Best of the Zest

Let these flavor boosters keep you and your family eating healthy, happy, and less. Plus, they're affordable.
Still trying to follow a diet of rabbit food and pablum? With a few simple spices and pantry items, you can turn listless dishes into lip-smacking ones. Nutrisystem's Tony Mantuano, featured on Bravo's Top Chef, offers tips on how to enhance flavor without breaking the bank. 
• ITALIAN RED WINE VINEGARSprinkle spices into a quality red wine and heat until simmering. Splash on vegetables or chicken for a taste that's high in flavor but low in calories. Mantuano recommends combining fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley with the vinegar. Price: $2 per bottle.
 • ORANGEZEST Try this "secret flavor weapon" with almost anything. Use a micro-plane grater, avoid the white pith, and enjoy the zing. Price: About $1 per orange.

• DRIED FIGS
They go great with cereal, pancakes, French toast, and muffins, as well as desserts. "Once you taste their rich nutrient-filled flavor, you'll love them," says Mantuano. Price: $6 to $10 per pound.
• PICKLED PEPPERONCINI Add them to chili, chicken salad, pasta, and meat for a touch of Italy. They vary from mild to spicy, so you can choose the amount of kick to add. Price: Cans start at $1.50.
• DRIED OREGANO The ultimate go-to spice adds taste to everything from sauces,soups, and meats to vegetables and eggs. Mantuano suggests buying imported Greek or Italian oregano that's still on the stem and storing it in a plastic container in the freezer: "Whenever I add this in cooking, it reminds me of my grandmother's food." Price: $6 and up per pack.
 • CAPERS These pickled buds go well with beef, pastas, and poultry.
"They're underutilized, yet they add a unique, intense saline flavor," says Mantuano. (Be sure to rinse them first.) Price: $5 per jar. 
• SUN-DRIED TOMATOESCook for five minutes in boiling water, then drain and chop. They're tastiest on pasta, frozen pizza, and soups. Avoid tomatoes packed in oil (and packed with Average tip percentage on a meal in a New Orleans restaurant, the highest tip average in the nation.