Zestful Kitchen

Zestful Kitchen is your go-to place for cooking advice, step-by-step guides, and nutritious recipes. Every recipe featured on this site has been thoroughly tested in our kitchen to guarantee that you achieve great results every time you cook.

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Chewy Pistachio Bars with Chocolate

1 month ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

This post may contain affiliate links. These chewy pistachio bars are made with Special K cereal and homemade pistachio butter. The pistachio special K bar gets topped with dark chocolate to create an elevated version of a Midwestern classic. So if you love Scotcharoos, then you’ll love these Pistachio Chocolate Bars! I grew up with Scotcharoos at every get-together, holiday or gathering you can imagine. My grandma Gusty makes THE best scotcharoos.
Chocolate Mint Sheet Cake

1 month ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

This chocolate mint cake stays moist for days, keeps well in the refrigerator and serves a ton of people. The base is an ultra-moist all-butter chocolate cake that gets topped with a buttery creme de menthe frosting. Right out of the fridge, the creme de menthe frosting is dense and cheesecake like, but let it come to room temperature and it transforms into the most light and fluffy frosting. Either way, this chocolate mint cake is dreamy! My mom has been making this recipe for years.
Chicken and Corn Chowder (Light and Creamy!)

1 month ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

This smoky Chicken and Corn Chowder is creamy yet light and loaded with a surprising amount of flavor for a soup that requires just 9 ingredients. Made with both fresh and canned corn, it’s got layers of corn flavor. Then chicken thighs make the soup satisfying without any risk of getting overcooked—no matter how many times you reheat it. And finally, half-and-half adds creaminess and body without making it overly stodgy or heavy.
Tuna Potato Salad with Smashed Potatoes

1 month ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

This tuna potato salad is the perfect crossover of two classic salads—potato salad and tuna salad. Taken up a notch, this elevated side dish has a base of crispy smashed potatoes that an herby and tangy green bean salad gets served over top. Finished with large chunks of yellowfin tuna, this side dish can easily be served as a main for lunch. It’s also right at home on a brunch table alongside quiche, fruit and some pastries! The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Harissa Meatballs with Chickpeas

1 month ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

Lean on your pantry to make flavorful, ultra-tender Harissa Meatballs. Using a combination of ground chicken and pork, plus a panade, is key to creating juicy homemade meatballs. Simmer the browned meatballs in a luscious coconut-harissa sauce with a can of chickpeas, then serve it all over rice or with naan to soak up the saucy goodness. I’m a big proponent that simplicity is often best when it comes to cooking.
Steak Oscar (Steak and Crab Dinner)

2 months ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

There are few occasions that come around every year that require something really special. And a date night in—whether for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary—is the perfect excuse to make this elegant and decadent Steak Oscar dinner. Think steak and crab surf and turf, featuring a perfectly seared filet mignon topped with a lemony crab salad and drizzled with an easy, yet very restaurant-worthy, hollandaise sauce.
Ragu Lasagna

2 months ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

A cozy, comforting Ragu Lasagna simplified to come together quickly and with minimal ingredients. This lasagna without bechamel sauce is instead packed full of cheese, an ultra-savory short rib ragu and boiled lasagna noodles. An elegant classic made approachable! Here’s what we’ve got going on–a Lasagna al Ragu that uses my insanely delicious Beef Short Rib Ragu. Now, add making the ragu into the process and it does become somewhat of a project.
Homemade Beef Short Rib Ragu

2 months ago | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

There’s truly nothing cozier or more decadent than a slow-cooked Beef Short Rib Ragu. And with this recipe in hand, the intimidating dish becomes manageable and achievable. A short ingredient list, simple process, and hands-off cooking method make this doable any night of the week. Sure, it’s got a long-ish simmer time, but the ingredient list is streamlined to include just the necessary ingredients. It’s not long just for the sake of tradition.
Gin and Juice Cocktail

Jan 23, 2025 | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

This Gin and Juice Cocktail recipe is an easy and refreshing spin on the classic. Made with floral gin, fruit juice (I use clementine juice!), and club soda. It’s no wonder this cocktail is so popular—versatile, easy to shake up and as classic as Snoop. This Gin and Juice Cocktail is an oldie but a goodie. It’s made with just two main ingredients along with a dash of sweetener and some club soda for effervescence.
Easy Shrimp Lo Mein with Bok Choy

Jan 22, 2025 | zestfulkitchen.com | Lauren Grant

When you’re craving take-out but want to cook at home, my Shrimp Lo Mein is just what you need. It comes together in just 45 minutes thanks to pantry ingredients that deliver bold flavor with no work. Plus, a few quick-cooking vegetables and shrimp make the entire cooking process short and sweet. Lo mein is essentially a noodle-based stir fry, which we know is a great weeknight cooking technique. And my lo mein sauce is low-fuss, made with soy sauce, hoisin, ginger and sriracha.