Minty Pomegranate Spritzer

My favorite part about the holidays: Getting together with friends and having an excuse to indulge just a little too much. We can all resolve to be better in January… until then, let’s have that extra cookie or three, and by all means pop that prosecco! This is one of my favorite cocktails to make at home. I make a quick simple syrup and let it steep with handfuls of fresh mint….combine it with vodka, pomegranate juice, prosecco, and then finish it off with a squeeze of lemon. It’s not too sweet, and it’s just a little tart – exactly…

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Coconut Rice with Kale & Edamame

A healthy, creamy and spicy rice dish with lemongrass, garlic and lime juice. Vegan and gluten free.

This one might be a stretch in the holiday-food category… but hey, it’s green and it’s red… I figure Christmas Coconut Rice has to be a tradition somewhere in the world right? This holiday season was a little different for us – we just got back from a winter wonderland of a week in Chicago, so our family festivities are pretty much over. We filled up on pizza, cheesecake, and all sorts of other indulgences… suffice it to say I’m ready to lighten things up a little bit early this year. Coconut rice is one of my favorite things… it’s…

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Sweet Potato (vegan) Alfredo

Less really is more… it’s a lesson I don’t think I’ll ever fully learn. For example, I often get flustered about what to make to post here. I’ll change my mind on my way to the grocery store and then change it another few times on my way home. This is a ridiculous (& expensive) habit because I end up buying way too much so I have options on hand to suit my indecisiveness. (Although, it all does get eaten eventually). Every now and then I come up with something out of nothing, and those almost always end up being…

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Homemade Ponzu

If I had to pick two condiments to take to a desert island with me, my choices just might be rice vinegar and ponzu. Sriracha is a close third, and the Kewpie baby might be my number four. But back to the ponzu—it’s so versatile. I love it over noodles, and as a dipping sauce… it’s citrusey salty-soy goodness is perfect for quick, bright meals. Since the bottled version is often made with tons of additives, I set out to make my own. Turns out, it’s surprisingly easy. After a number of experiments, I figured out that meyer lemon replicates the…

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Stuffed Acorn Squash w/ Kale & Creminis

The best side/vegetarian main at Thanksgiving! Acorn squash is stuffed with millet, mushrooms, kale, sage, pecans & cranberries in this healthy fall dish.

Over the years we’ve had more than a few untraditional Thanksgivings… the ones where we didn’t make it to the family feast because flying during the holiday weekend is the biggest. hassle. ever. We’ve had a slew of friendsgivings, well before they were the cool hipster thing to do… One year, Jack and I spent a nice evening alone over a romantic dinner of butternut squash risotto… And I’ll never forget the year I didn’t fly home from college and I ate a can of tuna and frozen green beans. I know, so sad. But I had schoolwork to catch…

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Coconut Creamed Spinach

Learn how to make the best creamed spinach with this easy 10-ingredient recipe! It's a healthy, delicious side dish you'll make again & again.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods? When Jack was growing up, his mom would always make her famous creamed spinach, so this year, I wanted to make a riff on her traditional recipe. My new creamed spinach recipe is totally dairy-free – I use coconut milk instead of cream – and it’s filled with savory umami flavor and tons of fresh greens. It requires just 10 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make…are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yup, creamed spinach is a new Thanksgiving tradition around here. Best Creamed Spinach Recipe Ingredients To make my spin on creamed…

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Skillet Apple Crisp

This would be a pretty dessert on the table of any dinner party… or a no-fuss, no-crust Thanksgiving apple “not-pie.” But it’s equally perfect for a cozy Sunday when you’re too lazy to leave the sofa in between marathon-ed episodes of Mr. Selfridge. Don’t tell me what happens, we’re 3 episodes from the end, and we’re pretty obsessed. But we had to eat, and this was fast enough to quickly to whip up. (It just tastes like it should have taken longer). Feel free to scale it for a crowd, but I love a dessert that’s easy to to make…

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Rosemary Roasted Veggies

Who says thanksgiving has to be all about brown food? Not me, obviously… it’s an understatement to say that I love colorful foods. This is one of the easiest side dishes you will ever make. Cubes of butternut squash, cipollini onions, and green cauliflower are roasted simply with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, then tossed with nuts and herbs. Of course, you could use regular cauliflower, broccoli, or even sub in brussels sprouts. This green cauliflower (or I guess they call it broccoflower, but how ugly is that word?), just happened to catch my eye. Best of all, you can…

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Kale & Apple Butternut Squash Salad

Kale & apple butternut salad is a perfect healthy fall dinner or Thanksgiving side. Butternut ribbons add fun color and texture to this delicious dish.

We’re on a butternut squash kick this week. It wasn’t intentional, it’s just that one butternut squash times two people equals about four meals. It’s a squash that keeps on giving. Today’s special shape: ribbons! No special gadgets required – just get out your regular veggie peeler, and peel away. Toss with a tangy dressing (it’ll help tame down the raw bite), and toss with kale, apples, herbs and nuts. If this is all too green and healthy for your traditional Thanksgiving meal, just think of it as your pre-turkey-day (delicious) detox!

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Matcha & Sweet Azuki Macarons

About two years ago, I had this idea that Jack and I could start a food blog together. I thought it would be fun to try new things, and to chronicle our highs and inevitable lows. On my list of foods I thought would be “fun” to tackle: macarons. We both love them… good ones are often hard to find… so by all means we should make them ourselves. Fast forward to now… that macaron project has yet to happen. Mostly because I knew it would likely end in a tantrum and a few tears. Second, and most importantly –…

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Butternut Squash Noodle Pasta

This healthy weeknight dinner uses half butternut squash noodles and half pasta to create a delicious vegetarian meal. Walnuts, fried sage, leeks & lemon add flavor & texture to this cold-weather dish!

Get excited, it’s fall faux noodle time! In the past we’ve done papaya, zucchini, and cucumber, but today we’re making butternut squash noodles. I mixed these pretty orange julienned spirals with regular noodles and made this simple leek & sage pasta. Of course, you could make this same dish with cubed squash, but you can’t twirl cubes on your fork, so where’s the fun in that? The butternut squash noodles make for a fun texture variation – I cooked them for less time than the pasta noodles, so they had nice firm bite. I topped it all with walnuts, fried sage, and…

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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.