How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Learn how to make cold brew coffee at home! This recipe is energizing, delicious, and SO easy to make - a perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.

Have I ever mentioned that I love cold brew coffee? Like, I really love cold brew coffee. Sure, Jack and I own a regular coffee maker, but we use it so rarely that you can find it tucked away in a cupboard underneath the kitchen counter. I love cold brew’s richer, smoother, and less acidic flavor. Plus, on a hot summer day, drinking a steaming cup of coffee is simply out of the question. For years, I bought cold brew concentrate at the store…until I learned that it’s super easy to make at home! You don’t need any special ingredients –…

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Pesto Pasta Salad

Tossed with a vibrant basil pesto and filled with veggies, this pesto pasta salad is fresh and delicious. Serve it for dinner, or pack it up for a picnic!

This pesto pasta salad recipe is super summery and fresh! Vibrant basil pesto (preferably homemade) coats curly noodles, shaved zucchini, and crunchy pine nuts. Lemon juice peps it up, and whole basil leaves intensify the herbaceous flavor. Like most pasta salads, this pesto pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead for potlucks and picnics. But we enjoy it so much that I also like to serve it as a weeknight dinner! On a hot summer night, it’s a refreshing alternative to traditional pesto pasta. Plus, made with pesto AND basil leaves, it helps me take advantage of the…

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Watermelon Juice

This easy watermelon juice recipe is perfect for hot summer days. Made with just 3 ingredients (and no added sugar!), it's cool, delicious, and refreshing.

A cold glass of this watermelon juice is everything I want on a warm summer day. When it’s blistering hot outside (or super humid, like it has been here), this hydrating juice is the best way to cool off. And, like, how gorgeous is that color?! Topped off with a sprig of fresh mint, this watermelon juice is just plain fun. How to Make Watermelon Juice I’m not a fan of overly sweet fruit juices, so I don’t use any added sugar in this recipe. Instead, I make it with 3 basic ingredients: watermelon, lime juice, and ginger juice. Here’s…

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How to Cut a Watermelon

Learn how to cut a watermelon into cubes, balls, or wedges! Crisp, cool, and refreshing, this summer fruit is perfect for salads, snacking, and more.

It seems like everywhere is having a heat wave this week, so I thought I’d share a simple guide to how to cut a watermelon…aka summer’s most refreshing fruit. Pre-cut watermelon is readily available in many grocery stores these days, but whenever you can, buy one whole, and chop it up yourself. For starters, it’ll be fresher, and it’ll have a better texture, as watermelon starts to soften and release juice once it’s chopped. Plus, you can cut it to whatever size and shape you like. Wedges? Cubes? Balls? You got it. You’ll find my method for how to cut…

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Vegan Potato Salad

This vegan potato salad is fresh and summery, with a bright lemon dressing and lots of crunchy veggies. A perfect side dish for a picnic or cookout!

I served this vegan potato salad at our Father’s Day cookout a few weeks ago, and it was a huge hit. My family loved it, even though it’s not at all like the classic potato salad they’re used to. Instead of having an ultra-creamy dressing, it’s tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette. In addition to potatoes, it’s filled with herbs and lots of crunchy veggies. A drizzle of rich, tangy vegan sour cream takes the whole thing over the top. All together, this vegan potato salad is fresh, flavorful, and summery. It’s one of my favorite salads I’ve made this…

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Vegan Sour Cream

Creamy, tangy, and rich, this vegan sour cream is delicious on baked potatoes, nachos, chili, and more. You won't miss the real thing one bit!

This vegan sour cream recipe is a staple in my kitchen. Just like the real thing, it’s creamy, tangy, and rich, a perfect topping for baked potatoes, nachos, chili, enchiladas…I could go on and on. It’s super easy to whizz together, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients. If you’re dairy-free or vegan (or even if you’re not!), you’ll make this recipe time and time again. Vegan Sour Cream Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan sour cream recipe: Raw cashews – They make this vegan sour cream thick and creamy. Tip: make sure your cashews are…

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Grilled Pineapple

This grilled pineapple recipe is a fun burger topping or summer side dish. Cooked in a quick chili-lime marinade, it's tangy, smoky, juicy, and sweet.

When you make grilled pineapple, something magical happens. The already-juicy fruit becomes even juicier, and its sugars caramelize and char against the grill grates. You end up with grilled pineapple rings that are smoky, tart, tender, and sweet. To be honest, if I had to pick between eating a slice of regular pineapple or a slice of grilled pineapple, I’d take the grilled pineapple every time. It’s just that good. How to Grill Pineapple Here’s the good news: this recipe cooks up in no time! Once you have the grill going, it’ll be ready in under 10 minutes. The bad…

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Grilled Onions

Learn how to make perfectly grilled onions! Sweet, tender, and full of umami flavor, they're a delicious side dish or topping for burgers, tacos, and more.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to share a recipe for grilled onions! I make them all the time in the summer. They pair well with almost anything, they’re easy and inexpensive, and they just so happen to be delicious, too. If you’ve never had grilled onions, I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. As the onions cook, their natural sugars caramelize on the grill, so they end up with a sweet, umami flavor and irresistible char. Serve them as a side dish, or top them onto your next taco or veggie burger. Happy grilling!…

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Vinegar Coleslaw

This vinegar coleslaw recipe will be a hit at your next cookout! It's sweet and tangy, crunchy and refreshing, and super easy to make.

There are two types of people in this world: those who like vinegar coleslaw and those who like creamy coleslaw. I usually count myself in the creamy coleslaw group (if you do too, find my recipe here!), but lately, this vinegar coleslaw recipe has really been hitting the spot. I toss it in a 7-ingredient apple cider vinegar dressing and sprinkle in toasted sunflower seeds for extra crunch. It’s sweet and tangy, light and refreshing, and so darn fun and colorful. If you need an easy side dish for a cookout or picnic in the next few weeks, I highly…

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Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These oatmeal breakfast cookies are sweet, nutty, and filled with healthy ingredients like oats, nuts, and fruit.

Here’s how much I love these oatmeal breakfast cookies: after I finish typing this post, I’m going to head to the kitchen to make more. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and they have fiber from the oats and protein and healthy fats from almond butter. Thanks to maple syrup, they’re naturally sweetened too. But these breakfast cookies aren’t just good for you. They’re also delicious! The same ingredients that pack them with nutrients give them a sweet, nutty flavor and soft, puffy texture. Who wants to eat a bowl of oatmeal when you can eat a cookie for breakfast!? Breakfast…

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Sesame Cucumber Salad with Pickled Mustard Seeds

This easy, refreshing cucumber salad recipe is perfect for hot days! A sweet and tangy dressing coats cool cucumbers, onions, and lots of fresh herbs.

This cucumber salad recipe is the quintessential summer side dish. Like all the best summer recipes, it calls for just a few ingredients, but it still packs a big punch of flavor. Thanks to a light sesame salad dressing, it’s salty, sweet, nutty, and tangy, with plenty of fresh mint and dill to take it over the top. You only need 15 minutes to make it (including 10 minutes of hands-off chill time), so toss it together and enjoy it as a dinner side dish, or, like me, eat it straight out of the bowl! On hot days, there’s nothing…

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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.