Peach Sangria

Ginger, basil & mint give this peach sangria recipe a delicious herbal kick. Cold & refreshing, it's just the thing for hot summer days.

Happy Friday! I have the easiest, summeriest cocktail to share with you: peach sangria! This weekend, it’s going to be 102 degrees(!) here in Austin. Because hot summer days call for cold, refreshing drinks, I decided to come up with a new summer party drink recipe. I figure everyone loves sangria, so I thought – what would be more seasonal than peach sangria? Now one of my favorite sangria recipes, this drink is sweet, but not too sweet, and packed full of fruit and herbs. Peach Sangria Recipe Ingredients The base is simple: white wine, Grand Marnier, and fresh peaches. I also added…

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Peach Salad with Mint & Pistachios

summer / salads / gluten free

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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Tomato & Zucchini Frittata

I love to make this zucchini frittata when I have an abundance of summer vegetables on hand. Serve it for an easy, delicious brunch or dinner!

gluten free / dairy free / almond breeze

The frittata is one of my favorite things to throw together because, really, anything you need to use up can go into a frittata. Last week, I had a variety of tomatoes, zucchini, and some really lovely sweet potato greens on hand, so I made this simple zucchini frittata. Use this recipe as a guide to use up whatever you happen to have in your refrigerator – for example, spinach or kale would be easy substitutes for the sweet potato greens. This Zucchini Frittata is Healthy! A while back, I used to shy away from frittatas because I thought they required lots of butter…

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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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Mango Habanero Black Bean Tacos

Mango & habanero make the BEST addition to these easy black bean tacos. Sweet, spicy & just 10 ingredients, they're a fresh, fun weeknight dinner.

vegan / gluten free-option / summer

I love a good mango salsa. (I mean, who doesn’t?) It’s so fun and versatile – some of my favorite additions have been roasted jalapeños, smoked paprika, diced avocado, and even sesame & ginger. Today, I’m stirring in some mango habanero jam to make a sweet, juicy, and spicy filling for easy black bean tacos. These black bean tacos really couldn’t be easier – just chop and mix your ingredients – salsa, avocado, black beans, etc., and stuff them into a tortilla. (Add cheese if you want, but these are plenty flavorful without). Black Bean Tacos Variations If you can’t get your hands on a good mango…

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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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Fancy S’mores

summer / whole foods / giveaway

I ate a lot of s’mores as a kid. It all started at our family’s annual summer vacations to Kentucky Lake. Later, at home, my sister and I would make them regularly in the microwave. Authentic “camp” flavor doesn’t happen in the microwave, but it was fun to watch them rise and (nearly!) explode. It probably comes as no surprise that hershey bars and jet puffed marshmallows aren’t quite my thing anymore. So, last weekend, Jack and I headed to Whole Foods where we gathered ideas and ingredients to make these fancy pants gourmet s’mores. Most of our inspiration came…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.