Shiitake & Napa Cabbage Gyoza

These days, our idea of a “date night” rarely involves restaurant reservations. First, we never think ahead to actually make reservations, and then (way too often) we find ourselves waiting 2 hours on a Friday night for a meal. Some people might be ok with that, but this girl gets hungry. Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) are one of our favorite things to make together at home. They’re not difficult but they take a little time – the assembly is definitely quicker if you have 4 hands and a bottle of sake on the side. We often eat these as a light…

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Baked Parsnip Fries

Swap potatoes for parsnips to make these healthy baked parsnip fries! Great with your favorite burger, they're irresistibly crispy, sweet & salty.

Happy Fri-day! (pun intended, I’m so sorry). What I’m not sorry about are these parsnip fries – they’re awesome and super simple to make. I recommend making extra because you (or your significant other – I’m not naming any names here), will likely eat most of them right off the baking sheet, and you’re going to want a few left to enjoy with your burger. Not only are these parsnip fries healthier than traditional fries (they have much more fiber), but they have a unique flavor. If you’ve cooked with parsnips before, you know that they’re slightly sweet. As a result, these…

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Quinoa Burger

Say goodbye to mushy, bland veggie burgers forever! This quinoa burger is tangy and spicy, with a delicious hearty texture and perfect crispy edges.

I’m not sure where to begin with this quinoa burger recipe. It has a wonderful meaty texture with lightly crisp edges, a spicy, tangy flavor, and a gorgeous red color. Plus, it’s totally vegan and gluten-free! What’s not to love? I’m looking forward to making this quinoa burger for cookouts all summer long, and I hope you are too. On the off-chance that you have leftovers, pop them in the freezer! They reheat perfectly for quick weeknight dinners down the road. Quinoa Burger Recipe Ingredients I set some strict veggie burger criteria for this recipe: no eggs, no cheese, no…

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Raspberry Crumble Bars

Warning: these are highly addictive and way too easy to make. I’ve been meaning to post these for awhile… the problem is that every time I’ve made them we just eat them. There’s a lot of restraint involved in taking pictures of food. These are inspired by one of my favorite treats – those raspberry bars at Whole Foods (the super delicious buttery ones). My version here uses coconut oil and walnuts which makes them a tad healthier although they’re still pretty indulgent. A perfect little 3 o’clock snack. You likely have all of these ingredients in your pantry already.…

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“Ricotta” Stuffed Cabbage

This is my gluten free (and pasta-free) version of stuffed shells. This “cheesy” cashew filling tastes just as indulgent as the real thing.

This is my gluten free solution to last week’s stuffed shells. You’ll notice it’s also pasta-free but trust me, this “cheesy” cashew filling tastes just as indulgent. This little creation was a total happy accident… while I was shopping, I had filled my cart with everything necessary for the stuffed shells, with one ingredient left to go: the shells. And just my luck, no shells. I figured, I’d go searching for them somewhere else the next day. But when I got home I noticed a lonely cabbage in my fridge and voilà. When I remade these (for this post) I found…

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Cold Sesame Noodles w/ Kale & Shiitakes

I may call this a noodle salad, but secretly it's a kale salad, too. Made with sesame dressing and lots of sturdy veggies, it's perfect packed for lunch.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I think Monday lunch is the most important meal of the week. If I’ve destroyed myself indulged a little too much over the weekend, I like to recover with a good healthy Monday lunch. Start the week off right, and it’s easier to make healthier choices throughout the week. I’m also trying to make more meals in advance (I’m hoping these kinds of recipes are helpful for you too). This is a noodle salad, but secretly there’s a kale salad hidden in here as well. I like to…

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Chilaquiles with Avocado

Chilaquiles with Avocado - my take on fresh healthier chilaquiles. Made with corn tortillas, eggs and red chile salsa. A favorite for breakfast or brunch. Gluten free.

I’m thinking of trying to grow avocados this spring… I don’t really have a green thumb, but I eat so darn many of them, I figure it’s worth a try. (Also, I’m just now realizing that this is my 3rd avocado recipe in a row – oops!) If anyone has any experience growing them, please let me know! I’m guessing that I probably have to start soon… Today’s recipe is something I really love to make at home because it tends to be a little too greasy for me at restaurants. Chilaquiles are usually considered hangover food and it all…

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Vegan Coffee Cake Muffins

I’m heading to Chicago later this week and I’m trying to think warm thoughts… It’ll be all of 1 degree when I land… and, (brr), my skin just isn’t that thick anymore. These muffins are a variation of my absolute favorite childhood breakfast: my Grandma Kissel’s coffee cake. On cold snowy mornings, there was nothing better than waking up to smell of warm cinnamon-ey cake wafting through the house. Of course these are slightly healthier and also vegan – using almond milk instead of sour cream and coconut oil instead of butter. But this is cake after all, so whatever…

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Brussels Sprout, Broccoli & Avocado Rice

Brussels sprouts, broccolini & scallions tossed with a tangy & spicy citrus sriracha dressing and topped with creamy avocado! (Gluten-free, Vegan option).

I’m pretty sure this one covers all of my major food groups: green vegetables, avocado, almonds, mint, lime & sriracha. In fact, I could probably stop right here and live happily ever after. I could change our name to The Brussels Sprout Blog and take pictures of this dish – every day – just in a different bowl (you know, to keep things exciting). Of course, I’m kidding, but I do really love this combo. What really pulls it together is the fish sauce (don’t worry, if you’re vegetarian you can sub it out), but it really brings the most amazing…

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Easy Pita Lunch Ideas

These 4 easy pita recipes are great packed for healthy lunches! All are vegetarian - prep the components ahead of time for a fast, delicious midday meal.

There’s a category that’s seriously underrepresented on Love & Lemons: lunch. Lunch, for me, is the meal that happens in between all of these recipe posts. It’s usually a quick throw-together meal that utilizes a previous night’s dinner and/or an assortment of random on-hand ingredients… (ie. a half of an avocado, a few leaves of kale, leftover quinoa, an opened container of greek yogurt). I love a big lunch salad, but when I don’t have enough greens & things to make up a full meal, I take what I do have and put it in (or on) a pita. I…

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Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus

Sneak more veggies into your lunch with these addictive collard green wraps! The crisp leaves surround a creamy, bright spiced carrot hummus.

Put down those tortillas, this year is the year of collard green wraps! Ok, I’m totally kidding. I could never give up tortillas, and I wouldn’t expect you to either. But in the spirit of all things lighter and brighter, we’re wrapping things up in leafy greens… In order to make collard green wraps exciting, a punchy, flavorful filling is a must. I had these pretty red carrots, which made me think of this Harissa Carrot Hummus recipe I had recently seen from Aida Mollenkamp. I took a few liberties, (mostly because I was too lazy to go look up the actual recipe). Among other things, I pan-roasted…

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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.