Tabbouleh

This version of tabbouleh - the Middle Eastern herb and bulgur salad - is zingy, fragrant, and SO refreshing. Perfect for a mezze platter or picnic!

Herbs are arguably my favorite fresh ingredients, so it should come as no surprise that I love tabbouleh. Alternatively spelled tabouli or tabouleh, this Middle Eastern salad consists of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat. Don’t let the bulgur’s presence fool you – traditional Lebanese tabbouleh isn’t so much a grain salad as it is an herb salad with grains. The parsley and mint are the real star ingredients, making the salad pungent, fragrant, and intensely refreshing. You’ll find my go-to tabbouleh recipe below. If you love bright, herbaceous flavors, it’s one you have to try. Pack it up…

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Whipped Feta Dip

Lusciously creamy, rich, and tangy, this whipped feta dip is always a hit at gatherings. You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make it!

I love serving this creamy whipped feta dip at parties and gatherings because it always surprises people. It looks like any other creamy white dip, maybe a ranch-y sort of thing made with cream cheese or sour cream. But it tastes like something else entirely. Lemon gives it zing, garlic adds bite, and the feta fills it with a delicious salty tang. Set it out with pita and veggies, and I promise, it’ll disappear in minutes. Another reason I love this whipped feta dip recipe? It’s SO easy to make. You just need 5 ingredients, 5 minutes, and a food…

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Air Fryer Fried Pickles

Love fried pickles? Try making this air fryer version at home! Crispy, crunchy, and full of pickle flavor, they're a delicious appetizer or snack.

By popular request: air fryer fried pickles! Recently, a few of you have asked me if I’ve made fried pickles in the air fryer. After getting the question a couple of times, I knew I had to try it. I have to say, I’m so glad I did! These air fryer fried pickles are crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, salty, tangy, and completely addictive. They’re a great fun, easy appetizer for a summer happy hour, though honestly, we like these air fryer pickles so much that I plan to make them at all times of year. I…

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Remoulade Sauce

You only need 10 ingredients to make this easy remoulade recipe! Creamy and tangy, with a spicy kick, it's a delicious dipping sauce or condiment.

Creamy and tangy, with a delicious spicy kick, this remoulade is my favorite sauce of the moment. I’ve been slathering it on veggie burgers, serving it with French fries, and setting it out with these addictive air fryer fried pickles. We even loved it on the grilled sweet potatoes we made last week! All that’s to say, if you’re looking for an easy sauce to punch up a meal, this remoulade might be just the thing. Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce. It has a mayonnaise base, and capers or gherkins and fresh herbs are often mixed in. This recipe…

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Gremolata

Gremolata is an Italian condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Sprinkle it over pasta, veggies, and more for a burst of fresh, bright flavor!

A sprinkle of parsley is one of my favorite ways to finish a dish, adding freshness and an appealing fleck of green. But if I really want to kick that same dish up a notch, I’ll sprinkle it with gremolata instead. What Is Gremolata? Gremolata might sound fancy, but really, it’s incredibly simple. An Italian condiment, it consists of chopped parsley mixed with lemon zest and garlic. The combination is zippy, bright, and fresh, making gremolata an easy way to liven up almost any dish. How to Make Gremolata Making gremolata is as simple as it sounds: all you have…

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Avocado Salsa

This avocado salsa recipe is fresh, flavorful, and SO easy to make! Serve it with tortilla chips for a zesty summer appetizer, or add it to tacos and more.

This avocado salsa recipe is kinda like a mashup of two of my favorite things: mango salsa and guac. So naturally, I’m obsessed with it. It’s a super simple recipe – you can make it in all of 10 minutes! – but it still packs in a ton of contrasting textures and flavors. Creamy avocado plays off sweet, juicy mango, which in turn accents spicy chiles, crisp red onion, and cilantro. A big squeeze of lime juice adds the perfect zesty pop. I love to serve it as a fun, fresh appetizer with tortilla chips, but this avocado salsa is…

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Pasta Primavera

This pasta primavera recipe is light, fresh, and simple to make. Packed with colorful veggies, it's the perfect easy dinner for spring or summer night.

I love to make this pasta primavera recipe after a trip to the farmers market in early summer. I come home with bags full of produce. Some contain spring veggies like asparagus and peas that will only be available for a few more weeks. Others hold summer finds like zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes whose season is just starting. The moment when all these spring and summer vegetables collide is so brief that I feel like I have to celebrate it. So, I cook a pot of pasta, sauté the veggies, and toss them together to make this pasta primavera…

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Grilled Tofu

Looking for an easy plant-based main dish to throw on the grill? Try this grilled tofu recipe! It's satisfying, flavorful, and simple to make.

Have you tried grilled tofu yet? If not, you have to bookmark this recipe! I’ll give you two reasons why: It’s SUPER simple. Ever made homemade veggie burgers? They’re delicious, but they can be fairly involved to make. This grilled tofu is also very tasty (see #2 below), but the prep is way simpler. Press it, season it, and toss it on the grill. It’s the easiest plant-based main dish for a summer cookout. It’s delicious! On the outside, this grilled tofu is lightly crisp and perfectly charred, while on the inside, it stays tender and juicy. Seasonings like chili powder, curry…

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Coconut Rice

Learn how to make coconut rice with 2 simple ingredients! It's rich, fragrant, and filled with buttery coconut flavor. A delicious side dish for any meal!

In my first cookbook, I shared a recipe for Coconut Rice with Brussels Sprouts. It was an instant hit after the book came out, and it’s remained a reader-favorite recipe to this day. As much as people love Brussels sprouts, I suspect that the recipe’s popularity isn’t really because of the veggies. It’s because of the coconut rice. I mean, how could it not be? Coconut rice is rich and fragrant, with a sweet, buttery coconut flavor. It’s fantastic in bowls and as a side dish, but it tastes so good that I could eat forkful after forkful straight from…

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Olive Tapenade

This olive tapenade recipe has a delicious mix of fresh, salty, and briny flavors. Serve it with crackers or baguette for a simple summer appetizer!

A few years back, if you’d offered me olive tapenade at a party or gathering, I would have politely declined it. I’d always thought of myself as an adventurous eater, but for some reason, olives just hadn’t been for me. But recently, I’ve finally(!) started to come around to them. I like them in Greek salad and on bruschetta, and now, I even love olives in tapenade! Who knows? If you’re an olive skeptic, this recipe might win you over too. If you’re not familiar with tapenade, it’s a salty, briny olive spread that originated in the Provençe region of…

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Strawberry Margarita

This easy strawberry margarita recipe is fruity, tart, and sweet. Served on the rocks, it's such a delicious, refreshing summer treat!

What better way to kick off summer than with a strawberry margarita?! It’s fruity, it’s refreshing, and it’s SO darn fun. And despite its impressive appearance (check out that ruby red color!), it’s easy to make. Blitz up a quick strawberry puree in a blender, and add some to a cocktail shaker with 5 simple ingredients. Then, just shake and serve! I especially love this strawberry margarita recipe because it has an extra-summery twist. Instead of making it with regular simple syrup, I use simple syrup infused with basil. It brings so much freshness and depth to this already-delicious drink.…

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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.