Garlic Knots

We love to make this garlic knots recipe when we're entertaining. The soft, fluffy knots always impress guests, but, secretly, they're super easy to make!

I’m trying to think of something more delicious than warm garlic knots fresh out of the oven. …And I’m giving up. It’s just not possible. Garlic knots deliver everything you love about dinner rolls – soft! fluffy! – plus an extra kick of rich, savory garlic flavor. And because they can pass as an appetizer, snack, or even a side dish with the right meal, there’s never an occasion where they’re out of place. If you want to be the life of the party at any gathering you’re attending this season, my advice to you is simple: make this garlic…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

This beet salad recipe is a stunning fall or winter side dish! Goat cheese, apples, and arugula fill it with a delightful mix of textures and flavors.

I love all the colors in this roasted beet salad recipe. The vibrant greens, the red and golden beets, the pale pink shallot, and the dots of white cheese. This kind of colorful salad is exactly what I like to serve at a dinner party or holiday meal. It adds some needed freshness to a spread of, say, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and it looks so striking, but it’s delightfully simple to make. You can even prep the components a day or two in advance! Beet Salad Recipe Ingredients To make this beet salad recipe, you can use any variety…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Green Beans Almondine

If you love low effort-high reward recipes, you need these green beans almondine in your rotation. They're super simple and absolutely delicious!

If you’re not one for green bean casserole, add this glossy green bean recipe to your Thanksgiving menu instead! It’s my twist on green beans almondine, or amandine in French. Though it sounds fancy, this classic French side dish is really just green beans topped with sliced almonds. It’s remarkably simple and absolutely delicious. Green Beans Almondine Recipe Ingredients To make this green beans almondine recipe, you only need a few basic ingredients: Fresh green beans, of course! French haricots verts are best here, as they’re more tender than other varieties of string beans. Sliced almonds – Their nutty crunch…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

If I could, I'd make this arugula salad recipe every night of the week. Tossed in a bright lemon dressing, it's a simple, fresh, and flavorful side dish.

There are few things I love more than a simple arugula salad. To his credit, Jack knows it. Not far from our house, there’s a little food market/sandwich shop that sells the BEST arugula. It’s crisp, tender, and perfectly peppery. Every time Jack goes out to get a sandwich for himself, he comes home with a box of arugula for me. I’ve used it to make all sorts of arugula salad recipes over the years (this one, this one, and this one, for starters), but lately, I’ve been especially smitten with this combination. I toss the arugula with a bright…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These Instant Pot mashed potatoes are rich, buttery, smooth, and creamy. Made with just 5 ingredients, they're such an easy, delicious side dish.

When I made these Instant Pot mashed potatoes for the first time, my goal was to earn Jack’s stamp of approval. He’s a devout mashed potato lover, so if these Instant pot mashed potatoes weren’t fluffy or flavorful enough, I knew I could count on him to let me know. After a few tastes and a tweak or two, he began happily scooping himself a bowl. “They’re great!” he said. And I had to agree. I don’t usually consider myself much of a mashed potato person, but at that moment, Jack wasn’t the only one loading up a bowl. I…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Carrots with Yogurt, Dukkah, and Herbs

Served over lemony yogurt with dukkah and herbs, these vibrant carrots are a flavorful side dish. I love to make them for special occasions!

If you come to my house for a holiday dinner, there’s a good chance you’ll find this recipe on the menu. It’s one of my favorite special occasion sides because it looks gorgeous, it tastes amazing, and you can prep most of the components ahead! The recipe starts with a swoosh of creamy, lemony yogurt. Then, I pile on tender roasted carrots. For a flavorful finishing touch, I scatter on fresh herbs and sprinkle on a generous amount of dukkah, an aromatic blend of toasted spices, nuts, and seeds. Make this recipe the next time you’re cooking for family or…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

This sautéed Brussels sprouts recipe is my go-to quick and easy side dish. It cooks up in no time, and the sprouts are tender, flavorful, and golden brown.

If you need a quick and easy side dish for any meal this season (Thanksgiving included!), these sautéed Brussels sprouts would be a great pick. They cook in a hot skillet until they’re beautifully seared on one side, bright green on the other, and tender all the way through. I toss them with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and…that’s it. In just 10 minutes and with only 6 ingredients, these sautéed Brussels sprouts become crisp, flavorful, and perfectly browned. They’re so simple and so delicious. I can never resist sneaking a few straight out of the…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Baked Potato Wedges

These baked potato wedges are an easy, delicious side dish or snack! They're crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, and coated in a savory garlic seasoning.

These baked potato wedges are the easiest way to satisfy a French fry craving at home. To make them, you just need 7 ingredients (and that’s including salt and pepper). They don’t require any fussy steps like soaking or par-boiling. Just toss potato wedges with a delicious blend of spices, and pop them in the oven to bake! 40-ish minutes later, these potato wedges will be crispy on the outside, light and pillowy in the middle, and full of smoky, savory flavor. I’m happy devouring them straight off the baking sheet (frankly, it’s hard not to), but they also pair…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Butternut Squash Risotto

This butternut squash risotto is perfect for a fall date night! Made with just 10 ingredients, it's creamy, comforting, and filled with cozy autumn flavor.

I love making this butternut squash risotto as much as I love eating it. Honestly! I know that risotto is famously tedious to prepare – add a little broth, stir, add a little broth, stir some more. But on a crisp, cool fall night, I welcome the chance to stand over the warm stove and watch it come together. I think it’s mesmerizing to see the raw squash and uncooked rice transform into a rich, creamy risotto. The fact that it smells amazing doesn’t hurt either. And when you sit down to eat, all that stirring really pays off. This…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Avocado Fries

Crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, these avocado fries are SO fun and delicious! Devour them hot with a tasty sauce for dipping.

I first started making these avocado fries last spring. But back then, I didn’t think of them as fries. Instead, I wanted to use them as a taco filling. It sounds like a great idea, right? Crispy/creamy avocado slices spiced up with cumin and coriander and loaded into tortillas with all the fixings… Well, it turns out, these avocado fries are actually too good to bury in a taco. They’re the sort of thing that’s best devoured on its own, preferably straight off the sheet pan, preferably with a tasty sauce (or two!) for dipping. That way, you can really experience…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Roasted Golden Beets

I love to make this golden beets recipe for a fresh fall lunch. Feta, pistachios, and a spiced lemon dressing fill it with exciting textures and flavors.

When I see golden beets at the farmers market, I can never resist bringing them home. I love roasting them until they’re tender and juicy, with a translucent, sunshine-yellow color that makes them so exciting and appealing. Thanks to their sweet, earthy flavor, the roasted golden beets are delicious on their own, but I like them even more when they’re tossed into a simple golden beet salad. I balance out their sweetness with salty feta cheese, add toasted pistachios for crunch, and drizzle them with a spiced lemon dressing for pop. Toss in a couple handfuls of arugula, and 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.