Creamy Tortilla Soup

Blended corn tortillas thicken this creamy vegan tortilla soup. It's boldly flavored with cumin, oregano, chipotle powder & a splash of sherry vinegar.

I have this tortilla rotation: I buy (or make) fresh tortillas, and I freeze the ones I don’t use within a day or two. I’ll use those frozen tortillas for a while reheated directly on the gas stovetop. But before that batch is gone, I’ll inevitably acquire new ones. Soon enough, I have a random assortment of tortillas filling my freezer, all at various stages of pre-freezer burn. And then I make this vegetarian tortilla soup. About this vegetarian tortilla soup There are two types of tortilla soup: the thin brothy kind, which is usually made with chicken, and this creamy style.…

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Cinco de Mango

Mango recipes! mango salsa, mango margarita spritzer, mango black bean tacos, and a mango avocado salad.

spring / summer / entertaining

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo a little early this year with a mango fiesta. You should too because mangoes are on sale (like, $1 something) at Whole Foods until the end of April. I brought home muchos mangoes last weekend and mixed up this sweet & spicy salsa. Then (from the same salsa recipe), I made black bean tacos and an avocado-mango salad. And, of course, no fiesta is complete without tequila. I made a lighter version of a margarita – a mango margarita spritzer. Cheers!

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Vegan French Toast

No eggs? No problem. This easy Vegan French Toast is delicious made with almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple, nutritional yeast, and a little flour.

spring / brunch / almond breeze

The first year Jack and I were together, he was working in Austin while I was finishing college in Chicago. He’d come visit me nearly once a month. It feels like such long time ago now (11 years, yikes)… many of those early memories are fuzzy, but a few stand out. Friday nights, I would take the blue line to the airport to “pick him up” and we’d ride back to the city together. I was always late, he was always mad (or madly in love, ha). Saturday mornings, we would head to the Pick Me Up Cafe where he…

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Parmigiano & Fig Grilled Cheese

vegetarian / whole foods

A few weeks ago Whole Foods set out to break the Guinness World Record of number of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously. Jack and I were the “official” witnesses of Parmageddon at our Austin store. I know what you might be thinking… how does the lactose intolerant girl get herself into these things? Well, first of all, Jack will not ever turn down an opportunity for free cheese. And second, in recent years I’ve learned that hard cheeses don’t have very much lactose, and that I don’t have as much of a problem with really high quality cheese. (ie. just…

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Nutella Stuffed French Toast

breakfast / holiday

This might be the most unhealthy thing I’ve made for this site thus far. It’s not “surprisingly” vegan or “by the way” gluten free. And I didn’t make my own Nutella, although I thought about it. But… it’s fast, easy, and super delicious. We’re having some Nutella-loving friends over for Easter brunch next weekend, so I’m thinking this will be sure to impress. If sweets are too much for you in the morning, this can double as dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. (If you’re reading between the lines here, yes… we ate these for breakfast and…

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Apple Muffins

These easy apple muffins are studded with juicy chunks of apple and toasty nuts. I love enjoying them with tea or coffee on a cool fall morning.

dairy free / gluten free-optional / brunch

My mom made these apple muffins for us last week while she was visiting. And I made them again for breakfast this morning. These muffins aren’t too sweet, and they’re not too indulgent. Rather, they’re the perfect pick-me-up to start a slow morning or a great healthy snack on a cool fall afternoon. They’re on the healthy side, made with spelt flour or whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and almond milk. My favorite part of them is the juicy chunks of apple on the inside that make them wonderfully moist. Change Up These Apple Muffins! I love this apple muffin recipe…

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Walnut-Mushroom Veggie Burgers

dairy free / favorite

I’m so excited to be guest posting this recipe on A Cup of Jo’s “best you’ll ever have” series. Although, I have to say, it was a little bit daunting to come up with something that was going to be called “the best.” Of course we think this veggie burger is the best we’ve ever had… but since tastes are subjective, I’m hoping you at least find this to be “a pretty darn good one.” While I love both chickpea and black bean patties, I didn’t go that route because I don’t love them between bread… they can get a…

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Apple Pancake

This thick, custardy baked apple pancake takes me straight back to my childhood. Dust it with powdered sugar for a sweet finishing touch & dig in!

breakfast / favorite / fall

My sister and I used to beg my mom for things like Fruity Pebbles and Frosted Flakes. She didn’t cave often, but I remember the few times she did… she’d sigh and say, “If I buy this, are you really going to eat it this time?” We’d smile and nod, excited to be taking home the same colorful boxes our friends had. We’d each eat maybe one bowl full. Then up in the pantry it would go… to collect dust and then ultimately get tossed in the next pantry clean-out. The smiling kids on Saturday morning commercials would convince us…

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Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

Fish tacos with a spicy creamy chipotle aioli.

dairy free / gluten free-optional

I have some guilty confessions relating to this meal: 1. This might seem un-characteristic, given my general healthy habits but I love mayo. And I have an unhealthy addiction to Japanese Kewpie Mayo. If I had to choose 5 things to bring to a desert island, that just might be one of them. Along with a few chipotles to make this sauce. 2. I made these tacos all for myself one night last week while Jack worked late… catching up on my guiltiest of guilty tv shows… The Bachelor, which I had proudly avoided for weeks… and Smash, a show…

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Mini Ceviche Tacos

summer / vegan

I’m guest posting today on A House in the Hills (one of my favorite blogs), while Sarah is in Mexico this week. I know, I’m jealous too. To compensate for my vacation-envy, I made these bright little ceviche tacos and imagined myself on the beach soaking in the sun with a margarita in hand. Whitefish gets “cooked” with lots of lime juice. And for a fun twist I made a vegetarian version using chopped up hearts of palm that was equally, (if not more), delicious than it’s pesca counterpart. You could serve them with chips as an appetizer, or with tortillas as more…

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Chocolate Almond Breeze Smoothie

Rich & creamy chocolate smoothies made with banana and almond milk. Vegan and Gluten free.

vegan / gluten free / almond milk

Now that January is over and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I think it’s time to trade in our kale drinks for rich & creamy chocolate-y treats. Because we’ve been good after-all… haven’t we? Something you might not expect that’s a fixture in our fridge is chocolate almond milk. Jack drinks a mocha with it every morning. And he occasionally makes us milk-less milkshakes (kindly accommodating for my my lactose intolerance). He doesn’t cook often but two of his designated tasks are: 1. Coffee Pour-er, and 2. Blender-man. This is his most recent blended treat… frozen bananas with chocolate almond milk and…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.