Best Guacamole Recipe

The BEST guacamole recipe! It's easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients like ripe avocados, onion, and lime juice. Great with chips, tacos, and more!

If you don’t already have a go-to guacamole recipe, let me introduce you to mine. This guacamole recipe is easy to make. You can whip it up in 10 minutes or less! It calls for simple, fresh ingredients. Think ripe avocados, onion, cilantro, and lime. It’s DELICIOUS. This homemade guacamole is creamy, zesty, and bright. I developed the recipe while I was living in Austin, Texas. The city has incredible Tex Mex and Mexican food, and I ate a TON of great guac at local restaurants there. It inspired me to learn how to make guacamole at home. With a…

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Pumpkin Soup

This creamy pumpkin soup recipe is perfect for a cool fall night. Packed with curry spices and pumpkin flavor, it's comforting, nourishing, and delicious.

Is there anything more autumnal than creamy pumpkin soup? A few weekends back, Chicago was seeing its first fall weather of the year. The air was crisp, a few leaves were turning yellow and red, and Jack and I were making our traditional Sunday trip to the farmers market. When we got there, I caught sight of a massive kabocha squash with vibrant orange skin. As soon as I saw it, I knew how I was spending my afternoon. On a cool day like that, there’s nothing I love more than making a big pot of soup. I scooped up…

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21 Types of Squash

Types of squash go WAY beyond butternut and zucchini! Keep reading to learn how to cook some of my favorite summer and winter squash varieties.

How many different types of squash have you tried? There’s good reason to go beyond butternut and zucchini. Each variety of summer or winter squash has its own unique taste and texture, and it lends itself well to different cooking methods and dishes. Delicata squash wouldn’t be my first choice for soup, for example, but acorn squash or kabocha would be fantastic. I might not stuff a patty pan squash, but I would sauté it to make a delicious side dish. Below, I’m breaking down 21 common types of squash and sharing my favorite ways to cook them. I hope…

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Coffee Smoothie

Learn how to make a coffee smoothie to kickstart your morning! Made with banana, almond butter, and more, it's a delicious healthy breakfast or snack.

This coffee smoothie recipe is perfect for busy mornings. You know those days when you have time to make a cup of coffee or a healthy breakfast…but not both? Now you don’t have to choose! Blend up this coffee smoothie, and you can enjoy coffee + breakfast in a single glass. I love this one-and-done morning treat. Made with simple ingredients like coffee, frozen banana, almond butter, and dates, it’s super easy to put together, and it’s so delicious. The banana and almond butter give it an amazing creamy texture, and the dates make it rich and sweet. And of course,…

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Falafel

Packed with fresh herbs and spices, this crispy baked falafel recipe is bursting with flavor. Stuff it into a pita wrap with all the fixings, and enjoy!

I’ll never forget the first time I tried falafel. Stuffed into pita bread with fresh herbs, crisp veggies, and a big slather of hummus, it was crispy, rich, and bursting with earthy, aromatic flavor. I devoured the entire wrap in minutes, amazed at the medley of tastes and textures dancing across my tongue. Falafel has been one of my favorite foods ever since. I still order it out to eat whenever I get the chance, but these days, I more often make this homemade falafel recipe. What Is Falafel? I’m getting ahead of myself. What is falafel, anyway? In case…

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Mango Smoothie

This cool, creamy mango smoothie is easy to make with just 5 ingredients! Blend it up in minutes for a healthy breakfast or ultra-refreshing snack.

This mango smoothie recipe is like sunshine in a glass! It’s cool and creamy, with a sweet, tangy tropical flavor and the cheeriest color around. It tastes so good that it could pass as dessert, but it’s really an easy, healthy option for any time of day. This mango smoothie recipe calls for 5 simple ingredients and comes together in under 5 minutes. What’s not to love about that? Mango Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you need to make this healthy mango smoothie recipe: Frozen mango chunks – Grab a bag of frozen mango from your grocery store, or get…

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41 Healthy Lunch Ideas

If you're looking for new healthy lunch ideas, you're in the right place. These easy lunch recipes are fun, filling, and good for you, too!

Good healthy lunch ideas are like gold. In the middle of a busy work day, lunch is the longest break I take. It’s a time to reset, relax, and re-energize to tackle the tasks that lie ahead. Great healthy lunch recipes are ones that I can make ahead of time and that will keep me full and focused throughout the afternoon. But the best healthy lunch ideas taste delicious, too! They add something fun and flavorful to the middle of the work day, making my midday break extra-refreshing and worth looking forward to. Below, you’ll find my top healthy lunch ideas,…

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Chilaquiles

Topped with fried eggs, these chilaquiles verdes are a delicious breakfast or brunch. Load them up with crema and fresh garnishes before digging in!

In my book, this chilaquiles recipe is the ULTIMATE Sunday brunch. Sorry pancakes, waffles, and French toast—after years of living in Austin, I wake up craving breakfast dishes that are spicy and bright. And in that respect, these chilaquiles verdes seriously deliver. What are chilaquiles? Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish. Similar to migas, they were first made as a way to use up stale tortillas. They consist of fried tortillas cooked in a flavorful sauce, typically salsa verde or salsa roja. You can top chilaquiles with eggs and serve them for breakfast or brunch, like I do here, but…

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Cilantro Lime Crema

Plain old sour cream can't compare to this zesty cilantro lime crema recipe. It's easy to make, and it adds bold, bright flavor to tacos, burritos, and more!

Skip the sour cream—this cilantro lime crema is the BEST way to add a burst of tangy flavor to tacos, burritos, nachos, and more. I love it because it’s more complex than regular sour cream or my go-to alternative, Greek yogurt. The lime juice gives it zesty brightness, the cilantro freshens it up, and a little onion powder adds addictive savory depth. And the best part? To make this cilantro lime crema recipe, you just need 7 simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes. The next time you want to jazz up Mexican or Tex Mex fare (or even grilled veggies!)…

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Eggplant Lasagna

You won't find any noodles in this eggplant lasagna recipe, but trust me—you won't miss them. Tender roasted eggplant is a delicious substitute.

This eggplant lasagna recipe is perfect for this time of year. Summer produce is still abundant, but the temps are starting to cool off. After months of eating salad recipes and veggie burgers off the grill, I’m ready to add comfort foods to our regular rotation. Eggplant lasagna, coming right up! If it’s not clear from the name, this eggplant lasagna recipe is a no-noodle situation. Instead of pasta, thin planks of roasted eggplant separate the layers of bubbly marinara sauce and melty cheese. It’s every bit as delicious as a classic lasagna (even Jack will vouch for it!), just…

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Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

This Mediterranean quinoa bowl is a delicious weeknight dinner or healthy lunch! Great for meal prep, it's packed with veggies, chickpeas, and more.

Quinoa bowl recipes are some of my favorite easy meals to toss together for a healthy lunch or weeknight dinner. I love them because They’re customizable. You can change up the quinoa bowl toppings based on what you’re craving or what you have on hand. They’re great for meal prep. Cook the quinoa and mix up a tasty sauce over the weekend. Then, quickly assemble quinoa bowls all week! They’re super satisfying…not to mention tasty! I fill my quinoa bowls with protein-packed quinoa, fiber-rich veggies, and big drizzles of a flavorful sauce. It’s the ultimate combination of healthy and delicious. You can…

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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.