Sweet Corn Gazpacho

The summer is great for two things - sweet corn and gazpacho. This chilled soup is easy - blend corn, tomatoes, peppers, oil, vinegar, salt, and cucumber!

I know, I know, I’m still going with the sweet corn... The other day, Jack was driving out to the suburbs to pick up a few things at my parent’s house and I asked him to stop at The Farm on his way home. The Farm is a little farm stand in Darien, IL where, in my opinion, the best sweet corn is grown. Growing up, my mom brought home dozens of ears of corn at a time and we’d all sit on the back stoop and shuck it. It took forever and we made a silky mess, peeling back one…

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Iced Tea with Fancy Herbal & Fruity Ice

A fun, summery, creative way to serve iced tea. Freeze herbs, fruits, citrus, and cucumbers (whatever you want, really) inside ice cubes!

summer / beverage

You might not know this little factoid about myself and Jack, but we freaking love iced tea. Black tea, green tea, tea in our cocktails – we’re obsessed, especially now that we’re in the heat of the summer. Although, we’re weirdos that drink iced tea in the winter too, but I digress… Today’s recipe is less of a recipe and more of a really fun, summery way to serve iced tea. What you do is freeze herbs, fruits, citrus, and cucumbers (whatever you want, really) and serve it with yummy iced tea! I think this is such an easy and pretty party…

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Avocado Smoothie

Made with banana and coconut milk, this avocado smoothie recipe is deliciously creamy without any dairy. An easy, refreshing vegan breakfast!

vegan / gluten free

A recent trip to Dallas inspired me to make this creamy avocado smoothie recipe. While we were there, Jack and I went to a popsicle shop that had this dairy-free avocado lime pop that I went crazy for. I’ve wanted to recreate it all summer, and I finally did…in smoothie form! Don’t worry – this avocado smoothie doesn’t taste at all like guacamole. Instead, it’s like a fresh lime sorbet. Thanks to the avocado and banana, it has a delicious creamy texture that makes it a really satisfying breakfast or snack. In fact, it’s so good that I’d even eat…

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Taco Salad with Jalapeño Ranch

What do I crave in summer? This taco salad recipe that's filled with smoky quinoa, crispy tortillas, fresh veggies, and a cool, creamy vegan ranch sauce.

summer / dinner / vegan

I’ve had this taco salad recipe planned for a while now. Every few months, I’d glance at my upcoming list of potential recipes and start salivating over the idea of summer taco salad bowls. I love summer, I love tacos, and I really really love salads, so here we go! Instead of taco meat, I mix red quinoa and black beans with lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and a touch of maple syrup – all of this helps create a bit of a smoky flavor. Quick tip: keep this quinoa mix on hand in the fridge to build lunchtime taco salad bowls throughout…

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Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

This delicious tomato sandwich is my veggie take on a classic BLT. A creamy white bean spread subs in for the bacon, giving this sandwich a tangy kick.

summer / vegan

When tomatoes are in top form, I can’t get enough of them. I want them in salad, in pasta, in tacos, and eggs. Lately, though, this tomato sandwich has been my favorite way to enjoy them. Best Tomato Sandwich Ingredients When I first started thinking about making a tomato sandwich, my mind went immediately to a classic BLT. I love a faux BLT, and because I was never a bacon lover, just putting veggie things between bread is fine with me. My favorite version of a BLT sandwich is the crispy Shiitake BLT that’s on page 171 in the cookbook (it’s…

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Cucumber Mango Miso Noodle Bowl

The star of this easy noodle bowl is the miso-ginger peanut sauce. Its savoy, tangy flavor is perfect against sweet mango, bright lime & fresh mint.

summer / vegan / gluten free

A few weeks ago, while I was making a list of potential upcoming summer recipes, I asked Jack, “Hey, what’s a recipe you really want me to make?” In the past, answers to questions like that have been “Pretzels!” or “Pizza!” but this time it was “An Asian noodle salad.” I asked if he could be more specific, but he said, “I just really really love noodles – you know, when they’re tossed in an Asian-y kind of dressing.” Not a huge help, but at least it was something. So on a Monday when I felt I could use a little reset…

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Skinny Lemongrass Mojitos

summer / cocktail

Summer has officially begun this week – and we’re making mojitos! I hope your herb garden is ready because instead of the basic mint mojito, these are made with lemongrass and basil as well. Basically, I like to build cocktails the same way I approach salads – the more fresh herbs and citrus, the better. To make these “skinny,” I skipped the sugar and sweetened these with Truvia Natural Sweetener instead. It has no calories and it’s sweetness comes from the stevia leaf. Personally, I’d rather splurge on a dessert than on a sugary cocktail so I love that these mojitos are…

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Grilled Ratatouille Tartines

summer / vegan / appetizers

I love ratatouille – eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes all mingling together with flavors of fruity olive oil, thyme, oregano, and fresh basil… But it’s summer and what I don’t love is standing over a hot stove. So I came up with this simple GRILLED version of ratatouille that takes all of about 15 minutes to make. It’s not at all authentic, but I love how the char of the grill flavors these vegetables. For easy summer eating, I assembled these as toasts. They’re a delicious snack with wine – but they’re hearty enough to double as a light dinner. Once…

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Super Fun Summer Smoothies!

Enjoy classic treats in smoothie form! These four fun drinks are inspired by blueberry muffins, PB&J, mint chip ice cream, and peaches & cream.

summer / breakfast / snacks & dips

Every so often, I get on these mean green daily smoothie kicks that, in all honesty, can get a little TOO green over time. The kick starts with delicious well-balanced smoothies, but as the days go on, I start cutting corners. I add too much liquid so that the blender will blend fast, leaving me with a watery smoothie. And speaking of water, that’s what I use when I run out of almond milk. I add ice in the name of “thickness,” and I start skipping all ingredients that actually add flavor. What I (we) are left with to drink first thing in…

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PB Cookie Dough Vegan Milkshake

Nothing beats this yummy vegan milkshake made with blended chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough balls, almond milk, and vegan ice cream!

vegan / gluten free

There’s a vegan restaurant that we love in Chicago called The Chicago Diner. Jack and I make it a point to stop there nearly every time we’re in town. The food is really good, but the thing to get there is the vegan milkshake – the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake to be exact. And yes, it’s as decadent as it sounds. A few weeks ago, we ate lunch there and I tried to not order one. Then Jack’s shake came to the table and I said, “I’ll just have one little sip… ok, well maybe just one more…” and before I had stolen nearly his…

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Orange Peel Black Tea Sangria

holiday / cocktail

Happy Long Weekend! Jack and I are off to the farmers market this morning but I wanted to pop in quickly and share this sangria recipe. I posted it on Instagram awhile back – but I think it’s such a refreshing cocktail for weekend BBQ’s that I wanted to share it here on the blog as well. This combines two of my favorite things in the world – iced tea and wine! Its simple to make – just pour the wine and iced tea into a large pitcher and add the fruit. Chill overnight, so that the flavors will infuse, and serve it…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.