Homemade Salsa

Break out the tortilla chips! This homemade salsa recipe is zesty, fresh, and super easy to make. Enjoy it as a dip, or pile it onto tacos, nachos, and more.

If I learned one thing from living in Austin, it’s that homemade salsa is infinitely better than any kind you can find in a jar. I loved sampling salsas at restaurants and taco trucks. Each one was different – some were made with roasted ingredients, others got a smoky, spicy kick from dried chiles, and still others were nice and fresh. This variety inspired me to start experimenting with making homemade salsa. I might pull out dried chiles in the winter, when good tomatoes are hard to find, or roast tomatillos if I see them at the farmers market. But…

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Homemade Italian Dressing

This homemade Italian dressing recipe is a staple in our kitchen. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients, and it's delicious on salads, grains, and more!

cooking basics

Move over, bottled Italian dressing! This homemade Italian dressing recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes far better than any store bought kind. Trust me, I know. Growing up in the Midwest, I tried bottled Italian salad dressings left and right. They were a staple at the salad bar, the secret ingredient in everyone’s pasta salad, and the default marinade for any protein. I get it. Reaching for a bottle of pre-made dressing is quick and easy. But once you try this homemade Italian dressing recipe, you’ll won’t look back. It’s a breeze to make, it uses simple,…

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Stuffed Peppers

This easy stuffed peppers recipe is destined for your regular rotation! It's super simple, but the zesty rice filling makes it bold, fresh, and flavorful.

summer / dinner

Stuffed peppers are among the handful of dishes that will always remind me of being a kid. Growing up, they were a fixture in my mom’s regular recipe rotation, right alongside creamy broccoli soup, eggplant Parmesan, and mac and cheese. Back then, I’d eat the filling, made from ground beef, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and rice, and push aside the pepper. In hindsight, it’s not hard to see why people were surprised when I became a vegetarian. 🙂 Since then, I’ve learned that the pepper itself is an integral part of any stuffed peppers recipe. Don’t get me wrong, the filling…

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Edible Cookie Dough

This edible cookie dough recipe will satisfy any sweet tooth! Made with 7 basic ingredients, it's rich, nutty, sweet, chocolatey, and super easy to make.

snacks & dips

This edible cookie dough recipe is almost too easy to make. I don’t know about you, but every so often, I have days when I need a cookie, and I need one now. Most of the time, I whip up my go-to vegan chocolate chip cookies, but lately, it’s been too hot to turn on the oven. While I know that baking is out of the question on a sticky summer day, my cookie cravings couldn’t care less. Enter: edible cookie dough. It has all the rich, chocolatey goodness of a regular cookie, but you don’t have to turn on the oven…

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Grilled Peaches

Ripe peaches are a treat on their own, but this grilled peaches recipe makes them even sweeter! Top them with ice cream for a perfect summer dessert.

summer

This grilled peaches recipe sums up everything about what makes cooking in late summer so special. Fresh peaches are already at their best – sweet, juicy, and tender – so the smallest effort transforms them into a delectable dessert. I love standing outside as they cook, soaking in the warm weather while it’s still here. When they’re ready (they only take 3 minutes!), I scoop them off the grill, top them with vanilla ice cream, toasted nuts, and fresh herbs, and dig in while they’re still hot. If you’ve never tried grilled peaches, I hope you make them in the…

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Grilled Eggplant

Lightly charred and full of smoky flavor, grilled eggplant is a delicious side dish. Dress it up with a fresh couscous topping, or enjoy it on its own!

summer / side dishes

Way back before Love and Lemons began, when I was first learning about seasonal vegetable cooking, grilled eggplant was one of my favorite things to make. Jack and I would visit farms near Austin, where we lived at the time, and come home with armfuls of summer veggies like zucchini and eggplant. We’d get the grill pan nice and hot (this was before we had an outdoor grill), and cook everything until it was tender and perfectly charred. We’d drizzle on a tasty sauce, pass some crusty bread, and call it dinner. So much has changed since then – we…

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Sautéed Yellow Squash

A crispy panko topping and fresh herbs add bold flavor to this sautéed yellow squash recipe. Easy and delicious, it's a perfect summer side dish.

summer / side dishes

Who else loves yellow squash? Like zucchini, it starts to take over my fridge at this point in the summer, but I really can’t complain. This tender, sunny summer squash is versatile, nourishing, and super easy to cook. I love to grill it, roast it, and even eat it raw, but lately, I’ve been hooked on this sautéed yellow squash recipe. Yellow squash itself has a mild flavor, so I toss it with a bright herb oil as soon as it comes off the heat. Then, I pile on a savory panko topping for crunch. Just a heads up –…

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Grilled Watermelon

This grilled watermelon recipe is such a fun summer side dish! I top each wedge with a tangy, spicy mix of fresh corn, feta, avocado, and basil.

summer / side dishes

Have you ever grilled watermelon? This summer, I’ve been grilling just about everything that enters my kitchen, and I finally got around to giving grilled watermelon a try. I have to say, I’m hooked! See, I love summer fruit like berries, cherries, peaches, and watermelon, but unlike Jack, who’s happy to eat an entire pint of blueberries in a single sitting, I rarely eat fruit on its own. More often, I use it as a sweet accent in savory dishes, like these summer rolls or this strawberry salad. So for me, grilling watermelon only makes it better. Its sweetness becomes…

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Cucumber Tomato Salad

This cucumber tomato salad recipe is bursting with summer flavor, but it's easy to make. The fresh veggies and zingy dressing do the work for you!

summer / salads

When I opened our CSA box last week and found jumbles of multicolored cherry tomatoes inside, I knew I had to make this cucumber tomato salad. Sometimes, I plan recipes months ahead of time. Green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, deviled eggs for Easter. But this cucumber tomato salad recipe was something I couldn’t plan in advance. It rose out of those particular tomatoes and my particular craving for a flavorful summer salad that would show them off at their best. Since then, this cucumber tomato salad recipe has become a favorite in our house. Made with halloumi cheese and grilled…

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How to Make Homemade Croutons

Learn how to make homemade croutons! They’re crunchy and rich, with a delicious garlic flavor. You’ll never get the store bought kind again!

cooking basics

Who doesn’t love croutons? They add texture and complexity to creamy bowls of soup, bulk up light summer salads, and make just about any meal more fun. Do you want croutons on that? Yes, please! Luckily, homemade croutons are incredibly easy to make. All you need is good crusty bread (tip: the better the bread, the better the croutons), garlic, olive oil, plenty of salt, and a little dried parsley. Yep, this crouton recipe is that simple, and the results are fantastic. The homemade croutons are crunchy, rich, and garlicky – far better than any you’d find at the grocery…

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Vegan Ranch Dressing

This vegan ranch dressing is just as good as the real thing! Made with simple ingredients like cashews and lemon juice, it's creamy and delicious.

vegan / snacks & dips

Wow! I am OBSESSED with this vegan ranch dressing recipe! I’ve made lots of ranch-like vegan sauces in the past, but this one really hits the mark. It’s cool and creamy, tangy and garlicky, and completely irresistible. All that, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients that you likely have in your pantry already. Once you try it, you’ll never reach for store bought ranch – vegan or otherwise – again! Vegan Ranch Recipe Ingredients You only need 8 basic ingredients to make this easy vegan ranch recipe: Raw cashews – Like in my basic cashew cream recipe, raw cashews make…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.