Vegan Sour Cream

Creamy, tangy, and rich, this vegan sour cream is delicious on baked potatoes, nachos, chili, and more. You won't miss the real thing one bit!

This vegan sour cream recipe is a staple in my kitchen. Just like the real thing, it’s creamy, tangy, and rich, a perfect topping for baked potatoes, nachos, chili, enchiladas…I could go on and on. It’s super easy to whizz together, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients. If you’re dairy-free or vegan (or even if you’re not!), you’ll make this recipe time and time again. Vegan Sour Cream Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan sour cream recipe: Raw cashews – They make this vegan sour cream thick and creamy. Tip: make sure your cashews are…

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Grilled Pineapple

This grilled pineapple recipe is a fun burger topping or summer side dish. Cooked in a quick chili-lime marinade, it's tangy, smoky, juicy, and sweet.

When you make grilled pineapple, something magical happens. The already-juicy fruit becomes even juicier, and its sugars caramelize and char against the grill grates. You end up with grilled pineapple rings that are smoky, tart, tender, and sweet. To be honest, if I had to pick between eating a slice of regular pineapple or a slice of grilled pineapple, I’d take the grilled pineapple every time. It’s just that good. How to Grill Pineapple Here’s the good news: this recipe cooks up in no time! Once you have the grill going, it’ll be ready in under 10 minutes. The bad…

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Grilled Onions

Learn how to make perfectly grilled onions! Sweet, tender, and full of umami flavor, they're a delicious side dish or topping for burgers, tacos, and more.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to share a recipe for grilled onions! I make them all the time in the summer. They pair well with almost anything, they’re easy and inexpensive, and they just so happen to be delicious, too. If you’ve never had grilled onions, I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. As the onions cook, their natural sugars caramelize on the grill, so they end up with a sweet, umami flavor and irresistible char. Serve them as a side dish, or top them onto your next taco or veggie burger. Happy grilling!…

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Vinegar Coleslaw

This vinegar coleslaw recipe will be a hit at your next cookout! It's sweet and tangy, crunchy and refreshing, and super easy to make.

There are two types of people in this world: those who like vinegar coleslaw and those who like creamy coleslaw. I usually count myself in the creamy coleslaw group (if you do too, find my recipe here!), but lately, this vinegar coleslaw recipe has really been hitting the spot. I toss it in a 7-ingredient apple cider vinegar dressing and sprinkle in toasted sunflower seeds for extra crunch. It’s sweet and tangy, light and refreshing, and so darn fun and colorful. If you need an easy side dish for a cookout or picnic in the next few weeks, I highly…

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Black Bean and Corn Salad

This black bean and corn salad is flavorful, refreshing, and great for making ahead. It's a crowd-pleasing cookout side dish or a perfect summer lunch.

This black bean and corn salad recipe has been a lifesaver around here lately. Jack and I have been crazy busy over the last few weeks, so a satisfying-yet-healthy, tasty-but-packable salad has been exactly what we’ve needed. I’ve made it ahead for quick weekday lunches, prepped it in advance the morning before a cookout, and eaten the leftovers as an easy side dish with dinner the next day. To be honest, I usually get tired of eating one thing over and over. But this black bean and corn salad is so flavorful and refreshing that I’m happy to have it…

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Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These oatmeal breakfast cookies are sweet, nutty, and filled with healthy ingredients like oats, nuts, and fruit.

Here’s how much I love these oatmeal breakfast cookies: after I finish typing this post, I’m going to head to the kitchen to make more. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and they have fiber from the oats and protein and healthy fats from almond butter. Thanks to maple syrup, they’re naturally sweetened too. But these breakfast cookies aren’t just good for you. They’re also delicious! The same ingredients that pack them with nutrients give them a sweet, nutty flavor and soft, puffy texture. Who wants to eat a bowl of oatmeal when you can eat a cookie for breakfast!? Breakfast…

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Sesame Cucumber Salad with Pickled Mustard Seeds

This easy, refreshing cucumber salad recipe is perfect for hot days! A sweet and tangy dressing coats cool cucumbers, onions, and lots of fresh herbs.

This cucumber salad recipe is the quintessential summer side dish. Like all the best summer recipes, it calls for just a few ingredients, but it still packs a big punch of flavor. Thanks to a light sesame salad dressing, it’s salty, sweet, nutty, and tangy, with plenty of fresh mint and dill to take it over the top. You only need 15 minutes to make it (including 10 minutes of hands-off chill time), so toss it together and enjoy it as a dinner side dish, or, like me, eat it straight out of the bowl! On hot days, there’s nothing…

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Portobello Mushroom Burger

This portobello mushroom burger recipe will be a hit with vegetarians and meat eaters alike! It's juicy, meaty, and filled with rich, savory flavor.

The next time you need a quick and easy summer dinner, make this grilled portobello mushroom burger recipe! You only need 6 ingredients and 20 minutes to make it, but the payoff is huge. The grilled portobello mushrooms are juicy and meaty, and a simple balsamic marinade deepens their tangy, savory flavor. We often cook them on weeknights, when we’re craving something tasty but don’t really feel like cooking. But like regular homemade veggie burgers, they’re a great choice for summer cookouts, too. Served on a toasted bun with all the fixings, they’re hearty, satisfying, and absolutely delicious. Even meat…

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Broccoli Slaw

Creamy and colorful, this easy broccoli slaw recipe is a delicious side dish. Pack it up for a picnic, or serve it for dinner with whatever you're grilling!

Jack is obsessed with this broccoli slaw recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I love it too, but I haven’t heard him rave about a salad this much since…I don’t know when. His favorite part is the dried cranberries, and how their sweet-tart flavor contrasts with the crisp veggies and creamy, tangy dressing. I made it as a side dish with dinner the other night, and he hasn’t stopped talking about it since! Luckily for him, this broccoli slaw recipe is exactly the sort of thing I like to make in the summer. It’s light and refreshing, and it keeps well…

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44 Best Cookout Food Ideas

These easy cookout food ideas include main dishes, grilling sides, salads, desserts, and more! Perfect for BBQs, picnics, or any summer gathering.

I never thought I’d be so excited to share these cookout food ideas with all of you. But after spending last summer picnicking on our own, the prospect of inviting family and friends over and gathering around the grill sounds amazing. Warm weather, good food, and great company? Life doesn’t get much better than that. You’ll find my best cookout food ideas below. They include 44+ recipes for veggie burgers and sandwiches, grilling side dishes, salads, snacks, desserts, and more. Some of them are out-of-the-box and inventive, like Chickpea Harissa Veggie Burgers or Grilled Watermelon with a crispy corn topping.…

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Healthy Potato Salad

This healthy potato salad recipe is perfect for picnics and BBQs! A creamy, tangy dressing coats tender potatoes, fresh herbs, and crunchy veggies.

This healthy potato salad recipe is a fresh riff on classic creamy potato salad. Over the last few summers, it’s become a new favorite on our picnic table. It’s just as creamy, savory, and tangy as the traditional kind, but it has a lighter Greek yogurt dressing, no hard boiled eggs, and plenty of veggies tossed in for crunch. It couldn’t be more perfect for potlucks and BBQs, because it tastes best when you make it in advance. We’ll have it on repeat all summer long, and I hope you will too! Healthy Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll…

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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.