Author Archives: pamflo

Oven Roasted Salmon with Chimichurri

May 4, 2023 by pamflo

Chimichurri, a bright herby sauce originating in Argentina, is the perfect complement to rich, buttery salmon. Although there are many variations of chimichurri, garlic and parsley are the two main ingredients. My variation of chimichurri is made with fresh mint, parsley, cilantro, tangy vinegar and fresh garlic, which adds brightness and depth to the salmon. This healthy dish is vibrant, flavorful and delicious. Serve the salmon alongside roasted vegetables and your favorite rice or grain for a satisfying meal. Whether […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Dips/Sauces, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Seafood • Tags: Roast

Asparagus and Shallot Frittata

April 27, 2023 by pamflo

A warm, custardy vegetable frittata is easier to make than you think and a great brunch idea for Mother’s Day. To perfect your frittata, use either a non-stick oven safe skillet or a well seasoned cast iron pan. After sautéing your vegetables until almost fully cooked on the stove top, add your whisked eggs to the pan and place it in the oven to finish cooking. Don’t over bake the frittata, remove it from the oven when it’s barely set […]

Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Eggs, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Vegetables • Tags: Bake

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Popcorn

April 20, 2023 by pamflo

Looking for a quick and easy snack that’s both salty and sweet? This recipe for dark chocolate covered sea salt popcorn with slivered almonds is sure to satisfy your cravings! Perfect for movie nights, game days or any time you need a little pick-me-up, this indulgent treat is a cinch to make, and impossible to resist. Simply pop some popcorn, melt some dark chocolate and toss it all together with crunchy slivered almonds, for a snack that’s both satisfying and […]

Categories: Chocolate, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Game Day, Gifts, Gluten Free, Healthish, Snack • Tags: Pop

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Fresh Mint and Toasted Pine Nuts

April 13, 2023 by pamflo

With its bright green colors and crisp, crunchy texture, this sugar snap pea salad is the perfect way to celebrate the fresh flavors of spring! Sugar snaps are a non-starchy vegetable that’s a cross between traditional English peas and snow peas. They’re high in fiber and antioxidants and entirely edible, including the pod. I slivered the raw pea pods lengthwise and tossed them with olive oil, fresh mint leaves, shaved parmesan cheese, lightly toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and fresh lemon […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Nuts, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

Coconut Macaroons with a Chocolate Drizzle

April 6, 2023 by pamflo

Calling all coconut lovers! Coconut is a great source of immediate energy, helps reduce inflammation in the body and is a heart healthy fat. These macaroons are a very satisfying flourless treat. Macaroons are traditionally made with evaporated milk but these macaroons inspired by cookbook author Alice Medrich, are made with flaked coconut and warmed egg whites. This recipe is a two step process but will guarantee a delicious cookie. The exterior of the cookies will be golden and crisp […]

Categories: Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Gifts, Gluten Free, Holiday Ideas • Tags: Bake

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Tinned Fish Board

March 30, 2023 by pamflo

Tinned fish boards have been all the rage recently. They’re like a charcuterie board but with a mix of flavor-packed, delicious tins of fish and seafood, chips, condiments and other small bites. Conservas, or food preserved in cans or jars, are popular in Spain and Portugal. Seafood conservas can include tuna, trout, salmon, anchovies, mussels, octopus, mackerel, and many more types of fish. In the last few years, more tinned fish brands are available in specialty markets and on restaurant menus in […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Seafood • Tags: No Cooking

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Coconut Quinoa Granola

March 23, 2023 by pamflo

At the recommendation of a foodie friend, I recently had an outstanding breakfast cereal bowl at a hip LA restaurant called Urth Caffé. Even the name is fun. I’m not sure that I could recreate that scrumptious cereal bowl, but here is a solid recipe for some delicious granola. We enjoyed that breakfast so much that we went early again the next morning before flying home. Serve this crunchy granola over yogurt with a smattering of fresh berries, over ricotta cheese […]

Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Nuts/Seeds, Snack • Tags: Bake

