Salsa Roja

Spice up your favorite Mexican dishes with this salsa roja recipe...or just eat it with tortilla chips. With its smoky flavor, it's delicious any way you try it!

Are you team salsa roja or salsa verde? I’m team…both! I adore all types of salsa made with fresh ingredients, and this salsa roja recipe is one I’ve been especially loving lately. It differs from other red salsas I’ve previously shared in two ways: I roast the fresh ingredients. Charring the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers adds smoky depth of flavor to this salsa recipe. I use a dried chile. It thickens the salsa, adds rich complexity, and brings out the smoky flavor even more. If you try this salsa roja, you won’t believe it’s homemade. It tastes like you could have…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad made with fresh veggies, herbs, and crispy pita bread. Tossed in a zesty sumac dressing, it's bright and delicious.

This fattoush salad recipe is the perfect side dish for a summer meal. A Middle Eastern staple, fattoush is fresh and bright, featuring seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce, plus a hefty dose of parsley and mint. But, as tasty as tomatoes are in August, the star ingredient in fattoush isn’t a vegetable. It’s bread! That’s right—crispy pita bread adds crunch to this salad, making it pretty darn irresistible for just about anyone. (Salad skeptics, I’m looking at you.) I hope you try this recipe. I think you’ll love it! Fattoush Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Iced Matcha Latte

You don't have to go to Starbucks to get an iced matcha latte. Instead, make this recipe at home! This energizing drink is cool, creamy, and delicious.

Meet my go-to iced matcha latte recipe! I make this energizing drink just about every day from the start of summer to when the temps dip in the fall. It’s cool and creamy, with a slightly grassy, earthy flavor that I absolutely love. Matcha took off in popularity in the US a few years back, and these days, you can find an iced matcha latte on almost any coffee shop menu. I still order one out from time to time, but for the most part, I prefer to make my own iced matcha latte at home. Here’s why: I can…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Zucchini Smoothie

This zucchini smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake, but shhh! It's made with healthy ingredients like almond butter, dates, and zucchini.

This zucchini smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake. It’s creamy, rich, and sweet. Even though it’s healthy enough to drink for breakfast or a snack, it could totally pass for dessert. It’s that good! Zucchini Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Ready to try this chocolate zucchini smoothie recipe? Here’s what you’ll need: Zucchini, of course! You’ll need one medium. Chop and freeze it at least a day before you plan to make the smoothie. Medjool dates – For sweetness. Almond butter – It adds protein and healthy fats. Cocoa powder – It gives the smoothie a rich chocolate taste. Cacao powder works…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Roasted Red Peppers

Learn how to roast red peppers! Delicious in salads, sandwiches, and more, homemade roasted red peppers are sweet, silky, and super easy to make.

I use roasted red peppers in my cooking all year round. In the winter, I crack open a store-bought jar when I want to add roasted red peppers’ sweet, rich flavor to a pasta, dip, or soup. But in the summer, bell pepper season, I much prefer to make my own. Homemade roasted red peppers are sweeter and smokier than store-bought ones, and they’re not overly salty or briny either. They’re super easy to make, and they keep in the fridge for a week or more—perfect for punching up the flavor in whatever you’re cooking. I’m sharing 2 methods for…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Fresh Spring Rolls

Stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fresh herbs, these spring rolls are SO refreshing! Serve with peanut sauce for a delicious vegetarian appetizer.

I’ll never turn down fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce for dipping, but they especially hit the spot on hot summer days. Served cold or at room temperature, they’re cooling and refreshing, stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fragrant herbs. The sweet and savory dipping sauce takes them over the top. I’ve ordered fresh Vietnamese spring rolls countless times at restaurants, but if I think to snag a pack of rice paper wrappers at the store, I make my own at home. I can’t call them 100% authentic because I love to experiment with different ingredients in the filling (mango?…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Watermelon Popsicles

What's even more refreshing than watermelon? Watermelon popsicles! These healthy, 2-ingredient treats are perfect for hot summer days.

These watermelon popsicles are the perfect treat for a hot summer day. Ice cold, fruity, and refreshing, they’ll cool you off and quench your thirst in one go. They’re also healthy(!) and super easy to make(!), because this watermelon popsicles recipe calls for two simple ingredients: watermelon and lime juice. That’s right! There’s no added sugar, no added coloring, no added anything here. Just fresh fruit! How to Make Watermelon Popsicles This watermelon popsicle recipe couldn’t be easier to make! You’ll need two simple ingredients: Fresh watermelon – I call for 6 cups cubed, from about 1 medium melon. Not…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cucumber Salad

Featuring fresh dill, onions, and a sweet, tangy dressing, this cucumber salad recipe is a refreshing summer side dish. Bonus: it couldn't be easier!

This cucumber salad recipe is one of the simplest summer side dishes, and if you ask me, it’s also one of the best. It’s versatile. Serve it with any cookout or picnic fare. It’s flavorful. Shout out to the sweet and tangy dressing! And it’s SO refreshing. Just the thing for a hot day. It’s my take on a classic cucumber salad, complete with crisp, cooling cucumbers, red onion, and a punchy vinegar dressing. My special twist? I shower it with dill and chives for a fresh, savory kick. This cucumber salad has definite dill pickle vibes, and I am 100%…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Grilled Zucchini

This easy grilled zucchini recipe is the perfect summer side dish! The squash is tender and flavorful—delicious with whatever you're grilling.

This grilled zucchini recipe is an easy side dish that I make on repeat all summer long. It’s a breeze to put together—slice up some fresh zucchini, toss it with a savory blend of seasonings, and grill until it’s tender and charred, but still has some bite. No soggy grilled zucchini here! I finish it with a handful of herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. The recipe highlights what I love most about seasonal cooking. It’s simple and quick, but the fresh ingredients make it delicious nonetheless. Serve it with a summery pesto pasta, veggie burgers, or whatever you’re…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Travel to the '90s with this Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe! This classic vodka and cranberry juice drink may be retro, but it's still refreshing and delicious.

If you, like me, have seen every episode of Sex and the City, you have to learn how to make a Cosmopolitan cocktail, or Cosmo for short. This tart, refreshing vodka drink is a hallmark of the show, and when you watch Carrie and friends sip enough of them, you can’t help but want to try one. Below, I’m sharing my go-to Cosmopolitan recipe, which is perfect for dinner parties, girls’ nights, and binge watching the Sex and the City reboot (who else is tuning in for season 2 this week?!). It has a gorgeous blush pink color and a sweet and…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cabbage Salad

Move over, coleslaw! There's a new cabbage salad recipe in town. Crunchy, colorful, and tossed in a tangy dressing, it's an easy, delicious side dish.

I can’t get enough of this cabbage salad recipe! It’s vibrant and colorful, crunchy and refreshing, made with red and green cabbage, crisp bell peppers, carrots, herbs, and toasty pepitas. But the real star of this cabbage salad recipe is the dressing. It’s a tangy, nutty vinaigrette. A couple tablespoons of peanut butter give it a lightly creamy texture, and apple cider vinegar adds amazing zip. It makes this cabbage salad so lively and unexpected. Serve it as a side dish at your next summer cookout, and everyone will ask for the recipe! Cabbage Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
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.