BBQ Tofu

Think tofu is just for vegans? Think again. This easy BBQ tofu recipe is packed with bold flavor. It's sweet, savory, and smoky...everyone will love it!

You can make this BBQ tofu recipe in two ways: in the oven or on the grill. The oven version is an easy protein for vegetarian dinners all year round, while the grilled BBQ tofu is perfect for summer cookouts. I’ve loved making it for our backyard get-togethers lately because it’s a) super simple to make, b) bursting with BBQ flavor, and c) a hit with everyone, tofu skeptics included! This BBQ tofu has a satisfying chewy texture with edges that are crisp and lightly charred. A glossy layer of BBQ sauce coats each cube, giving it an amazing sweet,…

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Spanish Rice

This homemade Spanish rice recipe is an easy, delicious side dish! Fluffy and flavorful, it pairs perfectly with Mexican mains like tacos and enchiladas.

I’ve eaten Spanish rice at Mexican restaurants countless times, but it wasn’t until this year that I started making this Spanish rice recipe at home. Today’s post is a PSA: if you’re not already making homemade Spanish rice, it’s time to start. You’re seriously missing out! Spanish rice, also called Mexican rice or arroz rojo, is a type of rice pilaf cooked with onions and garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and spices. It’s commonly eaten throughout northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, and it’s the perfect side dish for a simply cooked protein or Mexican fare like tacos and enchiladas. The…

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51 Best Salad Recipes

A big, bountiful salad is the best way to celebrate delicious seasonal produce! Here are 51 stunning salad recipes I love to make again and again.

Salad recipes are my favorite way to showcase vibrant, in-season produce—fruits and veggies that taste so good on their own that it doesn’t take much to make them into a delicious meal. On cold winter nights, I like to brighten up our table with a colorful mix of root veggies and hearty greens. On beautiful, warm days when I’d rather be outside than in the kitchen, summer salads are the perfect lunch or dinner: they’re simple to toss together, but they’re super flavorful nonetheless. Whether you want to add more plant-based meals to your diet or are simply looking to…

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Best Potato Salad

Learn how to make potato salad with this easy recipe! The perfect BBQ side dish, it's creamy and flavorful, made with tangy pickles, celery, and mustard.

This potato salad recipe is hands down the BEST I’ve tried. It’s creamy, it’s tangy, and it’s flecked with savory herbs, crunchy celery, and (optional, but delicious) hard-boiled eggs. I’ll be bringing it to every cookout and BBQ we attend this summer. This potato salad recipe is so tasty that I can’t get enough! It’s essentially the classic potato salad that appeared at every picnic and potluck throughout my childhood, but it has a few key twists. First, I add diced dill pickles for crunch, and I also mix a splash of pickle brine into the creamy mayo and mustard…

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Mango Salad

This mango salad recipe is about to become your favorite summer side dish! It's bright and refreshing, made with fresh herbs and a zesty lime dressing.

This mango salad recipe is everything I want in a summer side dish. It has a short list of fresh ingredients, you can toss it together in 20 minutes, and it’s sooo bright and refreshing. I love the variety of textures and flavors in this dish. The mango is sweet and slippery, and when you bite into it, it’s almost creamy. I accent it with crisp bell peppers and red onion, plus jalapeños for a kick of heat. Peanuts add crunch, and a zesty lime dressing ties the whole thing together. Generous handfuls of fresh herbs (think spicy basil and…

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Chickpea Salad

Fresh veggies, herbs, and a zesty dressing add bold flavor to this chickpea salad recipe. Healthy and satisfying, it's perfect for picnics and lunches!

You can never have enough chickpea salad recipes in your back pocket, right? I definitely feel that way, and I hope you do too, because even though there are already *several* chickpea salads on this blog, this NEW chickpea salad recipe is a total keeper. It’s filled with fresh Mediterranean flavors—crispy cucumbers play off juicy tomatoes, which in turn contrast with the tender chickpeas. Briny olives and pickled onions add a delicious pop, and handfuls of herbs freshen the whole thing up. A zippy lemon dressing ties it all together. This chickpea salad is healthy, satisfying, flavorful, and fresh. It’s…

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Quick Pickled Carrots

Learn how to make quick pickled carrots! Crunchy, tangy, and refreshing, they're a delicious snack or addition to salads, appetizer boards, and more.

Pickled carrots don’t get as much love as dill pickles or pickled red onions do, and I’m really not sure why. They can add crunch to a salad, acidity to a sandwich, or unexpected depth to a simple crudité platter.  They’re even great straight from the jar. Dripping with fridge-cold brine, pickled carrots are snappy, tangy, earthy, and sweet. You won’t find a more refreshing snack. So, if you’ve never tried pickled carrots before, make this recipe! It’s insanely easy—the prep takes under 15 minutes—and it’s so delicious. These quick pickled carrots keep for up to 2 weeks in the…

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Homemade Tortilla Chips

Learn how to make homemade tortilla chips with this step-by-step recipe! They're super crispy and flavorful. Enjoy them with your favorite dip!

If you have a bag of stale tortillas hanging out on your counter, don’t toss them. Instead, make homemade tortilla chips! These homemade tortilla chips are crispy, flavorful, and light as air. Made with just 3 ingredients—corn tortillas, salt, and oil—they’re super simple to make, and they taste 10 times better than any store-bought tortilla chips I’ve tried. I can easily devour a handful plain, but the crunchy chips stand up nicely to dips like salsa and guacamole too. They’re the perfect snack for game day, Cinco de Mayo, or a taco night. Keep reading to learn how to make…

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21 Asparagus Recipes to Make This Spring

Celebrate spring with our best asparagus recipes! Fresh, bright, and easy to make, they include pastas, risottos, salads, side dishes, and more.

I start daydreaming about asparagus recipes as soon as I notice the first signs of spring. If I see daffodils shooting up in front of a neighbor’s house, I crave an asparagus frittata. If I glimpse green buds forming on a tree, I want a bowl of asparagus soup. And if the temperature rises above 60°F, I’m already at the grocery store getting the ingredients for pasta primavera. What can I say? After a long winter filled with root veggies and squash, asparagus recipes are an exciting change. They’re fresh, bright, and often quick to prepare—the beginning of the easy,…

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Sauteed Asparagus

Ready in 10 minutes, this sautéed asparagus recipe is an easy spring side dish! Lemon juice adds a bright pop of flavor to the tender spears.

Spring is here: let’s make sautéed asparagus! I’ll have this quick and easy recipe on my table all season long, and I hope you will too. It’s SO simple—you can make it with 5 ingredients in less than 10 minutes—and it’s super versatile. Serve it as a side dish, add it to a frittata, or pile it onto a grain bowl or a plate of polenta. The best thing about this sautéed asparagus recipe, though, is that however you serve it, it really lets the asparagus shine. It cooks up with a juicy, crisp-tender texture, and a squeeze of lemon…

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Irish Soda Bread

Made with 8 simple ingredients, this Irish soda bread recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Serve it warm with butter, jam, or a bowl of soup or stew!

This Irish soda bread recipe is the quickest, easiest way I know to make a great loaf of bread at home. It calls for 8 basic ingredients, and you can mix up the dough and get it into the oven in under 20 minutes—no rising required! It bakes up with a crisp, golden brown crust and a tender, buttery interior that’s studded with sweet dried currants. Make it for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend…and then, keep making it! This Irish soda bread recipe is way too simple and way too good to just be a once-a-year treat. What is soda…

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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.