Vegan Coffee Cake Muffins

I’m heading to Chicago later this week and I’m trying to think warm thoughts… It’ll be all of 1 degree when I land… and, (brr), my skin just isn’t that thick anymore. These muffins are a variation of my absolute favorite childhood breakfast: my Grandma Kissel’s coffee cake. On cold snowy mornings, there was nothing better than waking up to smell of warm cinnamon-ey cake wafting through the house. Of course these are slightly healthier and also vegan – using almond milk instead of sour cream and coconut oil instead of butter. But this is cake after all, so whatever…

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Brussels Sprout, Broccoli & Avocado Rice

Brussels sprouts, broccolini & scallions tossed with a tangy & spicy citrus sriracha dressing and topped with creamy avocado! (Gluten-free, Vegan option).

winter / salads / gluten free

I’m pretty sure this one covers all of my major food groups: green vegetables, avocado, almonds, mint, lime & sriracha. In fact, I could probably stop right here and live happily ever after. I could change our name to The Brussels Sprout Blog and take pictures of this dish – every day – just in a different bowl (you know, to keep things exciting). Of course, I’m kidding, but I do really love this combo. What really pulls it together is the fish sauce (don’t worry, if you’re vegetarian you can sub it out), but it really brings the most amazing…

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Easy Pita Lunch Ideas

These 4 easy pita recipes are great packed for healthy lunches! All are vegetarian - prep the components ahead of time for a fast, delicious midday meal.

make-ahead / vegetarian / lunch

There’s a category that’s seriously underrepresented on Love & Lemons: lunch. Lunch, for me, is the meal that happens in between all of these recipe posts. It’s usually a quick throw-together meal that utilizes a previous night’s dinner and/or an assortment of random on-hand ingredients… (ie. a half of an avocado, a few leaves of kale, leftover quinoa, an opened container of greek yogurt). I love a big lunch salad, but when I don’t have enough greens & things to make up a full meal, I take what I do have and put it in (or on) a pita. I…

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Tomato, Chickpea & Coconut Soup

winter / vegan / soups

This is the perfect pantry soup. I’m even betting that most of you have these ingredients on hand already. We’re all about fresh eating around here, but there’s nothing wrong with opening up a few cans from time to time… especially in the middle of winter when you crave tomato soup and tomatoes are not in season. The soup is basically: 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of chickpeas, and (part of) 1 can of coconut milk. The chickpeas thicken the soup and the coconut creates a creamy, velvety texture without adding real cream. For a lighter soup, you can…

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Chili-Orange Veggie Bowl

I steam the veggies instead of roasting them in this easy bowl, and their clean flavors shine under a lightly spicy, tangy chili vinaigrette.

winter / vegan / gluten free

If you had asked me two weeks ago about the best way to cook (flavorful) veggies, my unwavering answer would have been: roast them. I’m a sucker for all things roasty, toasty, caramelized, slightly crisp and even a tad bit charred… the simple steamed veggie is just a bit, well, simple for me. That is, until now… Our oven went kaput a few weeks ago and I was forced to get a little creative. (Although, thank you Thermador for coming to the rescue!). My little oven haitus seemed miserable at first, but it’s in fact incidents like these that force me to think outside…

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Miso Shiitake Soba Soup

A simple dashi is the base of this warming, healing miso soup. With lots of veggies, soba noodles & tofu, it's hearty enough to be a meal on its own.

winter / vegan / gluten free

To all of you who are snowed in… this is my attempt to send warm thoughts through the computer screen. It’s not exactly balmy here, but it’s a far cry from the -11 degrees my weather widgets (and text message updates from my mom) are showing for tomorrow’s Chicago’s forecast. Yikes… This soup is full of warming healing ingredients (shiitakes, ginger, miso, etc.)… and would be the perfect thing if you’re under the weather, figuratively or quite literally. If you need more soup recipe ideas, try this ginger miso soup, this many-veggie soup, or this vegan tomato soup!

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Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus

Sneak more veggies into your lunch with these addictive collard green wraps! The crisp leaves surround a creamy, bright spiced carrot hummus.

vegan / gluten free / healthy

Put down those tortillas, this year is the year of collard green wraps! Ok, I’m totally kidding. I could never give up tortillas, and I wouldn’t expect you to either. But in the spirit of all things lighter and brighter, we’re wrapping things up in leafy greens… In order to make collard green wraps exciting, a punchy, flavorful filling is a must. I had these pretty red carrots, which made me think of this Harissa Carrot Hummus recipe I had recently seen from Aida Mollenkamp. I took a few liberties, (mostly because I was too lazy to go look up the actual recipe). Among other things, I pan-roasted…

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Superfood Sunshine Orange Smoothie

Brighten up your morning & boost your immune system with this superfood orange smoothie packed with ginger, goji berries, hemp seeds & citrus!

vegan / gluten free / almond breeze

Happy almost new year! I don’t know about you, but I’m sure ready to start eating a little bit lighter and brighter. And of course, “healthy” in my book doesn’t mean bland and boring… quite the opposite. In the middle of winter,* I find myself craving bright orange and red foods… so here’s a sunny smoothie I made to brighten up winter mornings and give my immune system a boost. Orange Smoothie Ingredients Oranges – Of course, oranges are essential here. Because winter is citrus season, I use lemons, limes, grapefruit, and oranges as much as I can. As an…

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Pistachio Goji Berry Granola

Have you ever made granola on the stove? Try it once, and you won't go back! I love eating this easy 15-minute granola over yogurt or on its own.

vegan / gluten free / snacks & dips

Every time I make granola I remember why I shouldn’t make granola. We have no self-control when it comes to it. This is my favorite version yet… and I can attest to that because right after I made it, Jack and I stood at the kitchen counter and ate it all. Bit by “just a little bit more,” this (our photography subject) disappeared. The good news: It’s quick and easy, so 15 minutes later, we were ready to roll with a second batch. The trick – make it on the stovetop. I know, it sounds wrong, but it’s so so…

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Minty Pomegranate Spritzer

winter / holiday / cocktail

My favorite part about the holidays: Getting together with friends and having an excuse to indulge just a little too much. We can all resolve to be better in January… until then, let’s have that extra cookie or three, and by all means pop that prosecco! This is one of my favorite cocktails to make at home. I make a quick simple syrup and let it steep with handfuls of fresh mint….combine it with vodka, pomegranate juice, prosecco, and then finish it off with a squeeze of lemon. It’s not too sweet, and it’s just a little tart – exactly…

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Coconut Rice with Kale & Edamame

A healthy, creamy and spicy rice dish with lemongrass, garlic and lime juice. Vegan and gluten free.

vegan / gluten free / favorite

This one might be a stretch in the holiday-food category… but hey, it’s green and it’s red… I figure Christmas Coconut Rice has to be a tradition somewhere in the world right? This holiday season was a little different for us – we just got back from a winter wonderland of a week in Chicago, so our family festivities are pretty much over. We filled up on pizza, cheesecake, and all sorts of other indulgences… suffice it to say I’m ready to lighten things up a little bit early this year. Coconut rice is one of my favorite things… it’s…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.