Watermelon Tomato Salad

Hot days call for hot food, and this spicy watermelon tomato salad is the perfect grilling side! A punchy ginger dressing ties it all together.

I hope you have lots of tomatoes. Why? Because I have a really great watermelon tomato salad for you! This one is completely different from Tuesday’s tomato salad – it’s really quick and full of spicy/sweet/savory/tangy flavor. You may recognize the gingery tamari-lime dressing from the cookbook and also from these rice bowls. It’s so perfect here because the contrasting flavors really make the sweetness of the watermelon pop. This is the salad that I’ll be eating until summer is over because it’s just so delicious and refreshing. Watermelon Tomato Salad Ingredients And speaking of pop – this one is…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Avocado Summer Rolls

These fresh vegetable summer rolls make a fantastic healthy snack or light meal. Serve with creamy vegan coconut basil sauce for dipping!

All of the fresh herbs that we have growing on our little deck inspired this recipe for summer rolls. We have a ton of basil and some very fragrant Thai basil, among other plants like Thai chiles, tomatoes, peppers, and even figs. We’re very proud of our little plant escape, and when I say “we” I mean that I’m very proud that Jack has been lovingly watering everything up to twice a day to keep it all going. This might be the longest that we’ve actually kept plants alive. Dipping Sauce for Summer Rolls Since I know many of you…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Asian Slaw

This Asian slaw recipe is filled with my favorite summer ingredients - fresh herbs & peaches - and tossed in a tangy miso dressing. Perfect for picnics!

This Asian slaw recipe falls into my favorite category of food: summer salads! Colorful, juicy, crunchy, sweet, bitter, herby, spicy… there are so many flavors and textures to put together with all of the great fruits and vegetables that are in season right now. I love a good salad all year round, but the summer salad will always have my heart. This Asian slaw recipe is a fantastic example of the summer salad’s potential. It takes under 30 minutes to make, and it’s jam-packed with contrasting textures and flavors. It’d be a perfect side dish for a cookout, but it’s…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Burrito Bowl

Move over, Chipotle! This vegan burrito bowl recipe is super flavorful and easy to make. Kick it up a notch with pineapple salsa and plenty of guac.

I love a Chipotle burrito bowl as much as the next person, but for my money, this sweet and spicy vegan burrito bowl recipe is just as good. While making it may not be quite as quick as grabbing lunch to-go, it’s still pretty easy to make, thanks to a secret ingredient: chipotles in adobo sauce! The sauce acts as a 1-ingredient marinade for meaty portobello mushroom caps, and I mix pinto and black beans with the chopped peppers to infuse them with some heat. A scoop of pineapple salsa adds a delicious sweet contrast, while burrito bowl essentials – fajita…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Farmers Market Breakfast Bowl

This breakfast bowl recipe is meant for days when you have an abundance of fresh veggies. A delicious garlic & herb yogurt sauce ties it all together.

Lately, my fridge has been overloaded with vegetables! We’ve been hitting one, if not two, farmers markets each week. After a long winter, I’m still in awe that we’re able to leave the house, enjoy the fresh air, and peruse rows and rows of glorious vegetables. I want to buy them all! It’s hard for me to hold back, even though I’m mindful of what we’ll actually be able to eat in a week. Another thing that’s hard to hold – my heavy veggie bags as Jack runs off to find the nearest cheese sandwich vendor. With all of this…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cucumber Gazpacho

Spice up your summer with this easy cucumber gazpacho! Made with tomatillos, cucumber, jalapeño & cilantro, it's a cool, refreshing soup.

I love gazpacho. If it’s on a restaurant menu, I’m ordering it, and once summer rolls around, I make it at home as much as I can. To date, I’ve made gazpacho recipes out of watermelon, tomatoes (raw and roasted), corn, green apples, zucchini, and even carrots. I think it’s fun to experiment with different types of fruits and vegetables to find out if they can blend up into delicious cold soups. So why did it take me so long to think about tomatillos and cucumber?! I get giddy about tomatillo salsa, so the obvious next step was to throw…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Ice Cream

Say hello to the BEST vegan ice cream recipe! Made with just 3 ingredients, it's super creamy, smooth, rich, delicious, and easy to make.

Meet the BEST vegan ice cream. Ever. Yep, I said it. Over the years, I’ve tried all sorts of vegan ice cream recipes, ones with bases ranging from frozen bananas to cashew milk to almond milk. For me, there’s no contest. As far as dairy-free ice cream goes, coconut ice cream is by far the best. Full-fat coconut milk adds enough richness to create a texture that is super creamy, smooth, and not at all icy. It’s rich, decadent, and every bit as good as the real thing. Best Vegan Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients Lately, this vegan ice cream recipe…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

These easy strawberry rhubarb bars are an addictive summer treat! Made with almond flour & walnuts, they have a lightly sweet, nutty flavor.

By popular request: Strawberry Rhubarb Bars! I did a poll on Instagram last week asking which strawberry rhubarb dessert I should make. If you were one of the many that voted for crumble bars – you win! Well, actually, I win too, because these strawberry rhubarb bars are super yummy. They’re nutty, oat-y, and crisp, with that irresistible sweet/tart strawberry rhubarb flavor. Of course, they’re a delicious dessert, but they’re also pretty healthy, so I wouldn’t blame you for eating one (or more) for breakfast either. How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Bars This strawberry rhubarb bars recipe is super easy because…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chipotle Cauliflower Nachos

The ULTIMATE vegan nachos, these are loaded with smoky cauliflower "cheese" sauce, sweet pineapple salsa, black beans, cilantro, and tomato.

If you made Thursday’s stuffed peppers and have leftover pineapple salsa and leftover chipotles, this recipe is for you! And if you didn’t, well that’s ok, you can still make it anyway 🙂 This is a nacho plate that you can feel good about! Instead of weird boxed nacho cheese, we’re making an oozy, spicy cheese-like sauce out of cauliflower. Seriously, is there anything that the mighty cauliflower can’t do? What’s in Chipotle Cauliflower “Cheese” Nacho Sauce? Good question! This irresistible sauce consists of 10 simple ingredients: Cauliflower makes up the bulk of the sauce and contributes to its luscious creamy…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Stuffed Mini Peppers

Serve these stuffed mini peppers as a crowd-pleasing party appetizer, or pair them with smoky chipotle pinto beans and enjoy them for dinner!

These stuffed mini peppers are the perfect summer party appetizer! They’re bursting with bright, zesty flavor, they’re easy to make, and they’re just so darn cute. I already have an affinity for miniature things, so when miniature vegetables come into the picture, I’m automatically on board. I always love making stuffed red bell peppers and stuffed poblanos in the summertime, so when I saw these Organic Mini Sweet Peppers at ALDI, I immediately knew that I wanted to make a stuffed mini peppers recipe. They take everything I love about regular stuffed peppers and shrink it into a miniature, shareable…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Four Simple Summer Snacks

Four easy, healthy, delicious snack ideas that are easy to make - perfect for busy weekdays or fun weekend bites.

On social media, everyone always talks about the concept of “not a sad desk lunch”… but what about “not-a-sad desk snack?” For me, snacks can get SO boring. Often, at 3pm when my stomach is growling, I reach for a handful of plain raw almonds because that’s all I’ve got (when I’ve already eaten through the roasted ones). And then I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t have something a little more flavorful and that I just wasted a perfectly good snack opportunity. So today – better snacks! Whether you work at a desk or you’re constantly on the go,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
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.