Oatmeal Pancakes

This healthy oatmeal pancakes recipe comes together in a blender, meaning that it's quick enough to make on weekdays and weekends alike.

I’ve been sharing lots of back-to-school breakfasts lately (see here, here, or here), and I have one more for you today: these oatmeal pancakes! I think most pancake recipes are best suited to a lazy Sunday morning, but these oatmeal pancakes are quick and easy enough to make on any day of the week. They’re so speedy because the recipe employs the help of a blender to mix up the batter – no whisking required! The blender trick also means that you won’t find any flour in this recipe, just lots of whole rolled oats. As a result, these healthy…

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Breakfast Sandwich

This make-ahead breakfast sandwich recipe is the ULTIMATE way to start your day! Filled with veggies, eggs, and cheese, it's hearty and delicious.

If you start your day with a breakfast sandwich that looks like that (see above), you KNOW it’s going to be a good one. And the best part about it is that you don’t actually have to make said sandwich on the day you’re planning to eat it. Nope, this breakfast sandwich recipe freezes perfectly, so you can assemble a week’s worth of sandwiches on the weekend and feast on them all week. If you ask me, it’s one of the nicest things you can do for your future self. Sitting down to a toasted English muffin slathered with herbed goat cheese…

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Cinnamon Apples

These sweet, spiced cinnamon apples are just as good for breakfast as they are for dessert. Serve them over oatmeal, pancakes, or ice cream!

Sweet, soft, and nicely spiced, these easy cinnamon apples taste like the inside of a warm apple pie. But unlike a pie, which requires hours of chilling and baking and cooling, this cinnamon apples recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. I love its simplicity. Its lack of crust, batter, or crumble topping allows it to be just as at home at breakfast as it is at dessert. It also means that this recipe is 100% about the apples. If you have a craving for cozy, apple-y fall flavor, there’s no easier or more satisfying way to indulge it than…

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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie is thick, creamy, and packed with sweet and nutty flavor. Make it for an easy, delicious breakfast or snack!

This peanut butter banana smoothie is the kind of breakfast that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning. It calls for 4 simple ingredients, it takes minutes to make, and it tastes so good that it could almost pass as dessert. The peanut butter, banana, and whole rolled oats make it thick and creamy, and they infuse it with the BEST sweet and nutty flavor. They also happen to add fiber, protein, potassium, and vitamin C, meaning that this delicious breakfast is a healthy one too. I think you’ll love it! Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe…

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Lentil Salad

Add this lentil salad recipe to your lunch rotation ASAP! Packed with fresh veggies, olives, and feta, it's super flavorful and great for meal prep.

This lentil salad recipe is helping me ease into a new lunch routine. After a summer filled with picnic leftovers and impromptu farmers market meals, I’m trying to get back in the rhythm of doing at least a little meal prep at the start of the week. That way, at lunchtime, I’m not totally stumped by what to eat. Luckily, this lentil salad recipe is simple to make, so it’s a breeze to put together on a Sunday. It also tastes so good that I don’t mind eating it for a few days on repeat. I douse al dente lentils,…

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Corn Dip

Make this corn dip for your next summer party, and the entire bowl will disappear in minutes. Creamy, tangy, sweet, and spicy, it's always a hit!

This corn dip recipe is the perfect easy appetizer for game day or summer cookouts. It’s super simple to make, and, like all the best party recipes, it actually gets better if you make it ahead. …which is really saying something, because this corn dip is insanely delicious to begin with. A creamy, tangy combo of mayo and Greek yogurt coats juicy, smoky grilled corn kernels, jalapeños, and green onions. Lime juice makes it fresh and bright, and drizzles of hot sauce add an extra kick. Yum, right?! Well, pop it all in the fridge for an hour or so, and…

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Cinnamon Apple Scones

This apple scones recipe is the perfect fall treat! The scones are moist, warmly spiced, and packed with sweet apple flavor.

This post is in partnership with Jewel-Osco®. Happy September! Fall may not officially start until the 22nd, but I’m already excited for warming soups, comforting pastas, and cozy baked goods like these cinnamon apple scones. These cute little treats are everything I crave on a crisp fall morning. They’re lightly sweet, moist, and warmly spiced, with a delicious apple-y flavor that pairs perfectly with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. They’re easy to make, and I love that all the ingredients are available at the Jewel-Osco® just down the street from our house. Check out the recipe below, or head…

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Eggplant Caponata

Silky, sweet, and sour, this eggplant caponata recipe is a delicious summer appetizer. Serve it on crostini with lots of fresh basil for garnish!

These days, our neighborhood farmers market is basically like a caponata cooking kit. Mounds of eggplants, tomatoes, and multicolored peppers fill every stall. I’m pretty pleased about it, because this Sicilian vegetable stew is one of my favorite late summer dishes. It’s tangy, briny, and lightly sweet, with a rich, silky texture that’s absolutely irresistible. I first fell in love with caponata years ago on a trip to Italy. Jack and I ordered it as an appetizer with crusty bread and a glass of white wine almost everywhere we went. When we got home, of course I had to learn…

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How to Make Crostini

Learn how to make crostini! Topped with fresh garnishes or a creamy spread, these crisp, golden little toasts are the perfect party appetizer.

If you ask me, everyone should learn how to make crostini. These little Italian toasts are at home at any party or gathering, and they’re an absolute breeze to make. Thinly slice a baguette, brush the slices with olive oil, and toast them in the oven until they’re crisp and golden. Once they’re toasted, they’re the perfect base for all kinds of toppings. Creamy spreads, fresh veggies, herbs, fruit, or cheese… You’ll find over 10 crostini recipes in our recipe index and another 4 in my cookbooks. What can I say? The crostini topping possibilities are endless! How to Make…

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Roasted Zucchini

Learn how to make easy roasted zucchini! It's beautifully caramelized, golden brown, and seasoned to perfection with lemon, herbs, and cheese.

I’m finally coming around to roasted zucchini. You’d think, given how much I love pretty much all zucchini recipes, that I would have been a fan of it forever. But no. Roasted zucchini and I got off to a rocky start. See, I have a strong aversion to anything mushy. Before I worked out this game-changing recipe, that’s how my roasted zucchini always ended up. It was too soft and too watery, basically mush. But this summer, I decided to give roasted zucchini another chance. Instead of slicing the squash into thin rounds like I had in the past, I…

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Italian Seasoning

Instead of using store-bought Italian seasoning, make your own at home! This simple blend of dried herbs is delicious in sauces, soups, and more.

Italian seasoning is one of those kitchen basics, like bread crumbs or a simple vinaigrette, that I prefer to make at home instead of buying at the store. I keep all the ingredients in my pantry anyway. I may as well combine them myself instead of picking up an extra spice! More importantly, making my own Italian seasoning allows me to control the balance of flavors. My homemade blend has a mix of sweet, earthy, and aromatic notes that I absolutely love. I’ve shared my favorite Italian seasoning recipe below. Try it as written, or experiment with the ratios 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.