Easiest Chia Pudding

This simple chia pudding recipe is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts. Creamy & lightly sweet, it's a healthy way to start the day!

I have to admit, I can’t wait to see some food trends, even the healthy ones, come to an end. I felt this way about chia pudding for, oh, about three years… but it’s all over now. I’ve joined the chia seed pudding club, and I’m in love. My chia relationship was an unfair one from the start. At first, I judged chia seeds because I thought those little gray balls just looked funny. Then came all of those gorgeous chia bowls floating around the internet, and they made me almost want to try chia, but not quite. Earlier this…

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10 Healthy Soups and Stews

10 of my favorite soups and stews to keep you warm on cold winter evenings.

A few weeks ago, we flew out of Chicago just before the snow started falling and the temps dropped below zero. This year, unlike most winters, we got lucky. If you’re in the midwest (or another frigid location) – my heart goes out to you. I don’t know how you do it, but here are ten of of my favorite healthy soup recipes that will hopefully help warm & nourish the soul. I make these all the time, but I want to know – what are you favorite soups? Pictured above: Butternut Squash Soup Curried Red Lentil Sweet Potato Stew…

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Linguine with Fennel & Winter Greens

Just 10 ingredients - including balsamic, sage, and caramelized onions - make this simple pasta so delicious that I always go back for seconds.

Before I get to today’s recipe, I have some exciting news for you – do you remember this trip to Sonoma that I went on a few months ago? Well now it’s your chance to go on that exact same trip, hosted by the lovely folks at Fortessa. You’ll get to stay at the gorgeous Fairmont hotel, attend cooking class at the original Williams Sonoma Store, and of course have amazing food and wine the whole time. It was tons of fun (click here to enter) my fingers are crossed for you! Now back to the recipe! This pasta is super easy, yet…

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Lemon Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Vegan, gluten-free, or none of the above? You'll love this flavorful pesto spaghetti squash bowl filled with spinach, roasted cauliflower & pine nuts.

Back by popular demand – spaghetti squash! If you’ve been following for long you’ll know that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of it. But here’s what I’ve learned: it’s best to get the “spaghetti” thought out of your mind. As pasta, it’s kind of mushy. As a roasted vegetable that happens to form into little strands, it’s so delicious. Especially with a squeeze of lemon and a few dollops of pesto. And if you’re new to spaghetti squash, head over to this post to read my favorite tips for cooking it. For texture and crunch, I tossed the…

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Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Studded with apples & topped with cinnamon sugar, these healthy apple cinnamon muffins are a warming, cozy breakfast or afternoon treat.

It’s my birthday today, which is timely, because I couldn’t be more excited to share that this apple cinnamon muffin recipe kicks off a series of posts I’ve been working on for Anthropologie(!!). Pinch me. First up are these sweet apple cinnamon muffins that I baked up in this super sweet ceramic muffin pan. How to Make Healthy Apple Muffins These healthy apple muffins are pure apple-cinnamon-ey goodness coming out of the oven. With their full flavor, you’d never guess that they’re on the healthy side. Here’s what makes them a good-for-you treat: Sunflower oil takes the place of butter. If you can’t…

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Bok Choy Stir Fry

My favorite baby bok choy recipe! Plenty of veggies and a tangy ginger garlic sauce make this easy stir fry a delicious, flavorful weeknight meal.

Stir fry was probably the first healthy-ish meal I learned to make, although it used to look nothing like this. When I was in college, I’d stock up on frozen vegetables because I was broke and they were 4 for $1 at Publix. I’d mix the frozen veggies with instant brown rice and drown it all in soy sauce. While I appreciated the bargain, that dinner was “healthy” for healthy’s sake, and I’d try to convince myself it was delicious while my roommates all ate pizza. Now, I love to make this actually delicious stir fry with lots of fresh vegetables, like baby bok…

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Chickpea & Cauliflower Tomato Stew

A hearty & healthy vegetable minestrone stew topped with kale pesto. Perfect for cold winter nights or make ahead lunches. Vegan and gluten free.

We’re en route to snowy Chicago today and I’m trying to think warm thoughts. Yes, I grew up there, but I’m such a baby about winter. Scraping car windows, not being able feel my fingers & toes – I did it for years & it’s just not my thing. BUT I’m excited to spend a little time with my family, eat some good food, and probably cook a little. On the menu, obviously, will be warm food like this hot & hearty vegetable-packed soup. This is my take on minestrone although it’s a little less than traditional – it’s in between…

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Hemp Seed & Kale Pesto

An easy 5-ingredient homemade Kale Pesto. Great for fall and winter, this recipe is vegan, gluten-, nut- & dairy-free. Serve on pasta or your favorite dish!

I freaking love pesto. I make it all the time – usually with any herbs, greens, nuts, or seeds I have around. I like to swirl it into my soups, top it onto my eggs, or dollop it onto big salad-ey grain bowls. While there are one or two (or twelve) pesto recipes on this site already, I really love this version, so I think there’s room for one more. Before I started the blog, I would have never imagined just how many people are allergic to nuts. So in the spirit of the healthy new year, this tasty pesto is dairy-free, gluten-free (obviously), and nut-free…

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Top 10 Recipes of 2015

Happy new year! I hope you’re all having a lovely holiday weekend. I have some exciting things planned for 2016 (like our book! more on that soon). But first, I thought it would be fun to share what all of your favorite recipes were over the past year. These 10 recipes topped the analytics, but also ranked high in “I made this and loved it!” comments that were either made here on the blog, in social media, or told to me in person. And always – let me know if there’s anything you would especially like to see in 2016! #1: Spaghetti Squash with Kale…

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Sparkling Paloma Cocktail

A lighter recipe for a paloma cocktail made with sparkling water and agave nectar. Perfect for New Years Eve or happy hours all winter long!

Happy (almost) new year and also – happy citrus season! If you were thinking “hmm… maybe margaritas for New Years Eve this year?” then you’ve come to the right place. Well almost. I originally planned to make a version of my go-to pomegranate cocktail when these sweet ruby red grapefruits showed up in my Farmhouse box last week. They were a lovely surprise because, well, I’ve been over-doing it on the pomegranates lately, and I was so excited by the idea of a pink drink instead. While Jack is not a fan of grapefruit in general, he loves a paloma cocktail – essentially a grapefruit margarita. This is a slightly lighter…

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Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini make a delicious holiday appetizer or snack! Topped with lemon sunflower spread or ricotta & herbs. Vegan, healthy & fun!

Hello, from holiday-break-land! This year, Jack and I had a quiet Christmas weekend at home. Which really means that we stayed in our pj’s until at least noon every day. We finished watching the new season of Fargo and we’re now onto Homeland (don’t tell me what happens!). We’ve made waffles and cocktails and all sorts of other soon-to-be recipes for this here blog. So far January is looking to be delicious, but before we get there here’s a little festive appetizer that would be perfect for a healthier New Years Eve get-together. This avocado pomegranate crostini is one of my favorites so 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.