Zucchini Soup

Fresh herbs, ginger, and lime fill this creamy zucchini soup with bright, refreshing flavor. It's a delicious, healthy meal that's ready in 30 minutes!

This zucchini soup is creamy and comforting, but still bright and fresh. Blended zucchini and coconut milk create its luxe, silky base, while ginger, herbs, and lime fill it with bold, refreshing flavor. I also toss in a serrano chile for heat, though if you’re sensitive to spice, you could skip it. This zucchini soup recipe is perfect for late summer and early fall. As the temps cool off from their summer peaks, I start craving warmer, heartier fare. At the same time, I want to keep cooking with fresh garden zucchini while it’s abundant (I’m not ready for all things pumpkin…

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60 Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Stuck in a breakfast rut? Find over 60 healthy breakfast ideas below! With sweet, savory, easy & make-ahead options, we have something for everyone.

And just like that, it’s back-to-school time! I’m lining up the fall recipe calendar, getting ready to test, shoot, and share a slew of new ideas. For us, this season will be busy, and I know that it will be for many of you too. Today, I’m sharing my favorite healthy breakfast ideas to get these jam-packed days off to a great start. You’ll find ones that are perfect for making ahead and taking on the go, ones that are quick and easy to whip up in the morning, and even a few for days when you have a bit…

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are a vegetarian dinner that everyone will love! They're filled with rice and beans and topped with a melty layer of cheese.

These stuffed peppers deserve a spot in your dinner rotation! They’re the perfect combination of comforting and fresh, filled with a delicious blend of rice and beans and topped with melty cheese. Yes, they’re vegetarian, but these stuffed peppers are so tasty that everyone—meat eaters included!—will love them. I’ve shared other stuffed peppers recipes on the blog before, but this one is hands down my favorite. Here’s why: The filling is so darn flavorful. It starts with a base of hearty brown rice, with black beans for protein and corn kernels for crunch. Onions, garlic, and tomato paste make it nice…

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Avocado Salad

This avocado salad recipe is a delicious, healthy side dish! A zesty dressing coats creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs.

I’ve been craving this avocado salad recipe ever since I first made it. If you’re thinking, “Craving…a salad?”, well, you simply have to try this one. This avocado salad is not guacamole. But like guacamole, it keeps you coming back for more. Creamy avocado plays off juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy red onion, and spicy jalapeño. A bright lime dressing brings it all together. The fresh, zesty flavors and the delicious combination of textures make it so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s been one of my go-to side dishes this summer because it’s super tasty, super quick,…

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Ratatouille

This ratatouille recipe is a delicious version of the classic French stew. It's rich and flavorful, filled with late summer vegetables, olive oil, and herbs.

Ratatouille is a French stew made with late summer vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. It’s rich with olive oil, bright with vinegar, and flecked with fresh herbs. If you haven’t tried it, put this ratatouille recipe on your list to make this summer. It’s even more delightful than the Disney movie of the same name (which is pretty delightful, if you ask me). Making this ratatouille recipe always transports me to Provence, France. A few years ago, I stayed with a local family there. On my first night with them, they served ratatouille for dinner. We sat on…

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Grilled Broccoli

This easy grilled broccoli recipe is a simple, delicious summer side dish! Ready in 20 minutes, it's crisp-tender, flavorful, and beautifully charred.

This grilled broccoli recipe is a fresh, easy summer side dish. If you’re a fan of roasted broccoli, you’ll love it. It has the same dark, crispy edges and crisp-tender texture, but its flavor is even more complex. This grilled broccoli is smoky, sweet, and savory. As the broccoli cooks, the hot grill brings out its natural sweetness. At the same time, it becomes beautifully charred, taking on a smoky taste. A sprinkle of garlic powder gives it savory depth. This grilled broccoli is broccoli at its best. I’ve tried a variety of methods for grilling broccoli (in a grill…

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Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is hearty, healthy, and packed with fresh flavor! Serve it as a side dish, or enjoy it as a meal on its own.

This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is fresh and flavorful. It’s a delicious addition to the menu of any potluck, cookout, or picnic. It can easily pass as a side dish, but it’s so hearty and satisfying that it can be the main event, too. And if you happen to have leftovers, you’re in luck! This quinoa salad keeps well if you make it ahead of time, so it’s a great recipe to meal prep for healthy lunches throughout the week. Over the years, I’ve shared lots of quinoa salad recipes on the blog, but I’m especially smitten with this one.…

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Spicy Margarita

Jalapeños give this spicy margarita recipe a delicious kick. Tart and refreshing, it's perfect for a happy hour or summer entertaining.

Meet my go-to spicy margarita recipe! Like a classic margarita, it’s tart and refreshing, but jalapeño peppers give it an extra kick of heat. This spicy margarita recipe is easy to make. You only need 6 simple ingredients, and it comes together quickly in a cocktail shaker. Enjoy it with tortilla chips, guacamole, and/or salsa at a happy hour, Cinco de Mayo, or summer gathering. Cheers! Spicy Margarita Ingredients To make this jalapeño margarita recipe, you need 6 simple ingredients: Tequila – Use any good-quality blanco tequila (aka silver tequila) in this recipe. We like Espolon tequila, but feel free…

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Breakfast Tacos

These healthy breakfast tacos are my favorite way to start the day! Filled with eggs, pico de gallo, and avocado, they're flavorful and easy to make.

If you asked everyone in Austin where they get their favorite breakfast tacos, you’d get a different answer from every person. Austinites have opinions about breakfast tacos like Chicagoans have opinions about pizza. When I lived in Austin, I ate more breakfast tacos than I could ever begin to count. Most I loved (some I didn’t), but after sampling them all over town, I learned that my favorite place to get breakfast tacos…is at home. This breakfast tacos recipe is my favorite way to start the day. It features an egg scramble made with pico de gallo and cheddar cheese, plus…

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Baba Ganoush

This easy baba ganoush recipe is smoky, savory, and creamy. Made with eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it's a delicious dip for pita and veggies.

Have you tried baba ganoush? If you like hummus, I have a feeling you’ll love this Mediterranean eggplant dip too. Made with grilled or roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it’s creamy, smoky, nutty, and bright. I’m sharing my easy baba ganoush recipe below. It pairs perfectly with crisp veggies and pita bread, but I love it so much that I’ve also been known to eat it straight off a spoon. I hope you enjoy it too! How to Make Baba Ganoush This baba ganoush recipe is simple to make. It starts with 6 basic ingredients: Baba Ganoush Ingredients Eggplant…

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20 Easy Summer Cocktails

Cool off with these refreshing summer cocktails! Perfect for a summer party or BBQ, they include frozen drinks, fruity margaritas, spritzes, and more.

Hot days call for summer cocktails! Maybe fruity, maybe frozen, and definitely refreshing, these drinks will help you cool off and celebrate the season all in one. Below, you’ll find the easy cocktail recipes I’ll be making all summer. Perfect for any occasion from a neighborhood BBQ to a laid-back evening at home, they include fruity margaritas, bubbly spritzes, non-alcoholic refreshers, and more. I’d have a hard time choosing a favorite from these festive summer drinks. I hope you love them too! Our Best Summer Cocktails Paloma Cocktail Jack and I make this tequila cocktail every summer. We might be…

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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.