Erin’s Adobo Eggplant Quesadillas

Ciao from Italia! At the moment, our life is all about pizza, pasta and tomatoes. It’s amazing but every time I travel, the things I miss most are tacos and mexican-ish food. We made these quesadillas a few weeks ago but I could totally go for one right now! I often get questions about how to cook eggplant. My favorite and most foolproof method for non-spongy eggplant is to grill it. (If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan on your stove). I grill mine simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon or drizzle…

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Almond Milk Cold Brew Coffee Latte

Homemade cold brew is easy to make yourself. Freeze it into convenient ice cubes that you can drop into your iced coffee or almond milk latte!

To say that we’re obsessed with cold brew coffee is an understatement. It’s the only coffee we drink at home now – the only reason we still own a coffee maker (which is now stored up on the highest shelf) is for when parents come to visit. I didn’t know it was possible to make cold brew yourself, but it’s more than possible, it’s easy. I’ve been buying my cold brew by the bottle, but when I started seeing homemade versions all over the internet (here, here, here, here), I was intrigued. But let’s back up – what is cold brew coffee…

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Peach & Plum Caprese Salad

First, thank you all SO much for your Italy foodie suggestions, the other day! They are all so so helpful. I’m writing this from the terrace of our small, yet very awesome, airbnb apartment in Rome. It’s picturesque, I’m not going to lie. What’s less idyllic is this jet lag. I always expect it to get easier, but every trip it seems to hurt a little more… of course, nothing I’m sure a little gelato won’t fix. Before we head out for the day, I wanted to share this simple peach salad I made a few weeks ago with the sweetest Texas peaches &…

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Green Pineapple Smoothie

Made with mint, ginger, lime & kale, this healthy pineapple smoothie recipe is a vibrant, refreshing smoothie riff on a classic mojito cocktail!

This green pineapple smoothie has become my most recent breakfast kick. It’s super fresh, vibrant, and healthy, and it leaves me feeling energized at the start of the day. Between all the food that’s been around during our cookbook testing and all of the food I’m about to eat in Italy – I’ve tried to clean (and green) things up over the last few weeks. Cheesecakes and pizzas aside, I’ve gotten back to my salad-ey lunches and green drink routines. So it was perfect timing that Tess Masters (a.k.a The Blender Girl) sent me a copy of her new book The Blender Girl Smoothies.…

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Mix & Match Mini Pizzas

If you’ve been following for long, you know that I have a slight obsession for all things that are mini. Mini skillets, mini pies, mini tacos – but my absolute favorite small food has to be mini pizzas. They’re quick and easy to make and a fun way to try lots of different toppings. These would be great for a summer party – you could even toss these little guys on the grill if you don’t want to heat up your house. The first step to your mini pizza party is mini naan – I buy Stonefire Mini Naan all the time –…

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Tart Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits

The other day, I had this intense craving for cheesecake. The timing was a little out of the blue since I eat cheesecake exactly once a year when my mom makes it at christmas time. She makes a family recipe – my Grandma Kissel’s infamous recipe – and no one but her and my Aunt Kathy have it. It’s amazingly creamy and light and perfect and it won’t be getting passed down to me anytime soon. I wasn’t going to attempt to make sub-par cheesecake to satisfy my craving, so I made a lighter and altogether easier no-bake version. I’m not going to exactly call this…

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Peach & Tomato Crostini

Lately I’ve been reading all kinds of summer bucket lists that are floating around the internet. I enjoy them – they inspire me to get away from the computer and do fun things like hang out at pools with popsicles. (which I haven’t actually done, but the idea still lifts my spirit). For me, summer + list-making don’t go hand-in-hand, so I’ll just make one goal and that is to eat ALL of the peaches. I freaking love peaches. Their season is happening here and now in Texas so I’m I making the most of it with things like peach salads, peach salsa, and peach pops, just to…

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Oyster Mushroom Po’ Boys

Breaded & baked oyster mushrooms take the place of meat in this veggie riff on a po' boy sandwich! They're fun, healthy, and downright delicious.

This blog may be mostly healthy, but I have to admit that I enjoy my share of fried foods from time to time. Fried oysters, fried shrimp – I love it all, even if it’s “sometimes food.” That is until now, because these baked oyster mushrooms are every bit as crispy, meaty, and delectable as anything fried. They’re easy to make, they’re healthy, and there’s no messy fry oil involved. I’ll just go ahead and say it – if you make one recipe this summer, make this one. These mushrooms are so delicious stuffed into a soft baguette with a slather…

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Zucchini Noodles & Lemon “Ricotta”

In a few weeks, Jack and I are headed to Rome where we will unapologetically eat gelato and pasta every day. We’ll tell ourselves we’re “walking it off,” and that “walk” will most definitely be on our way to the next meal. Until then, I’m making an effort to lighten things up. Conveniently, zucchini is in season so “zoodles” make for a fun vegetable-focused spin on regular pasta… First off – you don’t need to go out and buy a spiralizer to make these. If you’re going to invest in a gadget, I highly recommend the julienne peeler because it’s inexpensive, works great, and is small enough…

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3 Healthy Green Juice Recipes

3 healthy ways to get more greens into your day - Sweet Green Lemon Pesto, Green Rice with Lime, and a Green Ginger Peach smoothie.

Summer has officially begun, and I don’t know about you – but I’m already eating more ice cream, popsicles and other “fun” summery foods. Not that I see anything wrong with an occasional indulgence – but I like to balance things out by adding a little more green wherever I can. Today I’ve partnered with Evolution Fresh to come up with 3 healthy recipes to help you get more greens into your day. Their cold-pressed green juices are packed with kale, spinach, cucumber, lettuces and herbs, among other flavorful ingredients. Obviously the easiest way to get more green is to just…

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Strawberry Basil Avocado Toast

My favorite avocado toast recipe! Creamy avocado, balsamic strawberries, and fresh basil make the perfect fresh toppings for this light spring lunch.

There are some food trends that I wish would end (sorry, oatmeal). There are others that I hope never end – like avocado toast. In my opinion, this one’s not going anywhere simply because avocados are awesome. And I’m totally fine with that. A few months ago, I posted a fall/winter version of my favorite smushed green snack and now here’s my spring take on the classic. I love the sweet/salty/creamy combination of avocado, coarse sea salt and strawberries. These are delightful little appetizer bites (or, for me, lunch), that take 2 minutes to put together. Don’t forget the fresh basil! My Best Tips for Perfect Avocado…

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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.