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.

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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Vegan Ranch Dressing

This vegan ranch dressing is just as good as the real thing! Made with simple ingredients like cashews and lemon juice, it's creamy and delicious.

vegan / snacks & dips

Wow! I am OBSESSED with this vegan ranch dressing recipe! I’ve made lots of ranch-like vegan sauces in the past, but this one really hits the mark. It’s cool and creamy, tangy and garlicky, and completely irresistible. All that, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients that you likely have in your pantry already. Once you try it, you’ll never reach for store bought ranch – vegan or otherwise – again! Vegan Ranch Recipe Ingredients You only need 8 basic ingredients to make this easy vegan ranch recipe: Raw cashews – Like in my basic cashew cream recipe, raw cashews make…

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What are Capers + 10 Caper Recipes

If you're not already cooking with capers, now's the time to start! Read on to learn about these flavorful little balls, and find 10 of my best capers recipes.

I’ve always loved capers, but lately, I’ve been cooking with them like crazy. It doesn’t seem to matter what I’m making – pasta, eggs, a salad, or toast. These little guys always seem like the perfect finishing touch. Salty, briny, vinegary, and pungent, capers give any dish a tangy burst of flavor. What are Capers? You might be wondering, “What are capers, anyway?” Well, these green, pea-sized balls are actually pickled flower buds! They come from a plant called capparis spinosa, or more simply, the caper bush (check out this page to learn more about it!). Before they start to blossom,…

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Romesco Sauce

Tangy, smoky, creamy, and sweet, this romesco sauce recipe is a great way to liven up roasted or grilled vegetables, sandwiches, and more.

summer / cooking basics

This romesco sauce recipe is one of my favorite things to make in summer. After Jack and I visited Barcelona for the first time, I made all kinds of Spanish food at home – paella, Spanish tortillas, espinacas con garbanzos. I loved them all, but romesco sauce is the one Spanish dish that I’ve continued to make again and again. Its bold sweet and smoky flavor instantly reminds me of Spain. We may not be traveling much of anywhere this summer, but we are enjoying this tangy, creamy sauce as much as we can at home. It transforms grilled veggies…

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Mojito Recipe

If you're in the mood for a fun summer drink, this mint mojito recipe is just what you need! It's refreshing, delicious, and super easy to make.

summer / cocktail

When life gives you mint leaves, what do you make? This mint mojito recipe! When Jack and I planted our little back deck garden this summer, I immediately started wondering, “What am I going to do with all this mint?!” The basil looked good, the eggplant was thriving, but the luscious, leafy mint plants were the cream of the crop. This summer, I’ve been tossing mint into salads and blending it into pesto like crazy, but I wanted to find a way to really showcase the pretty, aromatic leaves. A mint mojito recipe seemed like the perfect solution. For the…

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Zucchini Salad

This zucchini salad recipe is a stunning summer side dish! Made with under 10 ingredients, it's a fresh, delicious recipe that comes together in minutes.

salads

This zucchini salad recipe is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds! I love the way the raw zucchini ribbons curl around the crunchy pine nuts and fresh herbs. Parmesan cheese gives it a salty bite, and a lemon vinaigrette fills it with bright flavor. Oh, and did I mention? It calls for under 10 ingredients and comes together in minutes. Fittingly, the recipe comes from my friend Amanda’s new book Simple Beautiful Food. I’ve been a fan of Amanda since we first met while celebrating the launch of the Staub Cookbook, which she also authored. Since…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.