Instant Pot Quinoa

Learn how to cook perfect Instant Pot quinoa! With my quick, hands-off method, this nutritious grain comes out fluffy and flavorful every time.

I’m a convert: this Instant Pot quinoa recipe is my new favorite method for cooking quinoa. It’s quick, it’s reliable, and – most importantly – it’s hands-off. I love that I can add the quinoa to the Instant Pot, get it cooking, and move on to something else. Whether I check on it in 20 minutes or in an hour, I’ll end up with a pot of fluffy, perfectly cooked grains. Instant Pot Quinoa Recipe Ingredients To be clear, if you love cooking quinoa on the stove, there’s no reason you shouldn’t keep doing it. My stovetop quinoa recipe and…

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Champagne Vinaigrette

This simple champagne vinaigrette will make any salad sparkle. With just 6 ingredients, it's bright, refreshing, and SO easy to make.

Pop the champagne (vinaigrette)! This bright, citrusy salad dressing has become one of my favorites lately, and I think you need it in your back pocket too. Let me tell you why I love it. Compared to its more assertive cousins (say, balsamic or white wine vinegar), champagne vinegar has a quieter, more delicate flavor. As a result, this champagne vinaigrette is ideal for drizzling over the tender lettuces, herbs, and other greens that are in season at this time of year. It gives them pep and zing, but it doesn’t overwhelm their natural sweet, earthy, and herbaceous flavors. So,…

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Easy Lemon Glaze

You only need 2 ingredients to make this easy lemon glaze! It's the perfect zesty topping for baked goods like cakes, cookies, and scones.

This lemon glaze recipe is my favorite way to make everyday baked goods feel a little bit more special. With just 2 ingredients, it’s amazingly easy to make (just add them to a bowl and stir!), and the minimal effort is always worth it. It looks so pretty on top of a loaf cake, cookies, or scones, and it gives them an extra pop of sweet, zesty flavor. I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes to pair with it in the post below. But really, anytime you want to elevate a simple treat, this lemon glaze will do the trick.…

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Asparagus Risotto

This asparagus risotto recipe is a fresh, satisfying vegetarian dinner. Serve it with a simple salad and a glass of white wine for a perfect spring meal!

If your spring dinner rotation needs a refresh, add this asparagus risotto to the mix! I’ve made it a few times over the last couple of weeks, and every time, Jack and I have both gone back for more. Like any good risotto, it’s soft and creamy, with rich depth of flavor from olive oil and white wine. But at the same time, this asparagus risotto is bright and fresh. Sweet, oniony leeks melt into the tender rice, asparagus adds crunch, and lots of fresh herbs take it over the top. Serve it with a glass of white wine and…

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29 Best Radish Recipes

Stuck in a radish rut? These radish recipes are here to help! They include sides, mains, and more that'll make you fall in love with this crunchy veggie.

It’s spring, which means I’m cooking radish recipes on repeat! Here in Chicago, radishes are some of the first vegetables to pop up at the farmers markets. Every year, I eagerly wait for them to appear. And when they finally do, I fill my bag with as many bunches of them as I can carry. What can I say? I just can’t resist their peppery pink roots and lush greens. Luckily, when I bring them home, I have no shortage of ways to use them. Of course, I can munch on them raw, but I can also roast them, pickle…

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Dukkah

Dukkah is a blend of nuts, seeds, and spices that hails from Egypt and the Middle East. Crunchy and flavorful, it's delicious on dips, veggies, and more!

I made a full batch of this simple dukkah recipe last week, and within a few days, the whole thing was gone. It’s the sort of seasoning that you can sprinkle on everything, from your morning scrambled eggs and avocado toast to roasted veggies at dinner. Basically, anytime you want to pep up a simple meal, dukkah can help you do it. What is dukkah? Dukkah (also spelled duqqa) is a Middle Eastern and Egyptian nut, seed, and spice blend. The exact ingredients tend to vary, though various toasted nuts, sesame seeds, coriander, and cumin are among the most common…

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Pickled Asparagus

Garlic, shallot, and fresh dill amp up the flavor in this simple pickled asparagus recipe. Crisp, tangy, and refreshing, it's a delicious spring snack.

Right now, I have three jars of this quick pickled asparagus lined up in my fridge, which, for me, is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that the slender, green spears are absolutely delicious – crisp, grassy, tangy, salty, and sweet. The curse is, well, pretty much the same thing. Every time I open the fridge, I promptly forget what I’m looking for. Seconds later, I find myself standing at the counter, downing spear after spear of pickled asparagus as a refreshing (and surprisingly addictive) spring snack. …oops? As you start to work your way through different…

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49 Best Healthy Snacks

Stomach growling in the middle of the afternoon? Tide yourself over with one of these healthy snacks! They include granola bars, dips, and more.

If I don’t have a stockpile of healthy snacks on hand, I will, without fail, reach for a cookie at 3pm. Now, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to something sweet in the afternoon, but if I’m working on a new cookie recipe, there’s a good chance that snacking on sweets will become less of a treat and more of a habit. Over the years, I’ve learned that filling up on healthy snacks like veggies and dip, smoothies, or trail mix will only make those sweets more rewarding in the end. I’ll be more energized and focused throughout the day, my…

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How to Use a Watermelon Radish

Whether roasted, pickled, or raw, watermelon radish will add color and crunch to almost any dish. Learn how to prepare it with this simple guide!

I love the moment when I first slice into a watermelon radish. From the outside, this root veggie looks so humble, its skin grubby and pale green. But when I cut into it, I reveal a radiant pink interior. On a gray day in late winter or early spring, nothing makes me happier than bold, bright color like that. So at this time of year, watermelon radishes are a staple in my kitchen. But apparently, not everyone cooks with them as often as I do. In fact, each time I share a new watermelon radish recipe, I hear from readers…

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11 Healthy Pancake Recipes

Have your (pan)cake, and eat it, too! Made with wholesome ingredients, these healthy pancake recipes are perfect for a fun breakfast or brunch.

On a weekend morning, I love starting my day with a stack of healthy pancakes. Pancakes, because it’s the weekend. And healthy (or healthy-ish), because they leave me feeling satisfied, energized, and ready to take on the day. You’ll find my go-to healthy pancake recipes in the post below. Some showcase fresh fruit, others call for whole grain flour, and still others are made without grains at all. They’re all similar in that they rely on simple, wholesome ingredients, they’re easy to mix together, and they’re absolutely delicious. If you’re looking for a fun way to kick off the morning,…

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Simple Swiss Chard

So, you want to try Swiss chard? You're in the right place! Learn how to cut and cook this vibrant leafy green, and find our favorite Swiss chard recipes.

We all go crazy over spinach and kale, but when was the last time you cooked Swiss chard? This vibrant leafy green is one of my favorite vegetables to work with. It’s endlessly versatile – my go-to Swiss chard recipes range from smoky Mojo bowls to a lemony pasta – and its stems are just as edible as its dark green leaves. Because I think we could all be cooking it more often, I wanted to share a little Swiss chard 101 today. If you’ve never worked with chard before, I hope these tips and recipes will encourage you to…

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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.