citrus Archives

In June, I had an informative post about the Farm to Truck [to YOU] company, Zaycon Foods. On October 7th, I had the fortune to participate in Zaycon’s Chicken event, free of charge, so that I could share my experience here with all of you. (Thank you US Family Guide & Zaycon!)

What is Zaycon Foods? Zaycon Foods is a company founded on the Farm-to-Table philosophy, providing all-natural, hormone-free meats (and some produce & dairy) from the farm, to their truck, to you. Fresh, not frozen. How does it work?

Zaycon has what it call ‘events’ for different products. You register on their site (referral link HERE) and look for events in your area (i.e. chicken, beef, milk, honey, berries, etc.). Once you find a local event, you place your pre-order, at a set price, and wait for that particular event’s date. The location and pickup time of each event is listed when you go to place your order, so you are able to fit the time and location that best fits your schedule. These pickup windows are small (mine was 30 minutes), but it literally takes only 2-3 minutes for you to drive through and pick up your order.

I took part in my local event for boneless, skinless, hormone & antibiotic free chicken breasts. The price per pound was INSANE ($1.84/pound) because you are buying in bulk (40lbs.). Picking up my order was extremely easy (and convenient with a baby in the car).

Q: So, how is Zaycon able to provide high-quality, natural meats and produce at such low prices?

A: Zaycon Foods can sell its products at bulk rate prices to individual consumers and families because our unique sales event business model brings lots of people together, adding all their purchasing power into a combined bulk food purchase. And when you buy as part of a group that’s committing to such a large purchase, the power is in the hands of the purchaser! It’s the ultimate group buy in terms of both price and consumer empowerment.

I literally spent more time taking photos of the event than I did picking up my chicken! When I got home, I unpacked my box of delicious chicken and went to work trimming, splitting and individually portioning my chicken breasts. The packaging was great – no mess or yucky chicken juice leaks. Zaycon goes out of its way to ensure that you have a mess-free experience. My box of chicken was placed on top of a garbage bag [that they laid down] in my truck. The box itself is a type of laminated cardboard, coated to protect against moisture. The chicken inside was double bagged – not a single drip of chicken juice was to be found on the inside of the box.

From the handpicked natural meats, to the care in packaging and the wonderful customer service, I will definitely be ordering from Zaycon’s next local event (my husband has his fingers-crossed for pork). Sign up today and start enjoying Zaycon’s quality natural products at budget-friendly prices. I would appreciate it if you used my referral link to sign up HERE.

Our first meal with Zaycon’s delicious natural chicken breasts was another winner from our eMeals meal plan: Citrus-Grilled Chicken w/ Cilantro Brown Rice. ENJOY!

Citrus-Grilled Chicken
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Grate rind from oranges, lemon, and lime into a large bowl; squeeze juice from oranges and add to bowl. Add oil, garlic, and chicken, tossing to coat; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Prepare grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Bring marinade to a boil in a medium saucepan; boil 5 minutes. Drizzle evenly over chicken before serving.

Cilantro Brown Rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add onion. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Add water according to rice package directions; stir in salt and pepper. Cook according to package directions. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Now that I have a TON of chicken breasts, I need ideas: What’s your favorite chicken recipe?

We’re on vacation this week, so I’m veering from the meal plan for a few days (even I need a vacation from cooking!). However, I still want to share one of my favorite recipes from this past week: Coconut Fish w/ Citrus Salsa & Roasted Garlic Sesame Broccoli. I have to say that this was my favorite recipe yet — the fish tasted like a restaurant quality dish — amazing!

So, what do you think so far? Have I convinced you to give eMeals a go yet? You can sign up for a month at a time and choose from any of the 12 different dinner plans:

Classic Meals
Clean Eating
Paleo
Mediterranean
Slow Cooker
Low Carb
Low Fat
Portion Control
Natural & Organic
Simple Gourmet
Gluten Free
Vegetarian

Add on lunch and dinner plans to further simplify your meal planning needs. Want more information, or are ready to try it for yourself? Just click the eMeals box on the right side of the page, or simply click the link at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Coconut Fish with Citrus Salsa

6 tilapia fillets

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites

8oz package frozen organic shredded unsweetened coconut, thawed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 large jalapeno, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

Dredge tilapia in cornstarch; sprinkle evenly with salt. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; dredge fish in egg whites and then in coconut, pressing to coat. Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook half of fish 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes with a fork. Repeat with remaining fish and oil. Combine oranges, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl; serve over fish.

Roasted Garlic-Sesame Broccoli

6 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
** I added 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to this recipe for a little ‘heat’

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together broccoli, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, and sy sauce on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.