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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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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Roasted Vegetables

Learn how to make the BEST oven roasted vegetables! I'm sharing an easy recipe + tips to help you cook tender, flavorful roasted veggies every time.

Roasted Vegetables

Welcome to roasted vegetables 101! Below, I’m sharing my go-to roasted vegetables recipe, plus tips and tricks to help you cook them perfectly every time. Of all the different ways to cook vegetables, roasting is my favorite. I love it because… It’s easy. You can make perfect roasted veggies in under 30 minutes. It works with a variety of vegetables. You can roast bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and more. It’s delicious. Roasting vegetables in a hot oven brings out their natural sweetness. They come out tender and flavorful with crisp, caramelized edges. They’re so tasty that I often eat them straight…

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Kohlrabi Slaw

Made with toasted hazelnuts, red onions, and apples, this easy kohlrabi slaw is crisp and refreshing. It's a light, lovely side dish for any autumn meal.

If you still have space for one more dish on your Thanksgiving menu, make this kohlrabi slaw recipe! It’s crisp and refreshing – the perfect way to balance out indulgent holiday fare like stuffing and mashed potatoes. Plus, it calls for just 10 ingredients, and it comes together in right around 15 minutes. You can chop the veggies, whisk up the dressing, and have it on the table in the time it takes to warm your dinner rolls or sweet potato casserole in the oven! The recipe comes my friend Andrea‘s new book Local Dirt: Seasonal Recipes for Eating Close to…

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20 Best Thanksgiving Salad Recipes

Brighten your holiday table with these Thanksgiving salad recipes! With grain salads, green salads, and more, you're sure to find one you love.

By now, you probably have a good idea of your Thanksgiving menu. Maybe you’re sticking to classics like turkey, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce, or maybe you’re trying something new. Mashed cauliflower? Mac and cheese? No matter what you’re serving, I hope you’re including a Thanksgiving salad. Why? For one, color! If you’ve been following Love & Lemons for a while, you know that I love highlighting the colors of every season. In the fall, so much colorful produce is at its peak, but it doesn’t always make its way onto our Thanksgiving tables, where mashed potatoes and gravy take…

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40 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

These vegan Thanksgiving recipes include entrees, side dishes, desserts, and more - everything you need to make a plant-based holiday feast!

Every year, I hear from readers asking for vegan Thanksgiving recipes. I always write back with an idea or two, but I never quite feel like my response is enough. I think one of the most joyous things about Thanksgiving is crafting a menu that you and your friends or family will love. So instead of sending a couple suggestions to each person who writes in, I wanted to create a whole collection of vegan Thanksgiving recipes for you to explore. And finally, it’s here! Below, you’ll find over forty of my best vegan Thanksgiving recipes. They include everything you…

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Green Bean Salad

This green bean salad recipe is super easy to make, but it's still delicious and complex. It's perfect for the holidays or dinner any night of the week!

I am so excited to share this green bean salad recipe with all of you! I first made it way back in the summer, on a day when I had a gorgeous bag of string beans in the fridge. They were long, slender, sweet, and snappy, and I knew I had to find a special way to use them. Each year, I enjoy green beans throughout the summer and fall. But no matter what season it is or what dish I’m making, they always remind me of Thanksgiving and my family’s classic green bean casserole. So as I pondered how…

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How to Cook Fresh Green Beans

Learn how to cook fresh green beans perfectly every time! Serve them as a side dish, or add them to your favorite green bean recipes.

Nearly all of my fresh green bean recipes begin with blanching the beans. If you ask me, everyone should learn this method for how to cook green beans. It’s quick and easy, and it yields beans that are vibrant, crisp-tender, and not at all mushy. They’re perfect for serving as a side dish or adding to salads and sandwiches. Heck, they even make a great green bean casserole! Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to how to cook fresh green beans, as well as my favorite green bean recipes. They include ideas for Thanksgiving, summer picnics, and dinners all year…

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

This stuffed acorn squash recipe is perfect for the holidays! Sage and rosemary add earthy flavor to its hearty tempeh and mushroom filling.

When people ask me what to serve as a vegetarian main dish at Thanksgiving, I always reply, “Stuffed acorn squash!” I love putting seasonal produce at the center of my plate whenever I can, and Thanksgiving dinner is no exception. Acorn squash presents us with a unique opportunity. After you scoop out the seeds, the squash halves form natural bowls. You could leave them empty, roast the squash, and serve it as a side dish. But you could also load the squash with a flavorful filling after it comes out of the oven. In an instant, it’ll transform from a…

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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.