Tartar Sauce

Once you learn how to make tartar sauce, you'll never buy it at the store again! This lightened-up version is super creamy, tangy, and delicious.

When I told Jack I was working on a homemade tartar sauce recipe, he replied, “Oh, are you using cream of tartar?” I immediately burst out laughing, but I really can’t blame him for his mistake. I mean, tartar sauce is creamy. It kind of makes sense, right? In reality, the two have nothing to do with one another. Cream of tartar is a powdery baking ingredient that you’d find in sweets like cookies or meringues. Tartar sauce, on the other hand, is super savory, rich, and tangy. It’s typically served with seafood, but trust me – this delicious condiment…

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Tomato Basil Soup

Cozy up with a steaming bowl of homemade tomato basil soup! Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, this recipe is easy, nourishing, and delicious.

summer / soups

During the transition from summer to fall, there’s nothing I crave more than this tomato basil soup recipe. Apples and squash are starting to pop up at the farmers market, but you can still find ruby red tomatoes and bunches of basil mixed in among them. I’ll be eating these summer veggies for as long as they’re at the market, even as the temperature starts dropping and I find myself hungry for warming bowls of soup instead of salads. So at this time of year, I start making this tomato basil soup. I roast a market haul of fresh tomatoes…

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Gluten Free Banana Bread

This gluten free banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. It's everything banana bread should be, gluten-free or not!

I’ve gotten so many requests for a gluten free banana bread recipe over the years, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this one with you! Tasting this gluten free banana bread, you’d never guess that it wasn’t made with wheat flour. It’s moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. In fact, if I did a side-by-side comparison with my regular Healthy Banana Bread, I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite! We’re getting some sunshine in Chicago today, but for the last week, it’s been cool and rainy. I love starting gray, chilly mornings like these with a thick…

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Austin-Style Migas

When I miss Austin, I make this migas recipe for breakfast. Made with a handful of basic ingredients, it's fun, flavorful, and easy to make!

breakfast

Looking back now, I can’t believe that there was a time when I hadn’t heard of migas. Growing up in the Midwest, I ate muffins for breakfast every morning. When I went to college, I started each day with a bowl of oatmeal. If you asked me where to find great migas, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. But in Austin, migas are everywhere. Go out to brunch, and they’ll be on the menu. Stop at a taco truck in the morning, and everyone there will be getting migas breakfast tacos. It didn’t take me long to…

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31 Best Grill Recipes

Celebrate summer with these easy grill recipes! With grilling ideas for starters, sides, main dishes, and more, we've got something for everyone.

It seems like it was just yesterday when Jack and I made our first grill recipes of the summer. Where does the time go? Labor Day might mark the unofficial end of grilling season, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll still grill as much as possible for the next few weeks. It’ll stay warm for another month, right? Right? No matter what, we’re looking forward to making a bunch of grill recipes this weekend, and I hope that you are too. In case you’re in need of some new grilling ideas, I’m sharing over 30 of my best grill…

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Homemade Salsa

Break out the tortilla chips! This homemade salsa recipe is zesty, fresh, and super easy to make. Enjoy it as a dip, or pile it onto tacos, nachos, and more.

appetizers / cooking basics

If I learned one thing from living in Austin, it’s that homemade salsa is infinitely better than any kind you can find in a jar. I loved sampling salsas at restaurants and taco trucks. Each one was different – some were made with roasted ingredients, others got a smoky, spicy kick from dried chiles, and still others were nice and fresh. This variety inspired me to start experimenting with making homemade salsa. I might pull out dried chiles in the winter, when good tomatoes are hard to find, or roast tomatillos if I see them at the farmers market. But…

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Homemade Italian Dressing

This homemade Italian dressing recipe is a staple in our kitchen. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients, and it's delicious on salads, grains, and more!

cooking basics

Move over, bottled Italian dressing! This homemade Italian dressing recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes far better than any store bought kind. Trust me, I know. Growing up in the Midwest, I tried bottled Italian salad dressings left and right. They were a staple at the salad bar, the secret ingredient in everyone’s pasta salad, and the default marinade for any protein. I get it. Reaching for a bottle of pre-made dressing is quick and easy. But once you try this homemade Italian dressing recipe, you’ll won’t look back. It’s a breeze to make, it uses simple,…

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Stuffed Peppers

This easy stuffed peppers recipe is destined for your regular rotation! It's super simple, but the zesty rice filling makes it bold, fresh, and flavorful.

summer / dinner

Stuffed peppers are among the handful of dishes that will always remind me of being a kid. Growing up, they were a fixture in my mom’s regular recipe rotation, right alongside creamy broccoli soup, eggplant Parmesan, and mac and cheese. Back then, I’d eat the filling, made from ground beef, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and rice, and push aside the pepper. In hindsight, it’s not hard to see why people were surprised when I became a vegetarian. 🙂 Since then, I’ve learned that the pepper itself is an integral part of any stuffed peppers recipe. Don’t get me wrong, the filling…

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Edible Cookie Dough

This edible cookie dough recipe will satisfy any sweet tooth! Made with 7 basic ingredients, it's rich, nutty, sweet, chocolatey, and super easy to make.

snacks & dips

This edible cookie dough recipe is almost too easy to make. I don’t know about you, but every so often, I have days when I need a cookie, and I need one now. Most of the time, I whip up my go-to vegan chocolate chip cookies, but lately, it’s been too hot to turn on the oven. While I know that baking is out of the question on a sticky summer day, my cookie cravings couldn’t care less. Enter: edible cookie dough. It has all the rich, chocolatey goodness of a regular cookie, but you don’t have to turn on the oven…

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Grilled Peaches

Ripe peaches are a treat on their own, but this grilled peaches recipe makes them even sweeter! Top them with ice cream for a perfect summer dessert.

summer

This grilled peaches recipe sums up everything about what makes cooking in late summer so special. Fresh peaches are already at their best – sweet, juicy, and tender – so the smallest effort transforms them into a delectable dessert. I love standing outside as they cook, soaking in the warm weather while it’s still here. When they’re ready (they only take 3 minutes!), I scoop them off the grill, top them with vanilla ice cream, toasted nuts, and fresh herbs, and dig in while they’re still hot. If you’ve never tried grilled peaches, I hope you make them in the…

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Grilled Watermelon

This grilled watermelon recipe is such a fun summer side dish! I top each wedge with a tangy, spicy mix of fresh corn, feta, avocado, and basil.

summer / side dishes

Have you ever grilled watermelon? This summer, I’ve been grilling just about everything that enters my kitchen, and I finally got around to giving grilled watermelon a try. I have to say, I’m hooked! See, I love summer fruit like berries, cherries, peaches, and watermelon, but unlike Jack, who’s happy to eat an entire pint of blueberries in a single sitting, I rarely eat fruit on its own. More often, I use it as a sweet accent in savory dishes, like these summer rolls or this strawberry salad. So for me, grilling watermelon only makes it better. Its sweetness becomes…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.