Peach Salad with Mint & Pistachios

Is anyone else wondering how it’s August already? After some morning blog reading, I’ve suddenly realized that everyone else has gone (and come back from!) a summer vacation and we somehow forgot to plan one of our own. We’ve been talking about a number of trip ideas since last winter but that’s just the problem – it’s been all talk. Talk followed by excuses, followed by projects and general life busy-ness. So… help? What would be a fun trip for late August/early September? I’m drawing a blank and would love some suggestions. It could be near or far… preferably with temps less than…

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Zucchini & Grilled Corn Salad

summer / vegan / gluten free

Oh zucchini, let me count the ways… julienned, coined, grilled, sauteéd, stuffed, kabob-ed, gratin-ed, muffin-ed, pancake-d… (I know I’m missing a few)… Right now, my zucchini method of choice is the simple ribbon. Just raw. Tossed into salads. I mean, how pretty are they? (Also – how pretty are those plates!?) I very often make corn recipes where frozen corn will suffice – but not this time. This is the time of year where my midwestern roots shine through and I say – you need to get your hands on some fresh corn. And then don’t cook it too much. I grilled my…

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Sweet Pepper Panzanella

summer / salads / vegetarian

Panzanella: it’s your excuse to eat bread and call it salad! I’ve veggie’d up the classic tomato-basil panzanella with blistered sweet peppers, tangy pickled onions, and just few torn kale leaves. It all starts with that stale bread that’s sitting on your kitchen counter. In our household of just 2 (people, that is – the dogs are paleo), we have stale bread around pretty often. These were the last bits of a rustic miche round from my favorite bread source, Easy Tiger. I just realized I labeled them as “day old,” but these scraps were actually many days old. Perfect panzanella bread. This would be a…

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Roasted Cherry Tomato Bowls

summer / vegan

I don’t know if it’s possible to have too many cherry tomatoes. But if you do, roasting them is the perfect way to eat a whole bunch at a time. They shrivel up into the sweetest, tangiest little bites – which are perfect to toss into simple bowls full of greens and grains. Around this time last year I posted this slow roasted tomato pasta. This year, I’m cheating the slow roast. Here’s how: 1. Use little tomatoes and it’ll go tons faster. 2. Start roasting them in low heat (like you’re supposed to). Once they begin to dry (and your impatience rises), raise the…

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Stuffed Peppers w/ Green Tomato Salsa

summer / gluten free / Vibrant Food

Back before there were a (seemingly) endless number of food blogs on the internet, there were a few I followed pretty religiously. 101 Cookbooks, Sprouted Kitchen, Seven Spoons, and one of my all time favorites: Kimberly Hasselbrink’s The Year in Food. I was new to the idea of blogs, but suddenly I spent all my time at the office procrastinating instead of working. What I was going to make that night for dinner became far more important to me that any client project I had on my plate. I was drawn to these blogs not because I needed to get dinner on the table in 30…

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Rainbow Orzo Salad

Make this fresh, fun orzo salad recipe for your next picnic! With lots of fresh herbs, juicy mango, and crisp veggies, it's summer food at its finest.

summer / salads / vegan

I first made this orzo salad recipe at my mom’s house. When I dug through her fridge, I found crunchy veggies, summer herbs, and a big, juicy mango that I absolutely had to use. I caught sight of a box of orzo pasta and a can of chickpeas in her pantry, and I immediately thought – orzo salad! It would be hearty enough to serve for dinner, but light and refreshing for the heat wave that was happening that night. I tossed together crunchy cucumbers, red onion, fresh herbs, and mango and dished it up for my family. While we…

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Heirloom Caprese w/ Mint Pesto

summer / salads / gluten free

And the season of simple recipes continues… “What are you going to do with these?” asked the farm-stand man as I was fixating on these 3 gorgeous golden tomatoes. This question always flusters me… I should have an answer, but truthfully, I buy things on a whim and usually decide what to make later. And in this case, these tomatoes were so spectacular that knew I wasn’t going to “do” much. “Um… I’m probably just going to slice and eat them…” He looked at me with a huge grin as if I had just given the right answer. I could…

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Feta & Harissa Fattoush Salad

summer / salads / favorites

I have a confession to make: I’m obsessed with feta cheese. Growing up, my mom used to make spanakopita, (carefully wrapped phillo dough triangles stuffed with spinach and feta), every year for my birthday – it was my favorite thing and that tangy creamy flavor is still one of my fondest food memories. Of course, that’s a lot of work to do for every day meals, so nowadays I get my feta fix on salads. That tangy salty bite has a way of turning on-hand ingredients into tasty cohesive meals. Sweet potato and pomegranate, watermelon and avocado, strawberries and quinoa,…

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Tomato, Peach & Avocado Bruschetta

summer / vegan / appetizers

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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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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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.