Stuffed Mushrooms

This stuffed mushrooms recipe is an irresistible (and easy!) appetizer. The filling is a crispy, savory combo of bread crumbs, garlic, herbs, and cheese.

stuffed mushrooms

In my totally unbiased opinion, we have some really great holiday appetizers on the blog (French onion dip or baked brie, anyone?), but this stuffed mushrooms recipe might just be my favorite. It’s Jack’s favorite too. Of course, he loves anything with mushrooms, but we’ve actually gotten into arguments about these stuffed mushrooms. I take them out of the oven, he samples a few, and before I know it, most of the batch is gone. I’ve learned the hard way: if I want any of these stuffed mushrooms for myself, I have to claim them ASAP. …which is to say…

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Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

This vegan spinach artichoke dip is the ultimate game day or party snack. It's creamy, tangy, savory, and delicious. You won't be able to get enough!

You don’t have to be vegan to love this vegan spinach artichoke dip. Just ask Jack. Whenever I make it, he can’t resist going back for seconds…and then thirds… This vegan spinach artichoke dip is creamy, tangy, and delicious. Who could say no to that? Instead of the traditional mayo and/or sour cream, blended cashews make up the creamy base of this plant-based dip. Nutritional yeast and onion powder add savory, cheesy flavor, while lemon juice and Dijon mustard give it the perfect bright kick. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing party appetizer or game day snack, make this vegan…

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Candied Pecans

Learn how to make candied pecans with this easy recipe! Ready in 10 minutes, they're a great gift or delicious topping for salads and more.

Candied pecans are a wonderful topping for salads, side dishes, and desserts…but in our house, they rarely make it that far. These sweet, crunchy, cinnamon-spiced nuts are SO tasty that Jack, the kiddo, and I usually polish them off as a snack. It’s very easy to think you’re going to have just one, maybe two, and then eat half a batch. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Luckily, if you accidentally eat all the nuts you were supposed to put on a salad, it’s quick and easy to make more. This candied pecans recipe calls for 5 ingredients and comes together…

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Best Guacamole Recipe

The BEST guacamole recipe! It's easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients like ripe avocados, onion, and lime juice. Great with chips, tacos, and more!

If you don’t already have a go-to guacamole recipe, let me introduce you to mine. This guacamole recipe is easy to make. You can whip it up in 10 minutes or less! It calls for simple, fresh ingredients. Think ripe avocados, onion, cilantro, and lime. It’s DELICIOUS. This homemade guacamole is creamy, zesty, and bright. I developed the recipe while I was living in Austin, Texas. The city has incredible Tex Mex and Mexican food, and I ate a TON of great guac at local restaurants there. It inspired me to learn how to make guacamole at home. With a…

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Air Fryer Cauliflower

If you're craving a savory side dish or snack, make this air fryer cauliflower recipe! Spices like smoked paprika and cayenne fill it with bold flavor.

This air fryer cauliflower recipe is about to become your new favorite veggie side dish! It’s crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and seasoned to perfection with a blend of savory spices. I love regular roasted cauliflower, but I have to admit—this air fryer cauliflower recipe is on another level. What makes it so delicious? Before I cook the cauliflower florets, I dredge them in a quick panko coating. It crisps up beautifully in the air fryer, giving the cauliflower an irresistible crunchy texture. I love this cauliflower on its own as a side dish or snack, but…

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Grilled Carrots

Carrots are one of my favorite veggies to throw on the grill! Sweet, smoky, and perfectly tender, these grilled carrots are a delicious summer side dish.

Why aren’t we all making grilled carrots more often? That’s what I asked myself after I tried this grilled carrots recipe for the first time. Because friends, it is delicious.  Carrots have a wonderful natural sweetness, which intensifies when you cook them on the grill. At the same time, they caramelize and char, creating a mouthwatering mix of sweet and smoky flavors. And texturally, they come out perfectly tender all the way through. Sorry, grilled asparagus and grilled eggplant—I’m making these grilled carrots for my next cookout. Steps to Make Grilled Carrots Like most grilled vegetables, grilled carrots are easy to…

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Whipped Ricotta

Topped with honey, lemon, and fresh herbs, this whipped ricotta dip feels elevated. But it's so easy to make! You just need 5 minutes and 4 ingredients.

This whipped ricotta dip will be my go-to appetizer for the rest of the summer…and fall…and winter. It feels elevated, but it couldn’t be simpler to make. We’re talking 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep! The recipe comes together in the food processor, the S-blade whizzing away the graininess that store-bought ricotta often has straight out of the package. The whipped ricotta becomes insanely creamy and silky smooth, with a bright burst of flavor from lemon juice. I love to serve it with fresh toppings like honey, herbs, and lemon zest to balance the richness of the dip. Scoop…

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15 Easy Eggplant Recipes

Even eggplant skeptics will fall for these 15 tasty eggplant recipes! With tacos, pasta, salads, and more, they include something for everyone.

Of all the vegetable recipes I post, eggplant recipes are the most divisive. Early on, this surprised me, because eggplant recipes have always been some of my favorite foods to eat. As a kid, I never wanted to stop playing at dinnertime, except when my mom was making eggplant Parmesan. And when I started to explore vegetarian cooking on my own, grilled eggplant was one of the first dishes I mastered. But if I’ve learned one thing through writing Love and Lemons, it’s that not everyone likes eggplant. I’ve heard it called spongy, bitter, and bland, and to that I…

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50 Fresh Tomato Recipes

Show off your peak-season tomatoes in these fresh tomato recipes! We've got salads, soups, pasta, and more—you're bound to find something you love.

Fresh tomato recipes go on repeat in our house every summer. In the dead of winter, there’s nothing I crave more than a summer tomato—sweet, juicy, and ripe. The out-of-season supermarket ones can’t compare, so when summer rolls around, I only have a few months to make every tomato salad, sandwich, pasta, and pizza I’ve imagined throughout the year. When I made my grocery list this morning, I added cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and tomatoes on the vine. We have lots of tomato recipes on tap this week. 🙂 I hope you’re also cooking with tomatoes like crazy right now, while…

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Salsa Roja

Spice up your favorite Mexican dishes with this salsa roja recipe...or just eat it with tortilla chips. With its smoky flavor, it's delicious any way you try it!

Are you team salsa roja or salsa verde? I’m team…both! I adore all types of salsa made with fresh ingredients, and this salsa roja recipe is one I’ve been especially loving lately. It differs from other red salsas I’ve previously shared in two ways: I roast the fresh ingredients. Charring the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers adds smoky depth of flavor to this salsa recipe. I use a dried chile. It thickens the salsa, adds rich complexity, and brings out the smoky flavor even more. If you try this salsa roja, you won’t believe it’s homemade. It tastes like you could have…

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Elote Recipe

Level up grilled corn on the cob with this easy elote recipe! Smothered with mayo, chile, cheese, and lime, it's creamy, tangy, smoky, and sweet.

When summer sweet corn comes hits peak season, this elote recipe goes on repeat in our house. I love corn on the cob in all its iterations, but something about elote is especially irresistible. This grilled Mexican street corn is creamy, tangy, sweet, and smoky. If you’ve never tried it—or never tried making it at home—now’s the time. Let’s make it! Elote Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this elote recipe: Fresh sweet corn, of course! Use the freshest corn on the cob you can find. Mayonnaise – It creates a creamy coating for the corn and helps…

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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.