Watercress Salad

This watercress salad recipe is a light, fresh spring side dish. It's filled with crisp veggies, creamy avocado, and a bright champagne vinaigrette.

If you need a last-minute side dish for Mother’s Day, I think this watercress salad would be perfect. It’s exactly the kind of dish I like to serve at a special occasion meal. Light and refreshing, it provides a welcome contrast to heartier fare like cinnamon rolls (at brunch) or a saucy, cheesy lasagna (at dinner). And while it’s simple to make, it’s a bit more unexpected than a regular green salad. The watercress gives it a peppery bite, which I tame with sweet, juicy orange segments and a bright champagne vinaigrette. Mozzarella and avocado add creamy richness, and toasted…

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Champagne Vinaigrette

This simple champagne vinaigrette will make any salad sparkle. With just 6 ingredients, it's bright, refreshing, and SO easy to make.

Pop the champagne (vinaigrette)! This bright, citrusy salad dressing has become one of my favorites lately, and I think you need it in your back pocket too. Let me tell you why I love it. Compared to its more assertive cousins (say, balsamic or white wine vinegar), champagne vinegar has a quieter, more delicate flavor. As a result, this champagne vinaigrette is ideal for drizzling over the tender lettuces, herbs, and other greens that are in season at this time of year. It gives them pep and zing, but it doesn’t overwhelm their natural sweet, earthy, and herbaceous flavors. So,…

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French Toast

This French toast recipe is a delicious, easy breakfast. The thick slices are fluffy, tender, and warmly spiced with cinnamon. Serve with maple syrup!

breakfast

This French toast recipe is one of my favorite things to make for brunch. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a holiday or a regular old lazy weekend morning: just thinking about French toast makes my mouth start watering. What could be more crave-worthy than thick slices of bread with tender, fluffy middles, crisp edges, and a mound of fresh fruit on top? This French toast recipe is delightfully quick and easy, so I make it whenever we have day-old bread in the house. Still, it has the flavor of a special occasion treat. An egg batter makes it nice and rich,…

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Creamy Avocado Dip

This smooth and creamy avocado dip is a crowd-pleasing spring or summer appetizer. Serve it with crackers and lots of fresh veggies for dipping!

This creamy avocado dip is one of my favorite appetizers to make in the spring and early summer. To be clear, it’s not at all like guacamole, the other avocado dip we all know and love. Instead of fresh cilantro and lime juice, dill and lemon create its bright, refreshing flavor. Dijon mustard gives it a tangy kick, and Greek yogurt makes it extra-rich and creamy. Instead of scooping it up with tortilla chips, I recommend pairing it with lots of fresh veg. At this time of year, so many dip-able vegetables are coming into season (radishes, snap peas, etc.).…

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Lemon Yogurt Cake

This lemon yogurt cake is my ideal dessert. It's a breeze to make, and it's moist, tender, and full of zesty flavor. A simple glaze takes it over the top.

Here’s a little something to brighten up your week: an easy, zesty lemon yogurt cake recipe! This style of yogurt cake has its roots in France, and the beauty of it is its simplicity. The ingredient list is short and sweet, and you don’t need any special equipment to make it – a couple bowls, a loaf pan, a whisk. You’ll also need measuring cups to make this recipe, but – fun fact! – in France, home bakers might measure the cake ingredients in a yogurt container, making it even simpler still. Because I love anything lemony (anyone surprised?), I…

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Easy Lemon Glaze

You only need 2 ingredients to make this easy lemon glaze! It's the perfect zesty topping for baked goods like cakes, cookies, and scones.

This lemon glaze recipe is my favorite way to make everyday baked goods feel a little bit more special. With just 2 ingredients, it’s amazingly easy to make (just add them to a bowl and stir!), and the minimal effort is always worth it. It looks so pretty on top of a loaf cake, cookies, or scones, and it gives them an extra pop of sweet, zesty flavor. I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes to pair with it in the post below. But really, anytime you want to elevate a simple treat, this lemon glaze will do the trick.…

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Asparagus Risotto

This asparagus risotto recipe is a fresh, satisfying vegetarian dinner. Serve it with a simple salad and a glass of white wine for a perfect spring meal!

spring / dinner

If your spring dinner rotation needs a refresh, add this asparagus risotto to the mix! I’ve made it a few times over the last couple of weeks, and every time, Jack and I have both gone back for more. Like any good risotto, it’s soft and creamy, with rich depth of flavor from olive oil and white wine. But at the same time, this asparagus risotto is bright and fresh. Sweet, oniony leeks melt into the tender rice, asparagus adds crunch, and lots of fresh herbs take it over the top. Serve it with a glass of white wine and…

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29 Best Radish Recipes

Stuck in a radish rut? These radish recipes are here to help! They include sides, mains, and more that'll make you fall in love with this crunchy veggie.

It’s spring, which means I’m cooking radish recipes on repeat! Here in Chicago, radishes are some of the first vegetables to pop up at the farmers markets. Every year, I eagerly wait for them to appear. And when they finally do, I fill my bag with as many bunches of them as I can carry. What can I say? I just can’t resist their peppery pink roots and lush greens. Luckily, when I bring them home, I have no shortage of ways to use them. Of course, I can munch on them raw, but I can also roast them, pickle…

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Carrot Muffins

Love carrot cake? Then you HAVE to try these healthy carrot muffins! Moist, tender, and warmly spiced, they're a delicious breakfast or on-the-go snack.

breakfast

These carrot muffins combine two of my favorite things: carrot cake and muffins! They’re exactly what I want to eat on a spring morning (or any morning, really). They’re moist, warmly spiced, and studded with chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to start their day with one of these? If you need a little last-minute something to round out your Easter menu tomorrow, I think these carrot muffins would be perfect. But if you don’t celebrate Easter, or if your menu is all set to go, I hope you’ll find a time to make them anyway. I adore…

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Baked Eggs

These oven baked eggs are an easy, delicious breakfast or brunch. Serve them with garnishes like fresh herbs and veggies to take them over the top!

How cute are these baked eggs?! Lately, Jack and I have been making them for breakfast and the occasional dinner, and with Easter coming up this weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to share the recipe with all of you. These baked eggs have runny yolks and just-set whites, and they’re SO simple to make in the oven. Sprinkled with toppings like fresh herbs, peas, and sautéed asparagus, they look elegant and inviting, and they taste delicious. They’d be a lovely main course for a holiday brunch, but you could easily pull them off for a regular…

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Dukkah

Dukkah is a blend of nuts, seeds, and spices that hails from Egypt and the Middle East. Crunchy and flavorful, it's delicious on dips, veggies, and more!

cooking basics

I made a full batch of this simple dukkah recipe last week, and within a few days, the whole thing was gone. It’s the sort of seasoning that you can sprinkle on everything, from your morning scrambled eggs and avocado toast to roasted veggies at dinner. Basically, anytime you want to pep up a simple meal, dukkah can help you do it. What is dukkah? Dukkah (also spelled duqqa) is a Middle Eastern and Egyptian nut, seed, and spice blend. The exact ingredients tend to vary, though various toasted nuts, sesame seeds, coriander, and cumin are among the most common…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.