to look amazing.

Maybe I was inspired from building because in the afternoon the family built a picnic table for the kiddies and chose to stain it a dark walnut color.  It looks pretty good and will be a great addition to the deck.  Saturday night included a Zesty nephew having a birthday as well as some great food to go along with it.  Dishes such as chicken asparagus lasagna, homemade spaghetti and meat sauce, chocolate cake with boiled icing and of course an ice cream cake.  I am going to feature the chicken lasagna upcoming as it was to die for.  Thanks Zesty-in laws.  Sunday included a shopping spree to Moncton, family dinner and a fun day with the family.

As I was preparing this post – i was unsure of what to feature for the food.  Earlier in the week, I had a clean the fridge meal and came up with this spicy beef and sweet potato plate that was decent but not amazing.

Ingredients

• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
• Frozen green beans
• 1 Tsp. Ground ginger
• 1 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 1 Tsp. Soy sauce
• Splash of lemon juice

Method

1. Wash and fork the sweet potato and cook in the microwave for 6 minutes.  Peel and chop into cubes
2. Over medium heat, add the ground beef to a sauce pan and begin to brown the meat.  Add ginger, pepper flakes and soy sauce and continue to brown.  Once no longer pink add the lemon juice and sweet potatoes.
3. Continue to saute for another 4 minutes to get the flavor in the sweet potatoes; meanwhile follow the instructions for the frozen beans and cook them in the microwave.
4. Plate up the sweet potato and beef and top with the green beans.
5. Enjoy!

Zesty Tip: Storing you ginger in the freezer and using grater is a great way to avoid spoilage.  It grates easy and does not lose any of it’s flavor.

So an action packed weekend to say the least and an equally busy week ahead.  Have a great start to your day and I will see you on Wednesday!

Here is a snapshot at the picnic table.

Take care

zesty

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As this week is catering week, another recipe that I served was super simple yet dazzling sweet potatoes.  Instead of the traditional potato skin I thought I would attempt a slight twist to kick it up a notch.  I used flavorful sweet potatoes which were baked twice, drizzled with sour cream and crumbled bacon.  Sound alright?  They were quite delicious.

Getting back to the tips from yesterday’s post with regards to catering, I prepared the sweet potatoes the day before by baking them.  I then made the filling and stuffing for the big day.  This was really simple as you will see further down in the steps below.  This offers the guests something a little different with a bit of color.  I am one of those people – “If it looks great, I am all over it”

Check out the ingredients and instructions for these Sizzling Sweet Potato Skins.

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Low fat Buttermilk
• 1/4 Tsp. Paprika
• 1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
• 4 Slices Bacon (Fried and crumbled)
• 3 Green Onions (Chopped for Garnish)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400, place sweet potatoes on a sheet and rub with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes.
2. Half sweet potatoes length wise and scoop out most of the flesh into a mixing bowl.
3. Mash until smooth; add buttermilk, nutmeg and paprika.
4. Stuff sweet potatoes will filling.
5. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until lightly brown around the edges at 400 degrees (about 15-20 minutes).
6. Garnish with bacon, sour cream and green onion.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking the sweet potatoes the first time, it is a good idea to keep them somewhat firm and not over cook them.  They will soften up the second time around as well as with the butter milk.

Stay tuned for another catering dish coming up tomorrow…. Have a great day!

Take care

zesty

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Well I am not sure if I lived in a cave or under a pillow for a long time, but I’ve managed to miss out on showing you my garlic mashed sweet potatoes! This side dish will literally take your breath away.  I know a lot of readers love their sweet potatoes, whether it’s sweet potato fries, baked sweet potatoes, or a sweet potato casserole – this vegetable rocks.

Next time you pick up your sweet potatoes, I suggest that you try this 11 minute recipe.  Yes you read it right – eleven minutes.  Whenever I take a mouth full of this smooth as silk vegetable, it always ends in a “WOW”.  I could eat this every single day and not get bored.

This is how to whip up garlic mashed sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar (or Splenda)
• 1/4 Cup Skim Milk
• Parsley for Garnish

Method

1. Microwave two sweet potatoes for about 8 minutes.
2. Heat up sauce pan to medium heat.
3. Add butter and garlic – cook for 1 minute.
4. Peel potatoes and place in pan.
5. Add brown sugar, and milk.
6. Mix together and mash thoroughly.
7. Top with Parsley.
8. Enjoy!

Zesty Tip: Sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated unless cooked.  Store between 55 and 65 degrees F. Always use a stainless steel knife when cutting a sweet potato. Using a carbon blade will cause it to darken. When selecting fresh sweet potatoes, choose those that are smooth, plump, dry and clean.

I hope you have a great Wednesday and I look forward to hearing from you.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

The time has come, Sweet Potato Fries is now getting some attention.  A few weeks back I shared with everyone a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of healthy homemade french fries.  This crunchy plate of goodness received a lot of positive response.  With that came requests and references for sweet potato fries.

Krista over at Kristas Kravings said she loved sweet potato fries done in a very similar process. Juliet from Think Inside the IceBox said that she had sweet potato fries on her to do list.  As well, Nick over at PeanutButterBoy said he also like to make a batch of sweet potato fries in the oven.  Also Clayton from Furiousfoodies asked if I could whip up a batch of sweet potato fries. Needless to say with all these requests, I had to oblige and put these on the Zesty Menu.

Now I have been experimenting with sweet potato fries for a couple of years now.  To be honest, I find the most successful way to make excellent sweet potato fries is to deep fry them.  However, I opted for the healthier alternative and went baked.  When baking sweet potato fries, you have to be very alert and on your toes because of all the sweetness in the potato they tend to burn very quickly if not attended to properly.  Because of that reason, I tend to cut the potatoes a little larger than a traditional french fry to avoid burning.  This is only valid when using the oven method.

So follow along  – as it doesn’t really get any simpler!

Ingredients

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp. Cumin
• Black Cracked Pepper
• Salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.



2. After peeling and cutting (try a mandolin/v-slicer) the potatoes to your desired size  – I like to soak them in water and release some of the starch which will allow them to crisp up a little more.
3. Once soaked for about 30 minutes, be sure to dry them really well.  Do not leave any water moisture on the potatoes.



4. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the oil and spice combination.



5. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.



6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.



7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Sweet Potatoes are way for delicate than a regular potato and can burn very easily.  Do not go in the room to watch your favorite tv show…. just stay in the kitchen  – turn on your favorite tunes and dance around for a while.  You will need to flip these little guys 3 or 4 times to get them just perfect.  Stay close and keep smiling.

Now that you have a delicious plate of baked goodness, what does everyone love to dip these into?  Last night I chose a spicy ranch dip with a hint of Jalapeno Pepper to kick things up.  Normally I just go straight ranch… but I felt adventurous.  Let me know your favorite dipping sauce for sweet potato fries.

Happy Tuesday everyone…. I can’t wait to hear your response.

Zesty

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