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Zest For Cooking

Zest For Cooking

I love to cook and share my love of food!

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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

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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, Easy Recipes, Eggs, Gluten Free, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, Vegetables • Tags: Bake

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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, Lunch Ideas, Nuts, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

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Oven 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, Nuts, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Roast

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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

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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, Dressing, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Salads, 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: Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Game Day, Gluten Free, Healthish, Side Dish • Tags: Boil, Roast

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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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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, Nuts, Vegetables • Tags: No Cooking

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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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Braised Brisket with Apricots and Prunes

December 8, 2022 by pamflo

One of the my favorite winter activities is braising tough cuts of meat slowly, using a low temperature. The dried fruit in this recipe creates a delicious sweet sauce for the brisket.  When purchasing brisket, you are more likely to find the “first cut”, a leaner piece of meat, but if possible ask the butcher for the “second cut”. Although both cuts of meat work, the second cut of meat is marbled with fat and perfect for braising. The aromatics, […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Holiday Ideas, Meat/Poultry • Tags: Braise, Sear

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Maple Roasted Carrots with Pistachios

November 17, 2022 by pamflo

The Thanksgiving buzz is in full swing! It starts when cooking magazines arrive at my house with photos of gleaming turkeys and perfectly plated sides. For the years that I hosted the Thanksgiving feast, my preparations typically started in October. I would make and freeze turkey stock, bake breads and make ice cream. Although I’m not hosting this year, I miss the menu planning and holiday hustle. This is a beautiful carrot dish that takes no advanced planning and is […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Nuts, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Roast

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Cioppino (Seafood Stew)

November 3, 2022 by pamflo

Cioppino or Brodetto di Pesce, is a delicious rustic Italian stew brimming with fresh seafood cooked in a tomato broth with wine, garlic and herbs. This hearty stew is traditionally served with grilled bread rubbed with garlic. Although there are many ingredients in this seafood stew, the dish comes together quite quickly. This dish can be a simple soup with just the fresh seafood cooked in broth and tomatoes, or you can use the ingredients to build a rich flavorful stew. […]

Categories: Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, One-Pot Meals, Seafood, Soups/Stews • Tags: Sauté, Simmer

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Roasted Delicata Squash with Lemon Tahini Sauce

October 27, 2022 by pamflo

There are many winter squash options available at the markets now. Squash is harvested in the fall and if stored in a cool dry spot, they’ll last for awhile. When purchasing squash make sure they’re firm and free of bruises. Delicata squash is oblong in shape, has pale yellow skin with a green stripe and delicate yellow flesh. There’s no need to peel the squash before you chop it, because once the squash is cooked you can eat the skin. Tahini […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Dips/Sauces, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Vegetables • Tags: Roast

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Farro Risotto with Winter Squash

October 13, 2022 by pamflo

Many of the outdoor farmers markets stay open into early November with beautiful fall fruit and vegetables. The winter squash elevates this dish and you can choose any type you like, although butternut squash is my favorite. You’ll roast the squash in the oven and then add the puréed flesh to finish your dish. Farro is a hearty wheat-based grain that has a rich, nutty flavor. It is a good source of fiber and protein. Look for the pearled farro or […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Grains, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Sauté, Simmer

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Sheet Pan Chicken

October 6, 2022 by pamflo

Sheet pan meals are simple to prepare, easy to cleanup and delicious. This sheet pan bake is very flavorful and includes a full meal with proteins, vegetables and a starch. I love fingerling potatoes for their shape and creamy texture, yet russet potatoes are a good choice too. You can really use any protein that you want, nevertheless I prefer bone-in chicken thighs for their distinctive taste. Any type of sausage would work if you’re not a chorizo fan, although make […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Holiday Ideas, Meat/Poultry • Tags: Bake

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Blistered Green Beans

September 29, 2022 by pamflo

Although green beans are available almost all year round, they’re at their peak in the northeast. When purchasing green beans look for beans that are tender, long and firm. They should “snap” when broken. I prefer a two step process when cooking green beans. The first step is blanching, which is a quick dip of about 3-4 minutes in rapidly boiling salted water. Step two is placing the green beans into an icy water bath to halt the cooking process. Blanching […]

Categories: Beans, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Blister

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Peach, Tomato and Feta Salad

September 1, 2022 by pamflo

This peach, tomato and feta salad is a refreshing and delicious summer side dish or perfect light lunch. It’s a fun combination of stone fruit and heirloom tomatoes, requires no cooking and is a great way to serve the super ripe end of summer produce. I added feta cheese, fresh basil and a very simple vinaigrette. You can change up the flavor of the vinaigrette by using different vinegars but use good quality olive oil. Champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar or white […]

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

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Sautéed Corn and Tomato Salad

August 4, 2022 by pamflo

Corn on the cob has no substitute, and it’s especially delicious at its peak on the east coast in August. However, making a quick and simple salad using the kernels is a great idea too. You could grill the corn while it’s still on the cob and then remove the kernels, or remove and sauté the raw kernels on the stove top as I did. Fresh heirloom tomatoes and fragrant basil leaves are the perfect combination with the corn. Top […]

Categories: Appetizer, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Sauté

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White Gazpacho

June 16, 2022 by pamflo

Cool, refreshing and healthy, this cold soup requires no cooking. Even if you’re not a gazpacho fan, this soup is zesty and really delicious. This gazpacho is a twist on a Spanish classic and provides a nice break from a traditional tomato-based gazpacho. This beautiful creamy soup is usually made with a combination of grapes, cucumbers, garlic, blanched almonds, and bread. I leave out the bread and include cilantro, a splash of sherry vinegar, and plenty of lime juice. It […]

Categories: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Fruit, Gluten Free, Healthish, Holiday Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Soup • Tags: No Cooking, Whiz

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Skillet Eggplant Parmesan

June 2, 2022 by pamflo

Looking for a healthier version of eggplant parmesan, check out my skillet recipe! Deep purple and glossy with a unique texture and flavor, who doesn’t love eggplant. Nutrient dense and antioxidant rich, eggplant is part of the nightshade family, along with peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. There is no replacement for battered and fried eggplant, smothered with sauce and cheese, however, this lighter version is a close second. I skip the step of battering the eggplant and just sauté the slices in […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Lunch Ideas, Side Dish, Vegetables • Tags: Sauté

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