Walnut-Mushroom Veggie Burgers

I’m so excited to be guest posting this recipe on A Cup of Jo’s “best you’ll ever have” series. Although, I have to say, it was a little bit daunting to come up with something that was going to be called “the best.” Of course we think this veggie burger is the best we’ve ever had… but since tastes are subjective, I’m hoping you at least find this to be “a pretty darn good one.” While I love both chickpea and black bean patties, I didn’t go that route because I don’t love them between bread… they can get a…

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Brussels Sprout & Sunchoke Salad

What's your favorite sunchoke recipe? Do you have one? I love this caramelized sunchoke & Brussels sprout salad - a perfect light winter meal.

It’s hardly winter in Austin anymore, but I’m still trying to keep all of you snowbirds in mind. Enter: the winter sunchoke salad. This sunchoke recipe is full of warm, roasty goodness and brightened up with a tangy lemon dressing. Cooking with sunchokes Have you cooked with sunchokes? Do you have a sunchoke recipe to recommend? They’re new to me, but I just love them, so I was eager to develop a sunchoke recipe of my own. Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, have a potato-like quality. I like them both thinly sliced and roasted or sautéed with butter and…

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Mini Ceviche Tacos

mini ceviche tacos, two ways (vegetarian & pesca)

I’m guest posting today on A House in the Hills (one of my favorite blogs), while Sarah is in Mexico this week. I know, I’m jealous too. To compensate for my vacation-envy, I made these bright little ceviche tacos and imagined myself on the beach soaking in the sun with a margarita in hand. Whitefish gets “cooked” with lots of lime juice. And for a fun twist I made a vegetarian version using chopped up hearts of palm that was equally, (if not more), delicious than it’s pesca counterpart. You could serve them with chips as an appetizer, or with tortillas as more…

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Sake-steamed Mussels

This is something sort of different for us. I’ve never cooked mussels before, but when I was choosing a recipe to make from Steamy Kitchen’s new book, I felt like trying something outside my comfort zone. I also knew Jack would never expect this, and I like to surprise him every now and then. Surprise… mussels are so easy. 6 ingredients and about 5 minutes later we had perfectly steamed mussels in a fancy aromatic sake broth. I made some soba noodles to go along with them (and to soak up more of the broth – no sake goes to…

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Seared Cauliflower Steaks

pan seared cauliflower steaks / loveandlemons.com

This one is so simple but I’m really excited about it. I received (yet another) giant cauliflower last week. I loved this preparation so much that I made it two nights in a row… which rarely happens around here. Also rare… this short list of ingredients. I have a way of turning a “simple” recipe idea into a list of 20 items, but not this time! (I was so proud, can you tell?) This is great as a side dish but it would also make a nice appetizer – skip the greens and serve them with the sauce for dipping.

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Butternut Squash Croquettes

Butternut Squash Croquettes - these healthy baked veggie fritters are a delicious appetizer or snack.

Butternut Squash Croquettes // loveandlemons.com

I don’t have much of a weakness for fried foods. French fries don’t make me crazy, I never really cared for fried chicken… but whenever we’re on vacation, I find myself ordering little balls of fried stuff everywhere we turn. Cod croquettes in Japan, arancini in Italy, and all kinds mashed veggie fritters (with tangy yogurt sauces) in London. Since we’re currently not on vacation, these are baked, not fried… but I promise they’re so good that you likely won’t even notice. I mash creamy butternut squash with cumin and smoky paprika, mix in some tangy feta, and serve them…

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Chickpea Radicchio Wraps

Chickpea Radicchio Wraps - a healthy lunch or plant-based appetizer. These wraps are filled with chickpeas and drizzled with basil-oil. Vegan and Gluten Free.

Chickpea Radicchio Wraps / www.loveandlemons.com

I just can’t get enough of non-bread wrappy things lately, so I was very excited when this cute little radicchio head showed up in my vegetable delivery box last week. Not that there’s anything wrong with bread, (and I did eat cake for breakfast this morning), but I’m trying to eat a bit lighter overall. And I just love the crunch of these crisp radicchio leaves. Do you all get a CSA box? If you don’t, I highly recommend subscribing to one. I’m not going to lie, it can be a little overwhelming. You’ll ask “what the heck is kohlrabi…

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Festive Endive Appetizers

Festive + light holiday appetizers that will leave you with room for dessert! Sesame tuna tartare + lemony white bean puree are delicious on endive leaves.

Endive Appetizers // loveandlemons.com

Endive… the perfect holiday party snack when it’s time to start laying off the bread already. As the holiday season comes to a close, I’m starting to crave foods that are lighter and brighter. I decided to make two of my favorite appetizers (that I love atop toasty crostini)… and serve in crispy endive leaves instead. The first is a super easy sesame tuna tartare. And because parties always need vegetarian options, the second is a lemony white bean puree. But let’s face it, my favorite thing about skipping the bread is that I can endlessly snack away and still…

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Winter Roasted Kale Salad

Learn how to roast kale in this delicious, healthy Winter Roasted Kale Salad recipe! Crispy tempeh, pine nuts, and dried cranberries make this salad a satisfying meal.

I know, I’ve used a lot of kale lately. It’s my vegetable of choice this time of year, especially when the internet (and even my kitchen, a little bit) is full of sugary, buttery foods. With so much indulgence, I feel the need for balance… but tasty balance. Enter: this roasted kale salad. This was going to be a raw kale salad, but I changed my mind at the last minute and made a roasted kale salad because I was craving something warm and cozy. I made my roasted kale in the oven… a method I especially love because it…

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Kale & White Bean Crostini

A healthy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings! Toasted baguette is topped with marinated white beans and sautéed kale for a tangy, savory starter.

The season of holiday parties is beginning… I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty full from Thanksgiving. Not that I’ll be turning down cocktails or sugary treats when they’re offered to me… but somehow I feel less guilty indulging if I’ve had my kale fix. (Kale neutralizes out cookies, right?).  This appetizer is super simple to throw together (or even make ahead of time) and packs a garlicky-lemony-rosemary-ey punch…

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Roasted Squash with Apple Salsa

Sweet winter squash are topped with a crisp and tangy fall apple-jalapeño-lime salsa. Serve for a unique Thanksgiving side or a healthy vegan and GF main!

My mom is in town visiting this week. Usually she comes bearing a pile of recipe clippings that she’s been collecting for weeks leading up to the trip. I’ve been stuck in a bit of a “same-ingredient” rut lately, so I was really looking forward to someone else just telling me what to make. But this time she showed up empty-handed and said, “I’m here to eat what you make – you know, all of those recipes you post that I never get to eat because I’m not close enough to stop by for dinner.” So I sat down and…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.