A Fall Wine Party (& a video!)

Fall entertaining tips, appetizer recipes and a delicious pumpkin hummus recipe.

A few weeks ago I threw this simple, fun Friday night wine party. Here in Austin, it was the first day of fall (read: the first day that the temps dropped below 90 degrees)… I invited some of my closest friends, served up some fall-inspired appetizers and (to keep things easy!) opened up a few boxes of Bota Box wines. Here was my menu: – Roasted Butternut Squash Crostini w/ Sage – Assorted Cheese Platter – Pumpkin Hummus (recipe below) I roasted cubes of butternut squash and topped them onto crostini with lemon ricotta and fried sage. This is my…

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Jenny’s Broccolini Chickpea Pizza

These mini pizzas don't skimp on flavor. They're loaded with lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a hint of garlic powder.

vegetarian / dinner / cookbooks

It’s fall, which really means 2 things. It’s not only pumpkin season, but it’s also cookbook season! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing recipes from some of my favorite new cookbooks. Today’s recipe comes from How to Celebrate Everything, by Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner a Love Story. I’ve been reading her blog for years and I had the pleasure of meeting her (and having a total fan-girl moment) a few months ago. I have to say – I love this book because it’s one of those cookbooks that you want to snuggle up with and read from cover to…

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How to Make Homemade Crackers

These homemade crackers are so much better than store bought ones! Totally gluten-free, they're delicious plain or as part of a cheese board.

vegetarian / gluten free / snacks & dips

A vacation in Norway this past summer inspired me to make these gluten-free crackers. I know, I know, it seems crazy to go all the way to Norway and come back with a homemade crackers recipe. But the thing is, my #1 favorite travel activity is visiting grocery stores in other countries. I don’t know why, but I’m so fascinated by what other people eat, how things are packaged, how stores are organized… all of it. The first day we were there, I picked up a package of gluten-free crackers that ended up being my favorite snack of the week.…

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Heidi’s Spicy Green Soup

I love the simplicity of this spicy green soup. Just simmer a paste of fresh herbs, ginger, chiles & almonds, and you have a piping hot, cleansing meal.

vegan / gluten free / cookbooks

I’ve made this soup three times in the past week and a half. I know – it’s not quite soup season yet, but you probably still have bunches of summery herbs, and this recipe is such a wonderful way to use them. This one comes from Heidi Swanson’s book Near and Far, which has been a favorite in my kitchen since it came out last fall. I just love Heidi’s recipes because they’re so unique and usually very simple to put together. This one takes no longer than 15 minutes, and it packs a bright punch of flavor. Basil, cilantro, ginger, almonds, lemon… all…

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Watermelon Gazpacho

This watermelon gazpacho recipe SO refreshing on hot summer days! The watermelon's subtle sweetness perfectly balances this cool, savory soup.

summer / soups / vegan

This watermelon gazpacho recipe is the perfect dish for hot summer days. In the past few weeks, I’ve gone from hot Austin to hot New York to hot Chicago. Now that I’m visiting my parents in Chicago’s west suburbs, I’m making this recipe as much as I can. I can’t think of anything as refreshing and hydrating as watermelon, so this cold soup really hits the spot. If it’s warm where you are, try it ASAP! And just a heads up, this recipe makes a lot of watermelon gazpacho. It gets better as it chills, so I love to keep…

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Mix & Match Crostini

Learn how to make crostini with this simple recipe! Crispy, delicious, and easy to make, they're the perfect customizable party appetizer.

summer / entertaining / vegan options

Tell me, who doesn’t love a variety of yummy mix & match toppings on little pieces of grilled bread? Here’s a party idea that you can easily pull off this weekend: grill some bread to make a big batch of crostini, chill some rosé, gather a bunch of toppings (and a bunch of friends)… and you have a fun, casual crostini party! How to Make Crostini Crostini may seem fancy, but making them is actually simple. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re thin slices of grilled or toasted baguette that are great for serving with a variety of toppings. To make…

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Avocado Cucumber Sushi Roll

Learn how to make sushi with this easy sushi recipe! Filled with mango, avocado & cucumber, it makes a healthy, delicious sushi roll.

vegan / gluten free

We love sushi. We love it so much that we rarely make it at home, well, because Uchi is just down the street. But this homemade sushi recipe is a fun kitchen project to do with your significant other when you’re looking for something new to do together in a Friday night. Plus, making this sushi roll is way less expensive than ordering sushi at a restaurant. Sushi Roll-Making Tips! First things first – don’t be scared! The only thing required for “sushi date night” is a bamboo mat and a positive attitude. You need to be in the kind of…

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Kiwi Avocado Salsa Verde

Change up your usual avocado salsa with a surprising sweet ingredient: kiwi! It's a vibrant, fresh & fun dip that's perfect for parties.

snacks & dips / vegan / gluten free

My husband Jack really loves kiwi. He grew up in Florida, so I always envisioned him growing up among kiwi trees. His grandfather had quite the green thumb, and Jack always tells stories of the fruits and vegetables they would pick and eat together. He talks about kiwi so much that I had just assumed that this tropical fruit was part of that picture as well. Last week when I was trying to dream up a unique salsa recipe, I thought kiwi would be fun and different, and most importantly – Jack would love it. It’s not a fruit I typically…

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Artichoke Avocado Toast

Simple, springy avocado toast topped with radishes and dill. Vegan, Gluten free option.

spring / appetizers / vegan

Last spring, my mom visited for over a month to help with the book and one of her tasks was Designated Artichoke Cleaner. I love artichokes, but trimming them is kind of a hassle. Unfortunately, my mom does not live an artichoke cleaning’s distance away. Last weekend when I brought these artichokes home, I thought about re-assigning this task to Jack (he is the risotto stirrer and the pomegranate seed picker, among other useful things). But I decided to go for it myself, like a big girl, and it really wasn’t so bad. If you’re psyching yourself out of artichokes this spring – don’t! They take a little time, but…

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Prettiest Spring Vegetable Platter

A fresh, healthy way to serve veggie crudite at your next happy hour or party! Vegan and gluten free options, with dip, wine, and cheese pairings.

spring / entertaining

Is it just me or has spring come early this year? Last weekend, I loaded up on the prettiest brightly colored vegetables to put together a gorgeous yet easy wine party crudité appetizer spread. Two things always intimidate me about putting together party food: 1: Spending tons of time (and tons of money) putting together a guest-worthy spread, and 2: Picking out great wine. So today I have some tips for both… Let’s start with the wine (always my favorite place to start). We’ve partnered with WineSimple, which is my new favorite way to choose wine because they choose it for you! You start…

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Healthy Loaded Vegan Nachos

Who knew nachos could be healthy? We love this version topped with walnut-mushroom taco meat, cashew nacho "cheese," and plenty of veggies.

vegan / gluten free / snacks & dips

It sounds silly to say, but the first vegan “dish” I really fell hard for was nachos. It was years ago at Native Foods where the Native Nachos were a revelation to us. They weren’t a snack, they were our dinner late one night. They were piled high with taco “meat,” black beans, cashew cheese (a crazy concept at the time), salsa, and guacamole… we scarfed them down saying (with our mouths full) “how are these vegan?!” I came home with their cookbook and every night later that week, I made nachos. My version here is quite a bit different, but the…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.