Dressing | Zest For Cooking

Grilled Romaine Salad

August 12, 2021 by pamflo

Romaine lettuce is the hero of a Caesar salad, mild tasting with sturdy leaves and a thick rib down the center. Perfect for grilling! Many variations of Caesar salad are still popular on restaurant menus today. The lettuce can be grilled in a grill pan or on your outdoor grill. I grilled the romaine hearts on the stove-top and dressed the leaves with a tangy citrus Caesar dressing. Anchovy paste adds that “umami” flavor to the dressing, but Worcestershire sauce or […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Dressing, Gluten Free, Greens, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, Salads • Tags: Grill

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Salad Niçoise

June 10, 2021 by pamflo

This beautiful salad originated in the French city of Nice and is traditionally made with hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, Niçoise olives, and tuna or anchovies. You can be as creative with the ingredients as you like! I added sliced cucumbers and grilled artichokes. It takes a little time in the preparation of each item, but you can cook the green beans, potatoes and eggs ahead of time. It’s a great dish for a potluck dinner or feeding a crowd. I recommend […]

Categories: Appetizer, Beans, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Dressing, Eggs, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Seafood, Vegetables • Tags: Boil, Steam

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw

October 17, 2019 by pamflo

This simple, classic fall slaw is filled with crisp cabbage, shredded carrots and perfectly tart apples. Skipping the mayonnaise, I dressed the slaw with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and mustard vinaigrette. I added a splash of lime juice for extra zip and it also keeps the apples from turning brown. Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, and a great source of fiber and antioxidants, is most nutrient dense when served in its raw form. This slaw pairs with many dishes like a […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Dressing, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

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Nutty Strawberry Crisp

May 23, 2019 by pamflo

Strawberries are an iconic summer treat – sweet, juicy and a little tart. Fresh strawberries can be easily transformed into a bubbly, fragrant and beautiful dessert. This crisp is a perfect way to enjoy strawberry season. A lightly sweetened crumbly topping made with a variety of chopped nuts adds a nice crispy texture to each bite. I find the best way to enjoy this crisp is by serving it warm, maybe with some frozen yogurt or ice cream of your […]

Categories: Dairy Free, Dessert, Dressing, Fruit, Gluten Free, Healthish, Low Sugar, Nuts • Tags: Bake

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Quinoa Veggie Bowl with a Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

July 19, 2018 by pamflo

Some of the best salads I’ve had this summer have been a combination of vegetables, greens and grains with a protein. This is a very easy meal to prepare, especially if you recycle your leftovers. I composed my own bowl with leftover tri-colored quinoa and sautéed broccolini, fresh basil from my garden, sweet tomatoes, avocado and a hard boiled egg. Grains like brown rice, farro or freekeh work well. Add nuts or seeds for crunch or any type of greens […]

Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Dairy Free, Dressing, Eggs, Gluten Free, Lunch Ideas, Rice/Grains, Salads, Vegetables • Tags: Boil, Whisk

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Frico Salad Cups

June 21, 2018 by pamflo

Called frico, these crisp cracker cups are made entirely of melted cheese. They’re easy to make and can elevate your cheese platter, make a beautiful salad holder, or just be a fun snack. It’s as simple as making mounds of cheese on a sheet tray and baking until melted and lightly browned. I placed the hot lacy crackers in an empty muffin tin to create a perfect serving bowl. I filled my cups with a fresh radish and cucumber salad, […]

Categories: Appetizer, Cheeses, Crackers, Dressing, Gluten Free, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Vegetables • Tags: Bake

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Provençal Tuna Salad

May 17, 2018 by pamflo

Pan Bagnant is a favorite French sandwich that literally means “bathed bread”. This popular sandwich is usually filled with many vibrant vegetables, hard boiled egg, canned tuna and then the bread is soaked in a zesty vinaigrette. With so many beautiful, nutrient dense ingredients, I thought it might be fun to deconstruct this sandwich and serve it as a salad. I roasted the peppers but you can use jarred roasted peppers instead. The dressing elevates an otherwise ordinary salad to […]

Categories: Appetizer, Cooking Tips, Dairy Free, Dressing, Eggs, Gluten Free, Greens, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Seafood, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

Grilled Citrus Caesar Salad

January 18, 2018 by pamflo

The hero of a Caesar salad, romaine lettuce is a crisp, mild tasting lettuce with sturdy leaves and a thick rib down the center. Perfect for grilling! Many variations of Caesar salad are still popular on restaurant menus today. Not many of us in the Northeast are using our outdoor grills this winter, so this is a perfect recipe for a stove-top grill pan. I just completed my first freelance food project with a California-based farm called Tanimura and Antle. […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dressing, Gluten Free, Greens, Lunch Ideas • Tags: Grill

Cornbread Panzanella Salad

June 30, 2016 by pamflo

Inspiration for a blog post comes from many different places. Recently, I sat down with a box of folders filled with recipes from my past cooking classes and culinary events. While casually perusing my files, I quickly realized that this cornbread panzanella salad was one of the most popular dishes. With fresh avocado, toasty cornbread and summer tomatoes this salad will become a favorite. Enjoy the July 4th holiday! 4 cups cornbread- preferably a day old (store-bought or you can make your own if time permits), cut into 1/2-inch […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Dressing, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Side Dish • Tags: Toast, Toss

Fresh Strawberry Salsa over Grilled Swordfish

June 2, 2016 by pamflo

We are on the cusp of strawberry season, with those juicy, beautiful farm stand berries just around the corner. It’s tempting to want to bake with strawberries, but my intern and I decided to make a savory dish this week instead. This fruity salsa can top many different proteins, like chicken pork or fish. We used our salsa to garnish grilled swordfish steaks. High in Vitamin C, plump, red and delicious, strawberries make a great addition to any meal. Fresh strawberries have a distinct […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Dips/Sauces, Dressing, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch Ideas, Seafood, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

May 26, 2016 by pamflo

There’s a limit to how many lettuce-based salads one can eat in the course of a week. It was time to add a new healthy, flavorful salad to the rotation. My industrious intern wanted to try this recipe and it turned out to be a winner. You can modify both the salad and the dressing to suit your mood. Roast chicken left over from a previous meal, combined with the soba noodles and some seasonal vegetables made the perfect cold salad. This dish is terrific for […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Dressing, Gluten Free, Greens, Lunch Ideas, Nuts/Seeds, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Boil, Toss, Whisk