951 zest recipes

Light Greek yogurt cheesecake with a melba toast and walnut crust, topped with dried figs poached in an ouzo syrup with cinnamon stick and orange zest. A Mediterranean twist on cheesecake that skips the heaviness.

Braised duck breast in a peach-orange cream sauce with mushrooms, honey, and guava jelly. An elegant French-inspired dish finished under the broiler.

This carrot cake well satisfied my sweet tooth without making me feel guilty. Whole wheat flour and wheat germ provided the cake with some good fibre, by replacing half amount of oil with yogurt reduced the calorie and fat, and eliminating the frosting all-together made the cake much less rich and calorie-dense. But overall it was a very moist and delicious cake indeed.

Melomakarona are traditional Greek honey cookies made with orange juice, olive oil, and butter, filled with a walnut-cinnamon mixture and dipped in warm honey syrup.

Italian barley soup slow-simmered for 3 hours with red wine, tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs, and Parmesan. A thick, hearty vegetarian soup with deep, layered flavor from the long cook.

Coconut sheet cake soaked in lemon syrup with a drizzled cream cheese frosting. A Middle Eastern-inspired dessert with shredded coconut, lemon zest, and a sweet syrup that keeps it incredibly moist.

Italian rum cake with three sponge layers soaked in cherry-rum syrup, filled with pastillera cream, and frosted with whipped cream and roasted almonds. A showstopper.

Persimmon orange cookies made with persimmon pulp, orange juice, orange zest, warm spices, nuts, and raisins. Bake as drop cookies or cut into brownie-style bar squares.

Crispy deep-fried dessert wontons with three tropical fillings: coconut-lemon, macadamia-ginger, and banana-honey. Hand-rolled dough twisted like candy wrappers and dusted in powdered sugar.

Tropical mango-pineapple-lime cheesecake on a gingersnap and macadamia nut crust with crystallized ginger, topped with fresh mango, kiwi, and pineapple slices.

Spiced apple roly-poly rolls with pecans, raisins, and pumpkin pie spice baked in apple syrup. Dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with warm fudge sauce.

Grilled flank steak fajitas marinated in lime juice, cumin, and onion soup mix with sauteed peppers and onions on warm flour tortillas.

German-style honey spice bars with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground almonds, and lemon zest, finished with a rum-almond glaze. These keep for weeks in a sealed container, making them ideal holiday baking.

Hot cherry fruit compote baked with rum, curry powder, candied ginger, and brown sugar. A retro holiday side dish for ham or turkey, or chill and serve as dessert with ice cream.

Tender banana sheet cake rolled around sweetened whipped cream, topped with glazed raspberries. An elegant dessert that looks impressive but uses simple ingredients.

Gluten-free banana bread made with rice flour, potato starch, and unflavored gelatin for structure. Folded egg whites keep it light and tender.