Tomato, Peach & Avocado Bruschetta

It’s peach season over here! (I know, it comes early here in Texas). But when it’s peach season I have just one objective: Eat as many peaches as possible until it’s not peach season anymore. On Saturday, I came home from the farmers market with these beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes, sweet peaches, and my favorite nine grain (Easy Tiger) bread. I truly believe summer food should be simple, so I made this easy bruschetta for dinner along with a huge salad. It was perfect for a hot summer evening along with ice cold white wine. I used creamy avocado this time…

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Raspberry Polenta Cake

summer / vegan

What do you make with leftover polenta and leftover raspberries? Cake, of course! But not just any cake – cake in a skillet. Because skillets = summer. Aside from the little bit of butter I used to grease the pan, this cake is vegan and made with coconut oil. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and, of course, the sweetness that comes from the raspberries. (note: you can grease your pan with coconut oil). It’s a (smaller) version of this peach cake I made last summer – in my 10-inch skillet this cake is just 4 servings, but you can…

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Peanut Butter Bourbon Milkshake

vegan / gluten free / almond breeze

It might not be summer everywhere yet, but here in Texas, it’s hot. Lately our weekend afternoons have consisted of long sweaty walks followed by sweet frozen treats. This ice cream has been our treat-of-choice over the past few weeks – mainly because when you experiment with new recipes, you make a lot of versions. And thus, a lot of ice cream. It’s not a bad problem to have. This recipe is a 2-parter, you can stop at the ice cream, or go a step further and make it into a milkshake. Instead of our regular coconut base, we did…

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Mango & Zucchini Lettuce Wraps

Filled with sweet & spicy components & dipped in a bright sauce, these lettuce wraps are the perfect combination of simplicity & bold flavor.

summer / appetizers / q squared

As the temps have been rising, I’ve been craving food that’s lighter and colder. Lately we’ve spent most evenings dining al fresco trying to live it up before the 100 degree weather sets in. Chill evenings call for chilled food and these lettuce wraps are just so refreshing…. a beautiful appetizer, or (in our case) a light dinner. The thing I love about eating these lettuce wraps is that you can eat lots of them without feeling too guilty. For me, eating light is never about eating less food. But the most important thing you need for outdoor dining is…

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Grilled Polenta & Zucchini Salsa

summer / gluten free / cookbook

Today, we’re taking homemade polenta to a whole new level… (way beyond skipping the stuff that’s sold in the tube). I ground up my own polenta from popcorn! Who knew it was as easy as that? This recipe comes from The Homemade Flour Cookbook, by Erin of Naturally Ella. Erin is one of by best blog friends (BBF’s forever!), and I couldn’t be more proud of her and her beautiful new book. She breaks down the basics of making your own flour out of all sorts of grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. It’s also packed with recipes for each type…

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Any Vegetable Vinegar Pickles

A simple pickle recipe that's great for pickling broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, onions, cucumbers, and more!

cookbook / giveaway / hip girl's guide to the kitchen

I love cookbooks and I hoard them pretty obsessively. Although, I’ll admit, I have a hard time following recipes from start to finish. Which is why I love the premise of Kate Payne’s new book, The Hip Girls Guide to the Kitchen. It’s a “hit the ground running approach, seeing as you need to eat three times daily whether you’ve mastered your kitchen or not.” It’s full of, really, everything you need to know to be pretty successful in your kitchen – from how to set up your pantry to how to put meals together intuitively and economically. (Also she’s gluten…

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Mostly-veggie Baked Macaroni

spring / pasta / gluten free-option

Sometimes life is not all about balance. For example, this is by no means a perfectly balanced mac and cheese (I know, way to sell it, right?). There’s some cheese in here, but nowhere close to four cheeses. Nothing is truffled, or bacon-ed, or cauliflower-ed. There’s some mac – but, all and all, it’s pretty light on the (quinoa) pasta to “other stuff” ratio. This is the kind of filling, yet, not-over-the-top meal that I like to eat in an every day sort of way. These days, in particular, I’m into meals that are overwhelmingly jam packed with green things.…

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Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

A lightly sweet cumin-spiced dressing fills this arugula salad with flavor, while avocado, apricots, quinoa & chickpeas make it hearty & satisfying.

salads / gluten free / vegan

I’ll never get tired of an arugula salad with avocado and quinoa. They’re probably my favorite three ingredients to use. I love this sweet combo of dried apricots, peppery arugula, smoky cumin, and fruity Arbequina Olive Oil. (I almost named this Arbequina Quinoa – but try to say that one five times fast). The Key to a Good Arugula Salad is a Good Dressing The cumin-spiced salad dressing really makes this salad shine, and its key ingredient is Arbequina Olive Oil. So what’s Arbequina Olive Oil? It’s a light and fruity extra-virgin olive oil that’s perfect for flavorful dressings like…

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Blueberry Rooibos Tea Smoothie

Learn how to make the BEST blueberry smoothie with this simple recipe! Easy, fresh & healthy, it's a yummy, antioxidant-loaded breakfast or snack.

gluten free / spring / rooibos tea

Today I’d (and this is Jack again, by the way) like to bring you another one of my favorite recipes for a hot summer day – a great, fruity smoothie. You see, Jeanine likes smoothies, but I really, really love berry smoothies. And I don’t need them for a workout, or to wake up, or any regimen – we’ll be walking down the street randomly, and I’ll just decide that it’s smoothie time. I have no smoothie shame. Blueberry Smoothie Recipe Ingredients This yummy blend starts with two of my smoothie favorites: blueberries and raspberries. The blueberries make up the…

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Blackberry & Lemon Zest Crostini

A simple summer appetizer: blackberries + mascarpone cheese with thyme and lemon zest. (vegan option).

spring / summer / appetizers

Now that it’s nearly summer, I’ve been making more and more things with less and less ingredients. Lately, I’ve been in love with this juicy little blackberry bite – it’s simple, sweet & bright, with an unexpected savory note from the thyme leaves. These would be beautiful (not to mention ridiculously easy to assemble) for any last minute cocktail party. The only thing missing here: a patio & a few glasses of prosecco. It’s 5 o’ clock somewhere right?

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Vegan Soft Baked Pretzels

Vegan Soft Baked Pretzels are a fun homemade appetizer or game day snack! Made with under 10 ingredients, they're cute & delicious dipped in mustard.

vegan / snacks & dips / sir kensingtons

Jack here with my second recipe on the Love and Lemons blog. This recipe is one near and dear to my heart – big, doughy, German-style pretzels! Now, while Germans tend to dip their Laugenbrezel in butter, that’s not how I do it. I dip them in spicy brown mustard. And when we started working with Sir Kensington’s, the first thing I said when I opened up the sample package of Ketchup and Mayonnaise was “Where is the mustard?” Sir Kensington himself has heard my call, and here is the mustard. And its best friend – pretzels. The traditional recipe…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.