Tuna Poke Bowl

March 16, 2023 by pamflo

This “do it yourself” poke bowl is fresh, customizable and there’s no cooking involved! Tuna is a good source of high quality protein containing many of our essential amino acids. Ahi tuna, also known as yellow-fin is the best tuna to use for this raw dish, although fresh salmon is a good alternative. Buy the freshest fish possible, sometimes referred to as “sushi-grade”. When shopping for fish it should smell fresh and briny like the sea, the eyes should be […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Greens, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Seafood, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 9, 2023 by pamflo

Ooey-goey, soft in the middle and crispy on the outside, the ultimate sweet treat! This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, it’s simple, delicious and makes about 3 dozen cookies. The dough freezes beautifully, so you can have fresh, warm chocolate chip cookies whenever you have a craving. Sometimes it’s a simple step that creates an outstanding cookie like using both white and brown sugar or using top quality chocolate chips. These cookies make superb ice cream […]

Categories: Chocolate, Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Holiday Ideas • Tags: Bake

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Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto, Feta Crumbles and Pine Nuts

March 2, 2023 by pamflo

I recently had a fantastic dinner with family and friends at a popular Miami restaurant, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink. The chef Michael Schwartz was just nominated as a semifinalist for a James Beard Award. We had a superb dinner with great food, interesting drinks and a fun vibe. We ordered a delicious side dish of wood-fired tomatoes that caught me by surprise with its simplicity. Although tomatoes are not in season in the northeast now, I attempted to re-create […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Side Dish • Tags: Roast

Italian Wedding Soup

February 23, 2023 by pamflo

Wedding soup actually means the “marriage” of meat and greens. There are many wonderful versions of this soup so feel free to vary it as you wish. I purchased a batch of my favorite turkey meatballs, rather than making them from scratch. Instead of the traditional step of simmering the meatballs in the broth, I baked them in the oven. I made the soup a day ahead in preparation for a birthday lunch. Once the soup was done cooking, I stored […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Meat/Poultry, One-Pot Meals, Soup, Vegetables • Tags: Bake, Simmer

Winter Radish Salad

February 16, 2023 by pamflo

This radish salad is delicious and healthy and will surely brighten a winter day! Radishes are in the root vegetable family, brightly colored with crunchy flesh and a subtle peppery taste. They come in varying shapes and sizes, an assortment of beautiful colors and can be eaten raw, pickled or cooked. The best way to get super thin uniform slices is with a mandolin, a very sharp flat slicing tool. If you use a mandolin please use the safety guard […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian • Tags: No Cooking

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Crispy Smashed Potatoes

February 9, 2023 by pamflo

These crispy smashed potatoes are easy to make and a fun game day dish for your Super Bowl gathering. I like roasting small yellow potatoes as they crisp up nicely after baking and remain creamy on the inside. You’ll boil the potatoes until tender and once cooled you’ll gently smash them down using the flat bottom of a glass. Then you’ll roast the potatoes topped with olive oil and garlic powder. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Game Day, Gluten Free, Healthish, Side Dish • Tags: Bake, Boil

Homemade Peppermint Patties

February 2, 2023 by pamflo

Any interest in making your Valentine a healthy treat? Me too, that’s why I love this recipe and it involves no cooking! Food that doesn’t involve cooking relies on really fresh, high quality ingredients. These divine patties are super minty and pack an intense coconut punch. Instead of corn syrup or white sugar, I use pure maple syrup. You’ll make the coconut filling, shape the filling into patties and give them a quick trip to the freezer. Once chilled, you […]

Categories: Chocolate, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Gifts, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Paleo • Tags: No Cooking

Eggs Poached in Puttanesca

January 26, 2023 by pamflo

Shakshuka, soft poached eggs in a steaming, flavorful tomato broth, is a favorite dish of mine. Puttanesca is an Italian sauce invented in Naples and typically made with tomatoes, garlic, olives, anchovies, chili peppers and capers. I thought it might be fun to combine these two dishes and poach some eggs in a puttanesca-style tomato sauce, and it turned out to be a delicious dish! You can serve your puttanesca poached eggs with a crusty loaf of bread, a crisp green […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Eggs, Gluten Free, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, One-Pot Meals, Sauces • Tags: Poach, Simmer

