Loaded Potato Skins

You'll love these loaded potato skins with black bean salad, sunflower sour cream, and crispy coconut bacon. Great for parties!

I wanted to share this fun healthi(er) “game day” recipe before the Super Bowl even though, admittedly, we’re not big football fans. And by “we,” I mostly mean me. Jack will socially watch a game at a party, but my relationship with football didn’t exactly start off on the right… foot. Beginning in 1st grade, every year in gym class, we started the year with a football written test. Way to get kids interested in sports, right? The teacher would hand out worksheets to bring home and study (which I never did) and every year I’d bring home a failing…

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Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

You only need 7 ingredients to make this easy, delicious shaved Brussels sprout salad! Make it ahead for a holiday meal or pack it for a healthy lunch.

I just woke up to a snowy white Saturday morning, which means that it’s the perfect day for… Brussels sprout salad! Ok, maybe I’m the weird one that just loves salad no matter what’s going on around me. If you’re craving something warm and cozy, go make a mug of this cacao hot chocolate and then come back here if you’re looking for an easy Brussels sprout salad to make for weekend holiday festivities. This one will be your go-to throw-together winter salad that you’ll crave when you want a break from cookies and other indulgent treats. Why I Love This…

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Roasted Beets

Learn how to roast beets perfectly every time! My recipe is easy to make, and the roasted beets are always tender and flavorful. A delicious side dish!

This roasted beets recipe is one of my go-to side dishes in the fall and winter. It’s delicious—the beets come out perfectly tender with a concentrated sweet and earthy flavor. It’s also really easy to make. Just wrap the beets in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast until soft! The roasted beets are wonderful on their own, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, or dressed up more with citrus juice, herbs, or balsamic vinegar. Serve them with any weeknight dinner, or add them to a holiday meal. These oven roasted beets keep well for days in the…

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Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Stumped for healthy dinner ideas? Make stuffed sweet potatoes! These 4 stuffed sweet potato recipes are all easy, cozy, delicious, and fun!

For so many years, I didn’t think I liked sweet potatoes. It turns out, I LOVE sweet potatoes and I don’t like marshmallows (which is how they were always served to me growing up). These days, stuffed sweet potatoes are one of my go-to dinner solutions, especially for chilly nights when I’d rather stay inside than head out to dinner. They’re cozy, filling, and easy to make. Plus, the sweet potato acts as a canvas for whatever you’re craving. In the mood for Mexican? Stuff yours with black beans and cumin-spiced cabbage. Craving Greek food? Fill it with quinoa tabbouleh!…

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Butternut Squash Casserole

This butternut squash casserole is a fresher take on classic bread stuffing. Roasted squash, leeks, and pearl onions fill it with texture and flavor.

This butternut squash casserole recipe is a veggie-fied version of my favorite Thanksgiving food: stuffing! I’d be excited to devour any plate of stuffing in the fall, but this butternut squash casserole is my favorite version yet. Creamy cubes of squash, purple onions, and dried cranberries add gorgeous color and delicious flavor to this classic autumn dish. I encourage you to make this butternut squash casserole for Thanksgiving, but if you’re anything like me, it might end up in your regular recipe rotation too. After a few rounds of testing and taking these photos, I’ve made it 5 times this…

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Parsnip Puree

This parsnip puree is like the fluffiest mashed potatoes you can imagine. Thanks to the parsnips and roasted garlic, it's rich, nutty, and delicious.

This year, this parsnip puree is taking the place of the mashed potatoes at our Thanksgiving dinner. You might be thinking, “What?! That’s crazy!” You’re not alone. That’s what Jack thought too. He’s a big mashed potato purist. Last year’s cauliflower mashed potatoes were a stretch for him, so parsnip puree sans potatoes seemed pretty nuts. Well, good news! Both of us couldn’t stop eating the puree by the spoonful before it made it to the table. It’s rich and nutty, with an amazing light and fluffy texture. Mashed-potato-purist approved! Jack loved this recipe, and I think you will too.…

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Butternut Squash Salad

This butternut squash salad is a must-try fall recipe! It's filled with spiced squash, pomegranates, goat cheese & a delicious cumin-date dressing.

Do you do Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving? Or both? We’re celebrating both this year, so I created this crowd-pleasing butternut squash salad recipe because I know both friends AND family members will love it. It’s the kind of salad that will convert anyone to being a salad lover, because it’s filled with spiced roasted butternut squash, pomegranates, goat cheese, and pistachios. It’s a roasty, spicy, creamy, tangy combo that Jack and I are pretty obsessed with. Butternut Squash Salad Recipe Ingredients This salad packs a huge punch of flavor, thanks to 6 essential components: Spiced roasted butternut squash. I toss the…

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Vegan Broccoli Soup

You'd never guess that this creamy vegan broccoli soup is totally dairy-free! It's made of a rich, savory blend of potatoes, veggies, and herbs.

Drumroll, please! This vegan broccoli soup recipe is super creamy, comforting, and brimming with cheesy flavor. I started working on it after I posted a photo of this gorgeous pile of broccoli on Instagram with a call out for broccoli recipe requests. Overwhelmingly, people asked for a healthy/vegan broccoli cheese soup. Jack loves cheesy broccoli soup (and most cheesy things, to be honest), so we were both excited to take on the challenge. I’m happy to report that the results do not disappoint! This vegan broccoli soup recipe is not to be confused with cream of broccoli soup. I have…

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Harvest Haven Salad & a trip to Madison

A seasonal fall harvest salad with greens, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, aged goat cheese in an apple cider vinaigrette. So pretty for Thanksgiving.

The other day, we were having dinner with the family and my mom said “so, do you want to host Thanksgiving this year?” My first instinct was – heck no, that sounds like a lot of work! Of course, what came out of my mouth was a noncommittal “ok, sure? I guess?” Later that night, as the idea settled in my mind, I thought of the beautiful fall harvest-y type dishes I could make and I started to get excited. I got warm and fuzzy feelings picturing my family gathered around the kitchen in our new home, drinking wine and…

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Pumpkin Tortilla Soup

This pumpkin tortilla soup is a hearty vegetarian spin on a classic. Perfect for fall, this soup is also vegan and gluten-free.

We’re halfway through October and I suppose I’m behind on pumpkin season :). I haven’t made pumpkin bread, I haven’t made pumpkin cookies, in fact, I haven’t even opened a can of pumpkin yet which is blasphemy in the blogosphere. This year, I wanted to think a little outside-the-box for my pumpkin recipes, so I’m going to start with the actual vegetable rather than canned pumpkin (so I guess I’m thinking outside-the-can?). When I was brainstorming ideas of what to make with fresh pumpkin, the winner was one of my favorites – tortilla soup. While it’s traditionally made with chicken,…

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Spicy Chipotle Cornbread

Learn how to make cornbread with this easy cornbread recipe! Sweet, spicy & absolutely delicious, it's meant to be served with a hot bowl of soup.

It’s fall and yes, I’m still crazy about the corn BUT hear me out – this cozy cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite bowl of chili (two of my favorites are here and here). Chili and cornbread are, in my humble opinion, what fall dreams are made of. It’s the perfect dinner to cuddle up with on the couch. I have a few cornbread recipes here on the blog, but this spicy chipotle version is my new favorite. To the (vegan) cornbread base, I add chopped chipotle peppers, scallions, and kernels of fresh corn (although frozen is…

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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.