White Bean and Kale Soup

This White Bean and Kale Soup is full of vegetables & herbs and gets plenty of zing from white wine & sherry vinegar. A hearty, healthy winter meal!

I just love making soups. There’s something so cozy and comforting about the whole process. It hasn’t exactly been soup weather around here, so last week when it dipped down into the 60’s, a stay-home, curl-up-on-the-sofa, soup night (and this white bean and kale soup) happened. Why you’ll love this white bean soup It’s hearty, but still kind of light. The beans and kale give this soup plenty of staying power, and it’s satisfying to eat. But at the end of the day, you’re still enjoying a bowl full of veggies. It gets better on the second day. This white…

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Simple Spinach Frittata

This flexible vegetarian spinach frittata recipe makes an easy dinner or crowd-pleasing brunch! Add your favorite spices or cheese to customize it.

breakfast / gluten free / dairy free

Here’s another fast, simple, “non-recipe” recipe that I make pretty darn often. What I love about a frittata is that the effort required is similar to making scrambled eggs, but somehow the end result is fancier. (And yes, I make my scrambled eggs with piles of greens and things). Frittatas are also my go-to dish for brunch entertaining. Because, let’s face it, who wants to get up on a Saturday morning and really cook. Not me. Pop your frittata in the oven and pour the mimosas!

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Kale & White Bean Crostini

A healthy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings! Toasted baguette is topped with marinated white beans and sautéed kale for a tangy, savory starter.

appetizers / holiday: / kale

The season of holiday parties is beginning… I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty full from Thanksgiving. Not that I’ll be turning down cocktails or sugary treats when they’re offered to me… but somehow I feel less guilty indulging if I’ve had my kale fix. (Kale neutralizes out cookies, right?). This appetizer is super simple to throw together (or even make ahead of time) and packs a garlicky-lemony-rosemary-ey punch…

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Butternut Squash & Leek Risotto

Our favorite fall date-night dinner. This herb, squash, and leek-filled risotto is a great healthy option for the holidays. Gluten free, vegan option.

fall / vegan / gluten free

A few years ago, Jack and I spent Thanksgiving alone, just the two of us. We had always traveled throughout the holiday season, exhaustingly flying around to visit both families. But this one particular year we decided enough was enough, and we made the bold move to stay home. To buck tradition even further, there was no turkey, no trimmings… instead we made this butternut squash risotto and Jack’s signature seared scallops. “Thanksgiving Risotto” might not have caught on as an annual tradition, but it was delicious and made for a memorable night. That and the half bottle of wine…

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Kale, Egg & Avocado Toast

This avocado toast topped with balsamic-sautéed kale and a fried egg makes a simple and healthy vegetarian lunch or snack.

breakfast / snacks & dips / favorite

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! Ours was filled with family festivities, eating, walking (trying to burn off at least some of the calories consumed), followed by more eating, and of course some drinking in there too. Many of you are probably tired of cooking by now, so today’s recipe is not really a recipe. I realized the other day that I rarely post about the food that I actually eat the most… the simple things I throw together for breakfast or a quick lunch. I eat a version of this at least a few times a week……

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Fall Hazelnut Panzanella

A delicious stuffing/panzanella hybrid, this healthy fall salad full of tangy sautéed mushrooms and crispy kale makes the perfect Thanksgiving side. Vegan.

Panzanella is one of my favorite summertime salads, so I thought, why not make a fall version using some stuffing-esque ingredients? Instead of juicy tomatoes, I sautéed some mushrooms and added tangy dried cranberries. Instead of sweet basil, I used woodsy sage. I normally toss pine nuts in my panzanella, but hazelnuts have been my nut of choice this fall, so I toasted those up instead. I tossed it all with grilled bread and a tangy vinaigrette and served it alongside grilled salmon. Jack’s conclusion (as we devoured the whole bowl) was “well it’s not stuffing, and it’s not panzanella… but it’s…

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Sweet Potato Surprise

A creamy noodle casserole with mac n' cheese style vegan sweet potato sauce. Spinach, shallot, scallions + sage are baked in for extra nutrients and flavor!

vegan / gluten free / favorite

I first made this months ago with the very first butternut squash of the season. I had decided ahead of time that it would be a “non-photo” night since casseroles are not the easiest subject matter. Of course, after we made it, I was regretting not having the camera out because it tasted way too good not to share. For the second go-around, I made it with sweet potatoes only because that had a better ring than “butternut squash surprise.” If you’re vegan, this will taste like a baked mac and cheese. If you’re not vegan, it will just taste…

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Cubes of challah are baked in a richly spiced pumpkin custard to make this dairy-free bread pudding. Perfect for fall gatherings on cool nights.

dairy free / favorite

A few days ago, my mom and I were out shopping for dinner again. As we stood in the bakery section at Whole Foods snacking on bread samples, we kept reaching for more and more pieces of this sweet potato bread. We didn’t buy any… it’s the sort of thing that’s best eaten in the store because it’s far too dangerous to have around the house. However, that night I went to bed and had a dream about making this dessert with that bread… along with pumpkin puree and coconut milk that I had leftover in my fridge. Now, I…

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Roasted Squash with Apple Salsa

Sweet winter squash are topped with a crisp and tangy fall apple-jalapeño-lime salsa. Serve for a unique Thanksgiving side or a healthy vegan and GF main!

fall / vegan / gluten free

My mom is in town visiting this week. Usually she comes bearing a pile of recipe clippings that she’s been collecting for weeks leading up to the trip. I’ve been stuck in a bit of a “same-ingredient” rut lately, so I was really looking forward to someone else just telling me what to make. But this time she showed up empty-handed and said, “I’m here to eat what you make – you know, all of those recipes you post that I never get to eat because I’m not close enough to stop by for dinner.” So I sat down and…

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

A hearty & healthy vegetarian and GF main for Thanksgiving! Squash is stuffed with a spiced kale and quinoa sauté with pepitas for crunch and feta for tang.

fall / gluten free / thanksgiving

My idea of a vegetarian Thanksgiving looks something like this: seasonal acorn squash stuffed with a sauté of quinoa and kale that’s kicked up a notch with scallions, tangy feta, sweet currants, and toasty pumpkin seeds. A colorful & hearty meal that doesn’t sacrifice on flavor. With all of the great produce this time of year, who really needs turkey and mashed white potatoes? (ok, just kidding, don’t answer that…)

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Roasted Sweet Potato & Cranberry Salad

A hearty salad filled with wheat berries & roasted sweet potatoes tossed with greens & a warming apple cider-cinnamon dressing. A healthy fall side or main.

fall / vegetarian / salads

In one version or another, we’ve probably eaten this salad five times in the last couple of weeks. I know everyone’s sort of hooked on sweet potatoes at the moment, and I guess I’m no different… Two things I love most about sweet potatoes are: 1. They take less strength and finger-losing risk than butternut squash, and 2. Once you pop them in the oven, the house almost instantly smells like Thanksgiving. Now that it’s been a little bit colder here, this has been the perfect soul-warming kind of meal to cozy up to with a bottle of red wine.

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.