Lentil Pasta

This easy lentil pasta recipe is a satisfying, comforting vegetarian meal. A rich tomato and lentil sauce coats chewy ribbons of al dente pasta.

Ok, pasta lovers, you need this lentil pasta recipe in your winter rotation! It’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and comforting in the way that only pasta with red sauce can be. Though this lentil pasta recipe is full of Italian flavors (marinara! balsamic! Parmesan!), it’s not a take on any specific Italian pasta dish. Rather, it’s something I love to cook when I want a hearty, flavorful pasta dinner, but I don’t want to go to the store or spend hours in the kitchen. This lentil pasta recipe comes together with basic pantry ingredients, and you can have it on the…

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Tomato Soup

The BEST tomato soup recipe! It's rich, flavorful, and made with pantry ingredients. Pair it with a grilled cheese for a delicious, comforting meal!

Homemade tomato soup is like a hug in a bowl, which, when the weather is as gray as it has been here lately, is exactly what I need. This tomato soup recipe is a cold weather staple in our house. It couldn’t be simpler to make, and the ingredients are largely pantry basics that I always keep on hand. But more importantly, this tomato soup is creamy, comforting, and full of rich flavor. The tomatoes make it tangy, balsamic vinegar adds sweetness, and red pepper flakes give it a warming kick of heat. You could serve it on its own,…

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Welcome to grilled cheese 101! Read on to learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich with a crisp, golden exterior and melty center every time.

If you’re wondering how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, Jack’s your guy. He makes one so often that we have a dedicated grilled cheese pan in our kitchen. It’s seen a million grilled cheese experiments in its day–mayo on the bread, or softened butter? American cheese or Swiss?–all of which have helped him work out what, in our opinion, is THE BEST grilled cheese recipe. It’s incredibly simple, but it yields an undeniably crave-able sandwich. This grilled cheese is crisp and golden on the outside and deliciously melty in the middle (see that cheese pull up there?!). Tomato soup…

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Cauliflower Fried Rice

Like regular fried rice, but with wayyy more veggies, this cauliflower fried rice recipe is a fun and flavorful meal. Add a fried egg to take it over the top!

This cauliflower fried rice recipe is one of the best meals I’ve eaten recently. It just checks all my boxes! It’s quick and easy to make, it’s chock-full of veggies, and, most importantly, it’s seriously PACKED with flavor. If you’re still a cauliflower rice skeptic, it’s time to give it a chance! I’m willing to bet that this recipe will make you love it. So, what exactly makes this cauliflower fried rice so flavorful? Well, instead of modeling it off a Chinese-style fried rice, I took inspiration from Korean kimchi fried rice and used chopped kimchi to load this dish…

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How to Fry An Egg

Learn how to fry an egg! This step-by-step guide will teach you how to cook a fried egg with crispy edges, firm whites, and yolks however you like them.

Cooking a perfect fried egg is easy…but it’s also easy to mess up. A fried egg might stick to the pan, it might come out closer to over-hard than over-easy, or–worst of all–its yolk might break as you attempt to flip it. I’ve made ALL these mistakes over the years. While they were disappointing in the moment, they paid off in the long run. Each one taught me a valuable lesson about how to fry an egg, and over time, I’ve worked out a foolproof fried egg recipe, which I’m sharing below. Follow it to make a quick and easy…

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Savory Oatmeal

This savory oatmeal recipe is just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner or lunch. Eggs, avocado, and garlicky greens top creamy steel-cut oats.

If you’re used to topping your morning oats with nut butter and fresh fruit, the concept of savory oatmeal might sound strange. But give it a chance, and I think you’ll be surprised. Oats (which, after all, are a whole grain like farro, brown rice, wheat berries, or any other) pair perfectly with savory fixings like avocado, sautéed greens, and soft boiled eggs. These hearty toppings make this savory oatmeal recipe a satisfying and nutritious breakfast, and they also carry oats beyond the breakfast zone, transforming them into a delicious option for a quick dinner or lunch. So even if…

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Sautéed Spinach

My go-to sautéed spinach recipe! Silky, garlicky, and bright with lemon, it's a delicious side dish or addition to pastas, eggs, grain bowls, and more.

When you do sautéed spinach right, it tastes so good that you want to eat it straight out of the skillet. The leaves are tender, silky, and bright with lemon, and they have a savory, garlicky bite. It makes a great standalone veggie side dish (and you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s quicker or easier!), but it can go into a frittata, a grain bowl, pasta, or a sandwich too. In short, if you haven’t already mastered the art of perfect sautéed spinach, now’s the time. This sautéed spinach recipe is simple, versatile, and flavorful. Learn how to…

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Kale Soup

Hearty and comforting, this white bean and kale soup recipe deserves a spot in your winter rotation. Crunchy homemade croutons take it over the top.

This kale soup recipe is exactly what I’m craving these days: comfort food + tons of veggies, all rolled into one. Its creamy broth (which, by the way, is thickened with blended white beans, not heavy cream) is swimming with tender kale and aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery. Rosemary and thyme add piney flavor, and a squeeze of lemon juice gives it the perfect bright finish. If you’re looking for a dish that is equal parts cozy, healthy, and delicious, look no further. This kale soup is it! How to Make Kale Soup You can find the complete kale…

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Sushi Bowl

This sushi bowl recipe is the easiest way to satisfy a sushi craving at home! Flavorful fixings like sliced avocado, nori, and spicy mayo top seasoned rice.

When I feel like eating sushi but I don’t feel like making sushi, I make this sushi bowl recipe instead. It’s easy to put together (no rolling required!), but it still captures all the tastes and textures I crave in a good veggie sushi roll. Creamy avocado plays off sticky seasoned rice, which in turn contrasts with crisp, cooling cucumbers and crackly nori. I add ripe mango for a hit of sweetness, baked tofu for protein, and big drizzles of spicy mayo for richness and heat. I like to prep the components ahead of time and enjoy this sushi bowl for…

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Spicy Mayo

You need this spicy mayo recipe in your life! Creamy and tangy, with a delicious kick, this simple condiment livens up sushi, tacos, and more.

It would be hard to overstate how much I love spicy mayo. Maybe you can relate? It’s creamy, it’s zingy, it’s full of fiery spice. How could you not want to eat it on sushi, let alone tacos, veggie burgers, or a side of French fries? Like many people, I first started eating spicy mayo at restaurants, but for years now, I’ve been making my own at home. It’s just too good to save for when you’re out to eat, and it also happens to be super easy to make! My recipe calls for four basic ingredients, ones you likely have…

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Green Smoothie

My favorite green smoothie recipe! This healthy, delicious drink is easy to make in the blender, and it's packed with leafy greens and fresh fruit.

New year, new green smoothie recipe! Ok, well actually, this recipe is not new new, but it’s new to the blog. Behind the scenes, it’s my favorite green smoothie recipe, the one that I make whenever I want to pack a bunch of fruits and vegetables into a single meal and have them taste like dessert. It’s thick and frosty, lightly sweet, and brimming with fresh produce like citrus, spinach, and banana. If you’re looking for a new healthy breakfast or snack to add to your rotation, I can’t recommend it enough. Green Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to…

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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.