Oh my goodness it is Friday.  Last evening was spent at the house prepping and cleaning all the outside walls of saw dust and wood shavings.  Why you might ask?  Well because the spray foam insulation team is arriving today at 8:30 am and will be raring to go… I hope!

It only took a few hours to somewhat tidy up and make all the corners accessible.  I am going back first thing this morning to ensure I didn’t miss any spots as it was kind of dark and my light burnt out.

To take us into the weekend….. I have a special treat brewing in the oven.  How about a walnut decadent brownie?  I thought you might like that.  This is super easy to make and also very simple create gluten free.

Below is the  recipe as well as my simple instructions to get this in the oven.  Get ready to enjoy.  I also had a chance to try some new vanilla that was sent to me from the fine folks at Shining Dog Vanilla.  This is Pure Vanilla Extract made from certified organic vanilla beans.  It contains no added sugar or fructose. and is quite delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 4 Large eggs
• 2 Cups sugar
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly butter 13×9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool.
3. Using mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in chocolate mixture, vanilla and salt.
5. Add flour; beat just until blended and then toss in the walnuts.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top.
7. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean ( 30-35 minutes )
8. Remove and let cool.



9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you do not have chocolate you can always substitute and use cocoa.  You may find that the brownie will be slightly more bitter and less smooth as well.

So I am pretty pleased it is Friday.  We are planning an apple picking day tomorrow if the weather is suitable.  The weather has been terrible the last week so hopefully it is decent for a day in the orchard.  I am sure if we make it there – there will be some apple recipes coming your way.

Ohhhhhh I almost forgot.  Today is the deadline for the POM Tea giveaway.  Be sure to enter.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

Hi there Zesty readers!  I’m Angie (from www.angiealltheway.com)  and I’m so pleased to be guest posting for Zesty today and sharing with you a dish that I haven’t stopped thinking about since a meal  I had at the Bier Market while in Toronto in June.   I thought I would try my hand at making my own version of it.

Being Canadian (and especially being a Maritimer), there are some things that we love to shout from the rooftops:

You haven’t tried maple anything until you’ve tried Maple Butter. *drool*
I give you:

Maple Walnut Salmon Over Beet & Goat Cheese Greens

INGREDIENTS (PER PERSON)

The Salmon:

• 1 salmon fillet (or however many people you would like to serve)
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper



• 1 tbsp Maple butter (you can use maple syrup, but maple butter is where it’s at)

The Greens:

• 2-3 Cups of mixed salad greens or baby spinach
• 1 beet, peeled, cut into bite size pieces
• 3-4 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4c walnuts



• 2 tbsp maple butter (to candy the walnuts)

The Vinaigrette (Maple Balsamic) – optional:

*this makes about 1c of vinaigrette but is fantastic for salads or roasted root veggies)

• 5-6 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 – 4 tbsp Pure maple syrup
• 1/2c Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Steam the beets until fork tender.
2. Melt a few tbsp of maple butter in a small pan (or in the microwave) and coat evenly over walnuts.  Set aside on a piece of tin foil to set (only takes about a minute).
3. Meanwhile, season the salmon with salt & pepper and baste with the maple butter.
4. Grill the salmon on a grill pan (or bake it in the oven) over medium – high heat being careful not to let the maple butter burn.
5. Plate a few handfuls of greens on your plate, top with steamed beats, candied walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.
6. Serve salmon over the salad and drizzle with the Maple Balsamic vinaigrette (optional).

I know you will enjoy this as much as I did and even more, how easy it is to make even though it looks gourmet!
Enjoy!