Air Fryer Broccoli

Serve this air fryer broccoli as a side dish, or add it to your next grain bowl. It has perfect crispy edges and a savory garlic flavor. You're going to love it!

Every time I make this air fryer broccoli, I wish I’d doubled the recipe. It’s so simple, but something about the combination of the broccoli’s crisp edges and savory, salty seasoning makes it completely addictive. Even if I intend to serve it as a side dish or add it to a grain bowl, I find myself eating it straight out of the air fryer basket. It’s that good! Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe Ingredients To make this recipe, you’ll need these simple ingredients: Broccoli, of course! You’ll just need the florets for this recipe. If your broccoli has a long stalk…

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Instant Pot Brown Rice

Learn how to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot! The process is almost entirely hands-off, and the rice comes out tender and fluffy every time.

If there’s one recipe that made me an Instant Pot convert, it was this Instant Pot brown rice. Let’s be honest: cooking brown rice on the stove is no one’s favorite thing to do. It requires 40+ minutes of hovering nearby, nudging the heat up and down to keep the pot at a lively simmer. But this Instant Pot brown rice recipe is almost entirely hands-off. Once you get it going, you can focus on making the rest of your meal without giving the rice a second thought, knowing that it’ll come out fluffy, tender, and perfectly cooked. Try it…

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Minestrone Soup

This minestrone soup recipe is a delicious version of the classic Italian vegetable soup. Serve it with crusty bread for an easy vegetarian meal!

Today, I have two goals: to bake a batch of Christmas cookies and to make a pot of minestrone soup. To me, the two go hand-in-hand. After I spend an afternoon baking (and eating!) something sweet, I want nothing more than a warming, nourishing pot of soup for dinner at night. I love this minestrone soup recipe in particular because it’s so satisfying, but still light and fresh. Onions, carrots, and celery add depth of flavor to its herb-flecked tomato broth, and starchy beans and pasta make it nice and thick. I toss in green beans for texture, and, as…

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25 Best Dutch Oven Recipes

These easy Dutch oven recipes show off the versatility of everyone's favorite cast-iron pot. Use yours to make bread, stew, pasta, risotto, and more!

‘Tis the season of cozy soups, comforting stews…and holiday shopping. If you’re thinking about treating yourself or a loved one to a new piece of kitchen equipment, let me recommend a Dutch oven! This type of heavy-duty pot might seem like a specialty item, but if you cook often, I promise, you’ll use it daily. In fact, I always have one perched on my stovetop, ready and waiting for the next time I cook a soup, pasta, sauce, or whatever other Dutch oven recipes I might have up my sleeve on a given day. Speaking of Dutch oven recipes, I’ve…

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Crispy Smashed Potatoes

These smashed potatoes are SUCH a tasty side dish or snack! They're crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and packed with savory garlic flavor.

Crispy smashed potatoes? Two, no, three. …Ok, more like four for me, please! I’m a huge fan of potato wedges, roasted potatoes, and even French fries, but these crispy smashed potatoes might just be my favorite potatoes yet. They have glorious crispy skins, comforting creamy middles, and a savory garlic-Parmesan flavor that I’m pretty sure no one could ever get enough of. Conveniently, they’re perfect for a wide variety of occasions. Top them with a drizzle of chipotle sauce, and they’d make a mouthwatering game day snack. Sprinkle them with fresh herbs, and they’d be a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving side dish.…

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Garlic Knots

We love to make this garlic knots recipe when we're entertaining. The soft, fluffy knots always impress guests, but, secretly, they're super easy to make!

I’m trying to think of something more delicious than warm garlic knots fresh out of the oven. …And I’m giving up. It’s just not possible. Garlic knots deliver everything you love about dinner rolls – soft! fluffy! – plus an extra kick of rich, savory garlic flavor. And because they can pass as an appetizer, snack, or even a side dish with the right meal, there’s never an occasion where they’re out of place. If you want to be the life of the party at any gathering you’re attending this season, my advice to you is simple: make this garlic…

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Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

This beet salad recipe is a stunning fall or winter side dish! Goat cheese, apples, and arugula fill it with a delightful mix of textures and flavors.

I love all the colors in this roasted beet salad recipe. The vibrant greens, the red and golden beets, the pale pink shallot, and the dots of white cheese. This kind of colorful salad is exactly what I like to serve at a dinner party or holiday meal. It adds some needed freshness to a spread of, say, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and it looks so striking, but it’s delightfully simple to make. You can even prep the components a day or two in advance! Beet Salad Recipe Ingredients To make this beet salad recipe, you can use any variety…

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Green Beans Almondine

If you love low effort-high reward recipes, you need these green beans almondine in your rotation. They're super simple and absolutely delicious!

If you’re not one for green bean casserole, add this glossy green bean recipe to your Thanksgiving menu instead! It’s my twist on green beans almondine, or amandine in French. Though it sounds fancy, this classic French side dish is really just green beans topped with sliced almonds. It’s remarkably simple and absolutely delicious. Green Beans Almondine Recipe Ingredients To make this green beans almondine recipe, you only need a few basic ingredients: Fresh green beans, of course! French haricots verts are best here, as they’re more tender than other varieties of string beans. Sliced almonds – Their nutty crunch…

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Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

If I could, I'd make this arugula salad recipe every night of the week. Tossed in a bright lemon dressing, it's a simple, fresh, and flavorful side dish.

There are few things I love more than a simple arugula salad. To his credit, Jack knows it. Not far from our house, there’s a little food market/sandwich shop that sells the BEST arugula. It’s crisp, tender, and perfectly peppery. Every time Jack goes out to get a sandwich for himself, he comes home with a box of arugula for me. I’ve used it to make all sorts of arugula salad recipes over the years (this one, this one, and this one, for starters), but lately, I’ve been especially smitten with this combination. I toss the arugula with a bright…

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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These Instant Pot mashed potatoes are rich, buttery, smooth, and creamy. Made with just 5 ingredients, they're such an easy, delicious side dish.

When I made these Instant Pot mashed potatoes for the first time, my goal was to earn Jack’s stamp of approval. He’s a devout mashed potato lover, so if these Instant pot mashed potatoes weren’t fluffy or flavorful enough, I knew I could count on him to let me know. After a few tastes and a tweak or two, he began happily scooping himself a bowl. “They’re great!” he said. And I had to agree. I don’t usually consider myself much of a mashed potato person, but at that moment, Jack wasn’t the only one loading up a bowl. I…

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Carrots with Yogurt, Dukkah, and Herbs

Served over lemony yogurt with dukkah and herbs, these vibrant carrots are a flavorful side dish. I love to make them for special occasions!

If you come to my house for a holiday dinner, there’s a good chance you’ll find this recipe on the menu. It’s one of my favorite special occasion sides because it looks gorgeous, it tastes amazing, and you can prep most of the components ahead! The recipe starts with a swoosh of creamy, lemony yogurt. Then, I pile on tender roasted carrots. For a flavorful finishing touch, I scatter on fresh herbs and sprinkle on a generous amount of dukkah, an aromatic blend of toasted spices, nuts, and seeds. Make this recipe the next time you’re cooking for family or…

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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.