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Raspberry Almond Clafoutis

January 19, 2023 by pamflo

A clafoutis is a classic French dessert made by pouring a sweet egg batter, similar to pancake batter, over fresh fruit. When the clafoutis is done the top gets golden brown and crisp, especially with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, while the inside is soft and custard-like. Although a clafoutis is typically made with cherries or summer stone fruit, I made my clafoutis for a family holiday brunch with raspberries and slivered almonds. A clafoutis is a perfect sweet treat […]

Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Eggs, Side Dish • Tags: Bake

Winter Citrus Salad with Avocado and Pecans

January 12, 2023 by pamflo

This winter citrus avocado salad is beautiful and bursting with flavor! It’s a salad of juicy orange slices and avocado on a bed of butter lettuce, topped with beet microgreens and toasted pecans. I just love winter citrus especially blood oranges and Cara Cara oranges. Clementines, navel oranges, tangelos and grapefruit are all great choices. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and bottom of the peel. Then cut off the peel from top to bottom, working your […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Fruit, Gluten Free, Greens, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

Root Vegetable Chips

January 5, 2023 by pamflo

If you’re looking for a healthier way to enjoy potato chips, it’s very simple to bake your own vegetable chips! I took a combination of sweet potatoes, turnips and beautiful red beets and sliced them incredibly thin with a mandolin. A mandolin is a very sharp flat slicing tool and the perfect way to get super thin uniform slices that cook evenly. Please use the safety guard provided, a cut-resistant glove, or a kitchen towel between your hand and the vegetable, […]

Categories: Chips, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Bake

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Pom Pom Punch

December 29, 2022 by pamflo

The New Year is within reach and I love ending the year with a celebratory cocktail recipe. Thanks so much to my guest post writers, Tyori, Audrey and Lucas, you’re the best! Generally gin-based cocktails are not our favorite, but with the fruit forward sweetness, citrus acidity and nutty gin flavor, this Pom Pom Punch is a winner! It’s a perfectly balanced holiday punch to share with friends and family. For those who want a less sweet drink with a […]

Categories: Alcohol, Boozy, Cocktail, Drinks, Easy Recipes, Holiday Ideas • Tags: Stir

Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

December 19, 2022 by pamflo

A latke is a type of potato pancake or fritter which is traditionally served during the Hanukkah holiday. These potato pancakes are crispy and lip-smacking good! Potato pancakes can be made with grated, shredded or mashed potatoes. I add grated onion, an egg, matzo meal (or all-purpose flour), a little baking powder and butter. The potato pancakes are fried in vegetable oil, peanut oil or another high heat neutral oil. These pancakes can be made earlier in the day and […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Holiday Ideas, Side Dish • Tags: Fry

Nutty Chocolate Bark

December 15, 2022 by pamflo

In preparation for the holidays I’m making one of my favorite desserts, nutty chocolate bark. It’s a fun and festive recipe, delicious and easy to make. Most professional chocolate is “tempered”, which requires it to be brought to a certain temperature. This process takes time and a bit of skill, but ensures a shiny finish and a longer shelf life. Candies, like truffles, dipped chocolates and bars of chocolate require tempering to create their signature taste and texture. Some simple candy recipes […]

Categories: Chocolate, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Low Sugar, Nuts, Snack • Tags: Melt

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Zest For Cooking

I love to cook and share my love of food!

Author Archives: pamflo

Oven Roasted Salmon with Chimichurri

Asparagus and Shallot Frittata

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Popcorn

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Fresh Mint and Toasted Pine Nuts

Coconut Macaroons with a Chocolate Drizzle

Tinned Fish Board

Coconut Quinoa Granola

Tuna Poke Bowl

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto, Feta Crumbles and Pine Nuts

Italian Wedding Soup

Winter Radish Salad

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Eggs Poached in Puttanesca

Raspberry Almond Clafoutis

Winter Citrus Salad with Avocado and Pecans

Root Vegetable Chips

Pom Pom Punch

Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

Nutty Chocolate Bark