Olive Tapenade

This olive tapenade recipe has a delicious mix of fresh, salty, and briny flavors. Serve it with crackers or baguette for a simple summer appetizer!

A few years back, if you’d offered me olive tapenade at a party or gathering, I would have politely declined it. I’d always thought of myself as an adventurous eater, but for some reason, olives just hadn’t been for me. But recently, I’ve finally(!) started to come around to them. I like them in Greek salad and on bruschetta, and now, I even love olives in tapenade! Who knows? If you’re an olive skeptic, this recipe might win you over too. If you’re not familiar with tapenade, it’s a salty, briny olive spread that originated in the Provençe region of…

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Strawberry Margarita

This easy strawberry margarita recipe is fruity, tart, and sweet. Served on the rocks, it's such a delicious, refreshing summer treat!

What better way to kick off summer than with a strawberry margarita?! It’s fruity, it’s refreshing, and it’s SO darn fun. And despite its impressive appearance (check out that ruby red color!), it’s easy to make. Blitz up a quick strawberry puree in a blender, and add some to a cocktail shaker with 5 simple ingredients. Then, just shake and serve! I especially love this strawberry margarita recipe because it has an extra-summery twist. Instead of making it with regular simple syrup, I use simple syrup infused with basil. It brings so much freshness and depth to this already-delicious drink.…

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Tortellini Salad

Looking for a dish to pass at a cookout or picnic? This tortellini salad would be perfect! It's filled with fresh basil, juicy tomatoes, and a zingy dressing.

What’s more fun than regular pasta salad? Tortellini pasta salad! The tortellini are chewy and cheesy, not to mention adorable, and they make this summer salad such a blast to eat. Their nooks and crannies catch the zingy Italian dressing, and their pillowy texture contrasts beautifully with the juicy cherry tomatoes and creamy white beans. If you’re looking for a fresh dish to pass at a cookout this weekend (or a yummy idea for lunch next week), this tortellini salad recipe would be perfect. Oh, and if you’re vegan or dairy-free, you can still make this recipe! We’ve tried making…

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Three Bean Salad

This 3 bean salad recipe is a fresh, fun twist on the American classic! I toss fresh green beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas in a bold, tangy dressing.

summer / side dishes

Like macaroni salad and potato salad, three bean salad takes me right back to my childhood. It was something I ate at potlucks, picnics, and even the occasional school lunch. I remember liking the sweet and tangy dressing, but the mushy canned green beans? Not so much. So, to kick off picnic salad season this year, I’ve got a new three bean salad recipe to share with you. In many ways, it’s just like the one I ate as a kid. It features dark red kidney beans and hearty garbanzos, and it’s tossed in a punchy (though considerably less sweet)…

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33 Best BBQ Sides

These BBQ sides will be the highlight of any summer cookout! They include easy, fresh, and delicious recipes for grilled veggies, salads, slaws, and more.

These BBQ sides will steal the show at any summer cookout. They range from creamy potato salad to summery slaws to herb-flecked pasta salad and smoky grilled watermelon. Even with this variety, these BBQ side dishes all have a few things in common. They’re easy to prepare, they spotlight summer produce, and they’re fresh and delicious. Make one for your next summer gathering. I promise it’ll be a hit! Our Best BBQ Sides Easy Pasta Salad If I’m tasked with preparing a side dish for a picnic or cookout, this recipe is my go-to. Packed with pasta, chickpeas, and tangy feta…

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Blueberry Compote

This easy blueberry compote is sweet, jammy, and bursting with bright berry flavor. It's a perfect topping for pancakes, waffles, yogurt, and more.

I have a super simple recipe for you today: a 5-ingredient, 20-minute blueberry compote. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make when I have a surplus of fresh berries (or a big bag of frozen berries) on hand. It tastes so good that you could eat it with a spoon, but it’s really meant to be used as a topping. Drizzle it over pancakes, oatmeal, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious pop of bright berry flavor. Blueberry Compote Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy blueberry compote recipe: Blueberries, of course! Fresh…

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How to Cook Bok Choy

Learn how to cook bok choy! Tossed in a sweet and savory sauce, this sautéed baby bok choy recipe is insanely flavorful and simple to make.

Right after radishes and asparagus, bok choy is one of the first vegetables to appear at our local farmers markets in the spring. I love this Asian leafy green. If you haven’t worked with it before, it has a delicate flavor with hints of mustardy spice, and you can eat every part of it – the crisp, juicy stalks as well as the lush, dark green leaves. It lends itself well to all sorts of recipes. Try tossing it into a stir fry or soup. Steam it and add it to a grain bowl. Or enjoy it raw in a…

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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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Spring Quinoa with Asparagus, Peas & Pickled Onion

This spring quinoa recipe is super fresh and satisfying! Packed with tender herbs and green veggies, it's a perfect light dinner or make-ahead lunch.

This post is in partnership with Lundberg Family Farms. When I want to make a simple, yet satisfying, dinner or lunch, quinoa is one of the first ingredients I turn to. I always have a bag of Lundberg’s organic quinoa on hand – it cooks quickly, it’s rich in nutrients like fiber and protein, and it’s super versatile, too. At this point, I’ve used it in smoky veggie burgers, hearty stews, and salads galore. All that, and I’m still finding new ways to use it! This spring quinoa dish was one of my more recent experiments, and we liked it so…

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Watercress Salad

This watercress salad recipe is a light, fresh spring side dish. It's filled with crisp veggies, creamy avocado, and a bright champagne vinaigrette.

If you need a last-minute side dish for Mother’s Day, I think this watercress salad would be perfect. It’s exactly the kind of dish I like to serve at a special occasion meal. Light and refreshing, it provides a welcome contrast to heartier fare like cinnamon rolls (at brunch) or a saucy, cheesy lasagna (at dinner). And while it’s simple to make, it’s a bit more unexpected than a regular green salad. The watercress gives it a peppery bite, which I tame with sweet, juicy orange segments and a bright champagne vinaigrette. Mozzarella and avocado add creamy richness, and toasted…

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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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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.