BEST Hummus

Learn how to make homemade hummus with this easy, 7-ingredient hummus recipe! It comes together in minutes, and it's SUPER smooth and creamy.

Is there anything better than creamy, nutty, velvety homemade hummus? I don’t think so, which is why I make this hummus recipe nearly every week. I’ve shared many hummus variations over the years (including 4 in my first cookbook!), but this recipe is the one I make most often. It’s a classic version of the Middle Eastern chickpea dip, with garbanzo beans and tahini as the key ingredients. The recipe is super simple to make. With just 5 minutes of prep, 7 basic ingredients transform into delicious homemade hummus. It’s lusciously smooth, with a bright lemon flavor and a little…

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Zucchini Soup

Fresh herbs, ginger, and lime fill this creamy zucchini soup with bright, refreshing flavor. It's a delicious, healthy meal that's ready in 30 minutes!

This zucchini soup is creamy and comforting, but still bright and fresh. Blended zucchini and coconut milk create its luxe, silky base, while ginger, herbs, and lime fill it with bold, refreshing flavor. I also toss in a serrano chile for heat, though if you’re sensitive to spice, you could skip it. This zucchini soup recipe is perfect for late summer and early fall. As the temps cool off from their summer peaks, I start craving warmer, heartier fare. At the same time, I want to keep cooking with fresh garden zucchini while it’s abundant (I’m not ready for all things pumpkin…

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Avocado Salad

This avocado salad recipe is a delicious, healthy side dish! A zesty dressing coats creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs.

I’ve been craving this avocado salad recipe ever since I first made it. If you’re thinking, “Craving…a salad?”, well, you simply have to try this one. This avocado salad is not guacamole. But like guacamole, it keeps you coming back for more. Creamy avocado plays off juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy red onion, and spicy jalapeño. A bright lime dressing brings it all together. The fresh, zesty flavors and the delicious combination of textures make it so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s been one of my go-to side dishes this summer because it’s super tasty, super quick,…

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Ratatouille

This ratatouille recipe is a delicious version of the classic French stew. It's rich and flavorful, filled with late summer vegetables, olive oil, and herbs.

Ratatouille is a French stew made with late summer vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. It’s rich with olive oil, bright with vinegar, and flecked with fresh herbs. If you haven’t tried it, put this ratatouille recipe on your list to make this summer. It’s even more delightful than the Disney movie of the same name (which is pretty delightful, if you ask me). Making this ratatouille recipe always transports me to Provence, France. A few years ago, I stayed with a local family there. On my first night with them, they served ratatouille for dinner. We sat on…

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Grilled Broccoli

This easy grilled broccoli recipe is a simple, delicious summer side dish! Ready in 20 minutes, it's crisp-tender, flavorful, and beautifully charred.

This grilled broccoli recipe is a fresh, easy summer side dish. If you’re a fan of roasted broccoli, you’ll love it. It has the same dark, crispy edges and crisp-tender texture, but its flavor is even more complex. This grilled broccoli is smoky, sweet, and savory. As the broccoli cooks, the hot grill brings out its natural sweetness. At the same time, it becomes beautifully charred, taking on a smoky taste. A sprinkle of garlic powder gives it savory depth. This grilled broccoli is broccoli at its best. I’ve tried a variety of methods for grilling broccoli (in a grill…

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Spicy Margarita

Jalapeños give this spicy margarita recipe a delicious kick. Tart and refreshing, it's perfect for a happy hour or summer entertaining.

Meet my go-to spicy margarita recipe! Like a classic margarita, it’s tart and refreshing, but jalapeño peppers give it an extra kick of heat. This spicy margarita recipe is easy to make. You only need 6 simple ingredients, and it comes together quickly in a cocktail shaker. Enjoy it with tortilla chips, guacamole, and/or salsa at a happy hour, Cinco de Mayo, or summer gathering. Cheers! Spicy Margarita Ingredients To make this jalapeño margarita recipe, you need 6 simple ingredients: Tequila – Use any good-quality blanco tequila (aka silver tequila) in this recipe. We like Espolon tequila, but feel free…

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Baba Ganoush

This easy baba ganoush recipe is smoky, savory, and creamy. Made with eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it's a delicious dip for pita and veggies.

Have you tried baba ganoush? If you like hummus, I have a feeling you’ll love this Mediterranean eggplant dip too. Made with grilled or roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it’s creamy, smoky, nutty, and bright. I’m sharing my easy baba ganoush recipe below. It pairs perfectly with crisp veggies and pita bread, but I love it so much that I’ve also been known to eat it straight off a spoon. I hope you enjoy it too! How to Make Baba Ganoush This baba ganoush recipe is simple to make. It starts with 6 basic ingredients: Baba Ganoush Ingredients Eggplant…

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20 Easy Summer Cocktails

Cool off with these refreshing summer cocktails! Perfect for a summer party or BBQ, they include frozen drinks, fruity margaritas, spritzes, and more.

Hot days call for summer cocktails! Maybe fruity, maybe frozen, and definitely refreshing, these drinks will help you cool off and celebrate the season all in one. Below, you’ll find the easy cocktail recipes I’ll be making all summer. Perfect for any occasion from a neighborhood BBQ to a laid-back evening at home, they include fruity margaritas, bubbly spritzes, non-alcoholic refreshers, and more. I’d have a hard time choosing a favorite from these festive summer drinks. I hope you love them too! Our Best Summer Cocktails Paloma Cocktail Jack and I make this tequila cocktail every summer. We might be…

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How to Boil Corn on the Cob

Learn how to boil corn on the cob! Sweet, juicy, and golden, it's the BEST summer side dish. Top it with butter, salt, and pepper, and dig in!

I think my love of seasonal cooking comes from all the corn on the cob I ate as a kid. In the summer, my mom served boiled corn on the cob with dinner almost every night. She’d pick it up from a farm stand nearby, so it was always super-sweet and fresh. I couldn’t get enough of it – the juicy, golden kernels coated in butter and sprinkled with salt. To this day, the thought of that summer sweet corn makes my mouth start watering. I’ve posted recipes for steamed corn on the cob and grilled corn on the cob…

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Easy Gazpacho

Beat the heat with this easy gazpacho recipe! Made with summer veggies, vinegar, and olive oil, this cool soup is rich, tangy, and refreshing.

It’s no secret that I love gazpacho. Over the years, I’ve shared a gazpacho recipe with watermelon, one with corn, another with carrots, and still another with tangy tomatillos. What can I say? On a hot summer day, there’s no better way to cool off than with cold soup. If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup. This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpacho. Tomatoes, cucumber, and…

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Ranch Water

This ranch water recipe is the perfect cocktail to sip on a hot day. It's easy to make with sparkling water, tequila, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

A ranch water cocktail is the perfect drink for a hot summer day. We’re leaving for a quick trip to Austin tomorrow, and I know I’ll order a ranch water (or two) while we’re there. This combination of tequila, lime juice, and fizzy Topo Chico over ice is the best way to beat the Texas heat. When we’re not in Austin, I love to make this ranch water recipe at home. Made with 3 ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler, and it’s cooling, refreshing, and not too sweet. Try it once, and it might just become your favorite summer drink! Ranch Water…

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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.