About Zan
About Me – How I Went from Corporate Chaos to Kitchen Creativity
I’ve always been a creative spirit – the kind who gets more excited about a fresh box of pastels than a shiny new iPhone. I went to an arts-focused school where I dabbled in painting, sculpting, printmaking, and graphic design – basically, if it involved splattering, carving, or smearing, I was all in. But, like many aspiring artists, I took a hard left turn into the corporate world, where I found myself running operations for multiple companies. Yep, the kid who once made clay pots for fun ended up overseeing everything from sales and marketing to manufacturing and compliance. I even spent 15 years jet-setting around the globe, setting up factories, and developing new products. It was a wild ride – a mix of spreadsheets, jet lag, and a crash course in international business. But somewhere between the conference calls and customs lines, I realized I’d lost sight of the most important thing in my life – my family.
So, in 2014, I hung up my corporate hat and traded my laptop for a spatula. Did I always love cooking? Absolutely not. As a kid, I wouldn’t touch anything green unless it was artificially flavored lime candy. Then, in college, I went vegetarian – which was a major plot twist. Enter my husband – a guy who actually loves cooking and has a deep affection for all things Italy (which he lovingly refers to as “EATaly”). He slowly broke down my picky eater defenses, and then – BAM – I got pregnant and craved a steak like my life depended on it. I’m not saying that steak changed my life, but… actually, yeah, it kind of did. It was the gateway meat that brought me back to the carnivorous side for good.
Cooking quickly became my creative outlet – the perfect blend of science, art, and a dash of chaos. Now, I whip up dishes for my family of foodies (minus my daughter, who seems determined to live on a diet of about six foods). I started Zelicious Recipes as a way to share my culinary experiments with friends and family, who have cheered me on through this new adventure.
So here we are – welcome to my kitchen chaos. Let the journey begin.
Thanks for being here.
With love and a pinch of salt,
Zan ❤️
Asian Cole Slaw
Okay, I've honestly had enough of this summer heat! With 90+ degree weather for the past couple of months, I thought I would share a light, refreshing coleslaw recipe, to cool you down. This dressing is a little sweet and pungent. Pairs nicely with a Panko Crusted...
Classic Italian Risotto
Okay, since I'm mostly Swedish, I cannot claim to have a perfect Italian Risotto, but my psuedo-Italian husband can! He definitely "thinks" he's Italian, especially since he spent a number of year in Italy. Being green-eyed and blond-haired, the Italians always...
Flavorful Bone Broth
I love to have bone/meat broth on hand at all times. Especially, when my husband makes his Italian Risotto. This broth is truly the key to the most hearty, deep and rich risotto. We also use the broth occasionally to flavor pasta, rice, or even broccoli. It's also...
Roasted Red Potatoes with Chive Cream Sauce
This recipe is just as simple, and slightly more elegant, than your typical "baked potato with sour cream" and chives. I used small red potatoes, cutting them into ½" pieces. The cream topper makes a perfect side along side any meat-based dish. Round reds are often...
Italian Tuna Ventresca and Arugula Panino – made with love!
I'm crazy about this Italian Tuna (Tunnino - Tuna Ventrescas) in oil, so much that I made a Panino for my 16 year old for lunch. It was inspired by my Mare Chiaro Salad recipe (sans beans). Simple ingredients: 2 slices of Italian rustic bread 6 small pieces of Tuna...
Mare Chiaro – “Clear Sea” Salad – Arugula, Tuna and bean salad
Last year, while dining at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Boulder, Pizzeria Locale, we ordered their Mare Chiaro ("Clear Sea") salad. But unfortunately, it is no longer on the menu, so I surprised my family, and tried to recreate it at home. This salad is...
(Cobia) Fish Tacos
Well, after experimenting with different ways to use Open Blue's Cobia (aka Black Kingfish), I decided to create a new fish taco recipe. After spending 10 days in Mexico with my family, I really felt like I had tasted ample local flavor, in order to attempt to create...
Homemade Truffle Ravioli with Burnt Butter and Sage
I think I've said this before... but we LOVE pasta! This is one of the first homemade raviolis I have attempted to make, using a cool new ravioli stamp, courtesy of my Mother-In-Law. This device came straight from a little shop in northern Italy and was brought back...
Homemade Pasta
My family loves pasta! Any kind of pasta, but a good homemade pasta is hard to beat! Fortunately I was given the right set of pasta tools! Thanks to my mother-in-law that lives in Italy a majority of the time, and my somewhat Italian husband, I have a great set of...
