Marinated Mozzarella Balls

These marinated mozzarella balls are a quick and easy party appetizer! Coated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs, they're full of rich flavor.

These marinated mozzarella balls are quickly becoming a family favorite snack. I love them because they’re the perfect last-minute appetizer for gatherings—flavorful, elegant, and SO easy to throw together. Jack and Ollie love them…well…because they love anything with cheese. The recipe is super simple. I marinate mini fresh mozzarella balls in olive oil with herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. The bright, savory flavor of the fresh garlic, lemon, and herbs saturates the oil, which in turn soaks into the chewy balls of cheese. I hope these marinated mozzarella balls become your go-to appetizer for parties and gatherings,…

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Cowboy Caviar

Made with black-eyed peas, black beans, and veggies, this cowboy caviar is an easy, fresh, and flavorful dip. It'll be a hit at your next potluck or party!

Cowboy caviar is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! This zesty dip is made with black-eyed peas, beans, sweet corn, and other veggies. It’s fresh, tangy, and perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. This cowboy caviar recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes better if you make it ahead. If you don’t already have a signature dish that you bring to potlucks, cookouts, and other get-togethers, you might have found it. Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ingredients You only need a few simple ingredients to make this cowboy caviar recipe: Black beans and black-eyed peas – They make up the bulk of this…

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Air Fryer Chickpeas

Love oven roasted chickpeas? These air fryer chickpeas are even better! They're super crispy, flavorful, and easy to make. A delicious healthy snack!

Air fryer chickpeas! If you love oven roasted chickpeas, get ready: these air fryer chickpeas are even better. I’ve been making them on repeat lately. Here’s why: They’re ready in 15 minutes. Roasting chickpeas in the air fryer is about twice as fast as making roasted chickpeas in the oven. Bonus: the air fryer preheats in no time! They’re INSANELY crunchy. Expect to eat a few (erm…half) straight from the air fryer basket. They’re irresistible! I love sprinkling these crispy chickpeas over salads and grain bowls. Filled with fiber and plant-based protein, they’re also a delicious healthy snack! Season them simply with…

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Pico De Gallo

Learn how to make pico de gallo! This easy recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients. Enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips or on any Mexican dish.

Learn how to make pico de gallo! I’m sharing my classic pico de gallo recipe below, plus tips to give it the best flavor. If you’re new to making salsa, pico de gallo is a great place to start. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck, because even though it’s zesty and flavorful, it’s SO easy. You don’t need any special equipment—just a cutting board and a good knife—and the ingredient list is short and sweet. Try this fresh salsa once, and I think it’ll become a staple in your kitchen. How to Make Pico de Gallo…

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These lemon poppy seed muffins are super moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor. They're delicious plain or with a simple lemon glaze on top!

Let’s make lemon poppy seed muffins! These classic muffins are bursting with fresh citrus flavor, and they have a moist, tender texture that’s punctuated by the poppy seeds’ crunch. I love them plain for breakfast or an afternoon snack, but they’re also wonderful with my quick lemon glaze on top. It makes them a bakery-worthy treat that would be perfect for a special occasion brunch or even dessert. Like all my muffin recipes, these lemon poppy seed muffins are easy to make. You simply stir together the batter in a couple of mixing bowls. No mixer required! Lemon Poppy Seed…

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How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

Learn how to make hard boiled eggs perfectly every time! With this easy method, they'll be easy to peel and have vibrant yellow yolks.

Here’s the good news: perfect hard boiled eggs are easy to make. …And the bad news: so are less-than-perfect ones. I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly cooked my fair share of the latter. When you try to peel away the shell, half the whites come along with it, or when you cut it open, the yolk is slightly green instead of brilliant yellow. Pretty disappointing, if you ask me. See, cooking perfect hard boiled eggs is easy, but that doesn’t mean that the process you use doesn’t matter. After years of trial and error, I’m happy to say…

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50 Easy Appetizer Recipes

These easy appetizers will be a hit at your next party! They include delicious dips, fun finger foods, and other crowd-pleasing snacks that guests will love.

All our best appetizers, all in one place! If you’re hosting a party or looking for a dish to bring to one, I promise—these easy appetizer recipes will not disappoint. They range from indulgent dips to bite-sized finger foods, gorgeous snack boards, and baked treats. These appetizers are the nibbles and bites that I love to serve when I’m entertaining. They’re simple to make (and often make ahead) and easy to serve (bonus points if you don’t need utensils!). But most importantly, they’re fun and delicious. They keep the prep straightforward for you while delivering big, bold flavors for guests.…

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Deviled Eggs

Learn how to make deviled eggs with this easy recipe! Made with basic ingredients like mayo and mustard, they're creamy, tangy, and always a hit.

The best deviled eggs are easy to make. You just need 6 basic ingredients: hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. If you like, you can add a dash of hot sauce or a pinch of paprika to kick the flavors up a notch. But without them, your deviled eggs will still be delicious. Because classic deviled eggs are so tasty AND so simple, they’re a perfect appetizer for Easter, the holidays, parties…any occasion, really. I’m sharing my favorite deviled eggs recipe below, plus tips and variations so that you can make it your own. I can’t…

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Banana Bread Recipe

This easy banana bread recipe is the BEST way to use ripe bananas! It's moist, delicious, and packed with banana flavor. You're going to love it!

This banana bread recipe is the best way to use overripe bananas. Now that we have a little one in the house, we’ve been buying a LOT more bananas than we used to. Sometimes (ok, often), we don’t get to all of them before they ripen, and I end up with a heap of dark brown, spotty bananas on my counter. Banana bread to the rescue! But not just any banana bread. While some popular recipes call for 2 or 3 bananas, this banana bread recipe calls for 4. I love that it lets me use up lots of ripe…

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Quesadilla Recipe

Quesadillas are a quick, easy, and delicious meal! I fill mine with cheese and veggies, but feel free to customize this recipe with your favorite fillings.

Quesadillas! They’re delicious, satisfying, and—most importantly—EASY. They’re one of my favorite back-pocket meals, something I can whip up using basic ingredients when I need a simple dinner or work-from-home lunch. I’ve made a lot of them over the years, and I’ve learned some handy tips and tricks for making them along the way. I’m sharing them all in this quesadilla recipe! What is a quesadilla? A quesadilla is Mexican dish that consists of a heated, filled, and folded tortilla. Quesadillas originated in central and southern Mexico, and they were first made with corn tortillas and filled with Oaxaca cheese. (The…

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Best Bean Dip

This refried bean dip is creamy, cheesy, and easy to make! Serve it warm with tortilla chips for a delicious party appetizer or game day snack.

This bean dip recipe is the ultimate party appetizer! It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, and it’s perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. Just make sure to hit up the snack table right after it comes out of the oven. This bean dip disappears QUICK! And I haven’t told you the best part yet: this bean dip recipe is easy to make. It calls for refried beans (you can use canned or homemade), so instead of blending the dip in a food processor, you can simply stir it together in a bowl. Spread it in a baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese,…

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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.