Carrot Salad

This raw carrot salad recipe is a healthy, 15-minute side dish! It's tossed in a bright lemon dressing and filled with sweet dates, herbs, and pistachios.

This carrot salad recipe features shredded raw carrots, dates, pistachios, and herbs tossed in a spiced lemon dressing. It’s super simple—this carrot salad comes together in just 15 minutes!—but the flavors are still unexpected and delicious. I love how the dates and dressing highlight the carrots’ natural sweetness. This carrot salad recipe would be a stunning side dish for a special occasion brunch or dinner, and it packs up nicely for lunches, picnics, and potlucks too. Most often, though, I eat it at the counter, scooping forkful after forkful straight from the bowl. It’s light, bright, aromatic, and refreshing. You…

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How to Julienne Carrots

Learn how to julienne carrots 2 ways! These easy methods yield crisp, slender matchsticks that are perfect for soups, stir fries, salads, and more.

cooking basics

Learning how to julienne carrots might seem fussy, but if you like cooking with vegetables, this simple French technique will serve you well. It’s a fantastic example of how the way you cut a vegetable can totally transform its character. While whole carrots are hard and stocky, julienned ones are crisp and delicate. They’re a great way to add crunch and sweet, earthy flavor to all sorts of dishes. Toss them into stir fries, tuck them into a wrap, or sprinkle them on a salad! How to Julienne Carrots with a Peeler Most often, I julienne carrots in one of two…

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Poached Eggs

Learn how to make poached eggs perfectly every time! With firm whites and runny yolks, they're delicious on avocado toast, grain bowls, and more.

cooking basics

I make poached eggs almost every week. In fact, “Put a poached egg on it,” is one of my tried-and-true mottos. If I’m making toast, a salad, or a grain bowl, and it just needs a little extra something (e.g., protein), I pop a poached egg on top. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner = solved. Poached eggs might seem fancy, but they’re actually really simple to make at home. My method for how to poach an egg takes minutes, uses basic equipment, and requires 3 ingredients. Better yet, the eggs always come out with firm, yet delicate, whites and tempting runny…

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Pickled Eggs

In this pickled eggs recipe, red and yellow beets give the eggs their bright hues. I love to eat them as a snack or serve them as part of a spring brunch.

appetizers / snacks & dips

How CUTE are these pickled eggs?! They’re my new spring obsession, a grown-up substitute for the Easter eggs I dyed with my family as a kid. Back then, I colored my eggs with little bottles of food coloring, but in this pickled eggs recipe, I use natural ingredients instead. Red beets turn the eggs pink and purple, and a mix of yellow beets and turmeric creates that sunny yellow. I love keeping a jar of these pickled eggs on hand in the fridge for healthy, protein-packed snacking (though they’d be a fantastic addition to a spring brunch spread, too!). They’re…

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Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies live up to their name! They have a soft, cake-like texture, a sweet, spiced flavor, and a tangy cream cheese frosting on top.

baking / desserts

As I sat down to write this post, I remembered that I have a stash of these carrot cake cookies in the freezer. Just like carrot cake, they’re soft, moist, and filled with warm, spiced flavor. Walnuts or pecans add nutty crunch, and a tangy cream cheese frosting takes them over the top. Right now, I’m using all my willpower to resist running down the kitchen and devouring one on the spot. But no! I want to tell you all about these carrot cake cookies first. They’re the perfect spring treat—wholesome enough for an afternoon snack, brunch, or (without the…

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Shredded Carrots

Want to make a grated carrot salad or carrot cake? For the best flavor, skip the store bought shredded carrots. Instead, learn how to shred your own!

cooking basics

Whenever I make a recipe that calls for shredded carrots – say, a salad or carrot cake – I always shred my own at home. I tend to avoid pre-cut produce as a rule, but I especially steer clear of bagged grated carrots. They’re drier and more brittle than ones I grate myself. Plus, when I shred carrots at home, I can taste their natural sweetness. Out of the bag, their flavor isn’t nearly as good. Taste aside, you could argue that buying shredded carrots saves time. But if it does, it doesn’t save much. This method for how to…

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Kale Smoothie

This energizing kale smoothie recipe is a great morning pick-me-up! Banana, peaches, and fresh ginger make it creamy, sweet, and refreshing.

breakfast

This kale smoothie recipe is such an energizing way to start the day! Now that the weather’s warming up in Chicago, it’s made its way into my breakfast rotation of freezer burritos, muffins, and avocado toast. Refreshing and nutritious, it’s what I crave on mornings when the sun is shining, the air smells sweet, and it really feels like spring is on its way. The magic of this kale smoothie recipe is that it doesn’t actually taste like kale. Don’t get me wrong, kale’s flavor has its time and place. It’s irresistible in a kale salad or pasta, but in…

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30 Best Cauliflower Recipes

These easy cauliflower recipes showcase how versatile cauliflower can be! They include fresh salads, creamy pastas, and everything in between.

vegetarian

Who else loves cauliflower recipes?! I’m a fan of this humble veggie not just because it’s delicious (which it is) or healthy (also true), but because it’s so darn versatile. It can blend into creamy soups and sauces without the help of nuts or dairy, and it can transform into a low-carb substitute for noodles or rice. You can boil it, steam it, sauté it, roast it, or even eat it raw. My question is, what can’t cauliflower do? Because cauliflower is one of the vegetables I cook most often throughout the winter and early spring, I thought now would be…

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Vegan Breakfast Burrito

This freezer-friendly vegan breakfast burrito is perfect for busy mornings! It's packed with fresh veggies, black beans, and a yummy tofu scramble.

breakfast / vegan

Can you imagine getting out of bed in the morning, knowing that a vegan breakfast burrito is already waiting for you in the kitchen? You don’t have to do a ton of prep or clean up. Heck, you don’t really have to do anything except for popping it in the microwave and eating it. Does that sound idyllic or what? Well, my friend, I have good news for you. This vegan breakfast burrito freezes perfectly, so you can a prep stash in advance and keep them on hand for busy mornings. They’re healthy, flavorful, and packed with plant-based protein. Served…

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Chocolate Chip Muffins

These easy chocolate chip muffins are my favorite breakfast treat! Moist, fluffy, and lightly sweet, they're delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.

breakfast / desserts

When I was growing up, I ate chocolate chip muffins for breakfast nearly every morning. They were one of my mom’s specialties – moist, tender, and lightly sweet. Served warm, with a cold glass of milk to drink, they were an unbeatable way to start the day. These days, I prefer coffee or tea to milk, but I still savor a chocolate chip muffin whenever I get the chance. Lately, “whenever I get the chance” has been pretty much all the time, because I’ve been baking this chocolate chip muffin recipe on repeat. If you also happen to love chocolate…

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How to Make Almond Milk

Learn how to make almond milk from scratch! Creamy and flavorful, it's delicious in smoothies, lattes, oatmeal, baked goods, and more.

cooking basics

There’s no denying that store bought almond milk is convenient, but when you have the time, making homemade almond milk is always worth it. It’s creamier and nuttier than commercial almond milk, and it’s made with just 2 ingredients: almonds and water. No stabilizers or shelf-life-extending additives here! You’ll find my method for how to make almond milk below. It’s amazingly simple – just soak, blend, and strain! – and the milk itself is super versatile. You can splash it over granola, add it to a latte, blend it into a smoothie, or use it in your favorite baked goods.…

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