Blueberry Fennel Flatbread w/ Whipped Feta

Here, blueberries & fennel make a wonderful unexpected pairing, and tangy whipped feta accents their sweet, fresh flavors. Perfect for a spring brunch!

If you caught last week’s post about my CSA box tips, you might recognize some of those ingredients here in this recipe. What I love most about my “surprise” Farmhouse box is that it inspires me to come up with flavor combinations that I would not have thought of otherwise. Blueberries and fennel?? Yes, it works! The saying is true – what grows together goes together. These were the first blueberries of the season, and I knew I wanted to make a simple recipe to really highlight them. This flatbread is so easy to make and I think it’d be such…

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Vegan Pimento Cheese Dip

You won't believe how close this vegan pimento cheese recipe tastes to the real thing! It's tangy, creamy, and so delicious as a spring appetizer.

My husband Jack loves pimento cheese. Actually, he loves any kind of cheese but, having grown up in the south, pimento cheese has a special place in his heart. So I made this vegan version! Although he was skeptical as I was blending it together he was shocked and impressed by how close it tastes to the real thing. Cashews give this spread a creamy base while jarred pimentos, dijon mustard, and lots of lemon give it a proper tang. It’s best with Ritz-like crackers, but I also like to serve it with tons of chopped up veggies as well. This…

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Mango Coconut Muffins

I love to start my day with these bright mango coconut muffins! They're 100% vegan and have fresh flavor from lime, mango chunks & coconut flakes.

Muffins have such a special place in my heart. Growing up, my family ate muffins for breakfast nearly every day, and it was awesome. My sister and I would *think* we wanted the colorful cereals that the other kids had. We’d beg my mom to buy them and when she would, they’d end up going stale on the top shelf in the pantry. Nothing beat a warm muffin and a big glass of milk first thing in the morning. Of course, I’ve since nixed the milk part, but my love for muffins continues. These mango and coconut muffins are my new favorite morning treat.…

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Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites

These sweet potato bites are a fun and festive party appetizer! A nutty, tangy avocado tartare tops thin rounds of roasted sweet potato.

How cute are these sweet potato appetizer bites?! The topping is my plant-based riff on classic tuna tartare, with diced avocado in place of the fish. It tastes fantastic, with a yummy mix of nutty, tangy, creamy, and crunchy elements. It’s also pretty! The vibrant sweet potato contrasts with the pale avocado, and watermelon radish adds a big pop of pink. If you ask me, these sweet potato bites are almost as fun to look at as they are to eat. Speaking of eating, these sweet potato appetizer bites are totally vegan and gluten-free! As a result, they’re a perfect…

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Kentucky Derby Party Recipes

As you know, the Kentucky Derby® is right around the corner (did you see last week’s Sparkling Mint Juleps?). Today I’m partnering with 14 Hands Wine to share some Derby Day party tips, recipes, and a few great wine pairings. It’s time break out your fancy hats, pour some wine and get started! First up are these colorful open-faced (crust off!) tea sandwiches. These are super easy to make if you make the spread ahead of time and assemble these just before your guests arrive. Instead of a cream cheese spread I made an herbal creamy dill spread by blending sunflower…

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Sweet Potato Noodles with Garlic & Kale

Sweet potato noodles inject the classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with brilliant color in this easy dish. I love to top mine with basil & plenty of Parmesan.

Have you tried sweet potato noodles? In the past, I’ve made zoodles and doodles (noodles made out of daikon radish), but it didn’t occur to me until recently to make swoodles(?). Is that what we’re calling them? Anyway, one night, with a hungry stomach and minimal ingredients on hand, I saw this gorgeous recipe for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and I realized I could make something similar using sweet potatoes in place of the pasta. This recipe starts with 2 medium sweet potatoes – you’ll be surprised how many noodles they make, and then you’ll also be surprised by how much they cook down…

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Chickpea Salad Wraps w/ Avocado Dill Sauce

This easy chickpea salad is my vegan version of a classic tuna salad. It's tangy & light, made with Dijon mustard, crunchy celery & cornichons.

I think there are 2 types of people in this world – those who love tuna salad and those who hate it. Because my mom made it all the time when I was growing up, I definitely fall into the first category. But today, I’m hoping to bridge the “hater” gap with these chickpea salad lettuce wraps. If you’re not into fishy things, no worries, these wraps are completely vegan. If you are into fishy things, I think you’ll love them just the same – mashed chickpeas combined with salty, briny flavors (i.e. good Dijon mustard, capers, and cornichons) and…

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Vegetarian Club Sandwich

This hearty club sandwich is one of my favorite lunch recipes! A creamy spread and lots of veggies perfectly accent smoky marinated tempeh strips.

Someone recently asked me – when do you use tempeh? I responded with, “when I’m tired of tofu and chickpeas… that’s when it’s tempeh time :)” To be honest, no one really knocks down my door begging for more tempeh recipes, but since that interview, I’ve had it on the brain. Tempeh is delicious, so let’s make a club sandwich with it! Club Sandwich “Meat” The marinade I created for the tempeh is a smoky mixture that includes tamari or soy sauce, maple syrup, ground cumin, and smoked paprika. When you first mix this together, the flavor is going to…

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Almost-Raw Carrot Cake Bliss Balls

We love snacking on these 7-ingredient carrot energy balls. They taste just like carrot cake, but they're nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make!

It’s April which means – time for carrot desserts! Or, well, in this case, carrot snacks. These lightly sweetened carrot bites are great for 3pm snacktime or an on-the-go breakfast. They’re more carroty than cakey – and by that I mean that they’re not cake-like at all and there’s no baking required (if you’re really craving cake click here or here). They’re chewy little balls made from a mix of carrots, sunflower seeds, dates, coconut, and cinnamon. By popular request, I made these nut free (as long as coconut is ok) – I was very tempted to try an almond version, but I held…

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Best Buddha Bowl

The ultimate nutrient-packed vegan buddha bowl! Fresh veggies, beans, sauerkraut, and a vibrant turmeric tahini sauce make it hearty and flavorful.

Where did the name ‘Buddha Bowl’ come from, anyway? If you’ve been on Instagram in the last 5 years, chances are you’ve seen these colorful bowls, packed with plant-based goodness like grains, legumes, steamed and raw veggies, and flavorful sauces. According to a 2017 Epicurious article by Katherine Sacks, the name could come from how Buddha collected alms, using a large bowl to gather small bits of food that the residents of whatever village he was staying in could afford to share. Before we started calling these colorful bowls “Buddha Bowls,” I knew them as macro bowls. When we lived…

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Creamy Vegan Shiitake & Kale Pasta

Creamy Vegan Shiitake & Kale Pasta - a healthy weeknight dinner coated in a simple, delicious 5-ingredient sauce made with miso and cashews.

Happy Monday, it’s pasta time! This is a spin on a recipe that has been a reader favorite (also one of my favorites) from our cookbook. In the book, this creamy miso pasta is made with brussels sprouts – have you tried it? If so, you’re going to love this version with shiitake mushrooms and kale. If you haven’t tried it, well now’s your chance 🙂 The cashew cream has just 5 ingredients: cashews, miso paste, garlic, lemon, and black pepper. It’s so simple to make, yet it’s so hearty and delicious – especially with sautéed shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakes have such a wonderful umami flavor – I…

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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.