Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Try this spaghetti aglio e olio recipe once, and you'll make it over and over. It uses simple ingredients, it cooks in 20 minutes, and it's totally delicious.

Spaghetti aglio e olio translates to “spaghetti with garlic and oil.” The traditional dish contains little more than these ingredients. It might be finished with a sprinkle of parsley or a pinch of red pepper flakes, but even these are optional. In its simplest form, this classic Italian pasta features spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. But if you’ve ever tried it, you know that spaghetti aglio e olio is far more than the sum of its parts. The garlic infuses the oil with rich, nutty flavor, and salty, starchy pasta cooking water transforms it into a deeply flavorful…

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25 Healthy Rice Recipes

These easy recipes will make you excited to cook (and excited to eat) rice! With curries, sushi, bowls, and more, we've got rice recipes for everyone.

In all the hype around cauliflower rice and quinoa, it’s easy to forget the magic in good old rice. It may not be as trendy as other whole grains (or “grains,” as the case may be), but I’ve always really loved rice recipes. Soft, fluffy, and hot off the stove, this humble pantry staple could become almost anything. Maybe it’ll be rolled into sushi or added to a comforting soup. It might be stuffed into a burrito one day and transformed into fried rice the next. Still, there’s a whole world of rice recipes to explore – Indian curries, Italian…

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

The BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe! These easy cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips. Everyone will love them!

Everyone who tries these vegan chocolate chip cookies loves them. It’s not hard to see why. They’re lightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and packed with gooey chocolate chips. I think they’re the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve tasted, vegan or otherwise! And these cookies aren’t just delicious—they’re also easy. You can whip them up with basic ingredients in less than 30 minutes (no chilling required!). I’ve been making this vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe for years, and it’s still one of my favorite treats. I hope it becomes one of yours too! Vegan Chocolate Chip…

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25 Best Bean Recipes

Not sure how to use that can of beans? You're in the right place. These easy bean recipes include something for everyone - chilis, tacos, and more!

If the grocery store shelves are any indication, we’re all on the hunt for good bean recipes right now. I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but in Chicago, it’s hard to find canned or dried beans anywhere. Jack and I may have had to visit a few extra grocery stores as a result, but at the same time, I’ve been happy to see that people are buying beans. They’re a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fiber, and other nutrients, they keep for weeks, and they’re delicious! What’s more, they’re incredibly versatile. Heat them on the stove with…

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How to Cook Beans

Once you know how to cook dried beans, you'll always have them on hand. They're cheap, nutritious, easy to make, and - most importantly - delicious!

Canned beans are convenient, but in terms of affordability, taste, and texture, dried beans have them beat. If you’ve never cooked dried beans before, don’t let it intimidate you! My method for how to cook beans is an easy, hands-off process with a huge payoff. They come out soft and creamy, with a rich, aromatic broth surrounding them. Hot from the stove with a ladle of cooking liquid, they’re good enough to enjoy as a meal on their own! Of course, you can also use dried beans anytime you’d use canned – in bowls, soups, tacos, and more. Cook a…

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How to Freeze Vegetables

Don't let those green beans or zucchini go to waste! Learn how to freeze vegetables, how to thaw them, and how to use them in a way you'll love.

Welcome to Part 2 of my guide to storing vegetables! On Friday, I wrote about my favorite vegetables that keep for at least a week at room temperature or in the fridge. Today’s post is all about freezing veggies! I don’t know about you, but when I went to the store last weekend to stock up on groceries, frozen vegetables were nowhere to be found. How was I going to keep a supply of produce on hand for 2+ weeks? Luckily, the fresh produce section was still well-stocked. If I couldn’t buy frozen vegetables, I could freeze my own! Freezing…

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How to Store Vegetables to Keep Them Fresh

Grocery shopping for a week or more? Learn which veggies to buy, how to store them to keep them fresh, and how to use them in a way you'll love!

Like so many of you, Jack and I spent last weekend going from store to store, looking for supplies like hand soap, toilet paper, and, of course, groceries. I know many of you are pros at shopping and prepping meals for a week, but typically, I visit the grocery store almost every day to pick up basics for dinner, fresh produce for a new recipe, or the one key ingredient I forgot to grab the last time I was there. But last weekend was different. Instead of running to the store for a few things, we were stocking up on…

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Vegan Mac and Cheese

The BEST vegan mac and cheese recipe! With a creamy, cheesy sauce made from sweet potatoes and nutritional yeast, it's just as good as the real thing.

When I’m craving comfort food, this vegan mac and cheese recipe is the first thing I make. It calls for a handful of ingredients that I almost always have on hand, it’s quick and easy, and it’s absolutely delicious. The creamy sauce is rich, luscious, and filled with nutty, tangy cheddar cheese flavor. Even Jack, who LOVES classic mac and cheese, will happily devour a bowl (or two) of this plant-based pasta any day. In the past, I’ve made dairy-free mac and cheese with coconut milk, cauliflower, or a big scoop of cashews, but this recipe is my favorite by…

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25 Super Fun Baking Recipes

Have an afternoon at home? Bake! With breads, cakes, muffins, and more, these 25 easy baking recipes include something for everyone.

There’s no more joyful way to spend an afternoon than baking. I do most of the cooking in our house, but baking recipes are the ones that bring Jack and me together. He might stretch a batch of pizza dough while I prep the toppings, or we’ll work together to make a jumbo tray of cinnamon rolls to devour the next morning. If you have kids, easy baking recipes are a great way to get them into the kitchen. Let them stir together brownies and lick the spoon or decorate a batch of cookies with bright sprinkles and frosting. The process…

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30+ Healthy Pantry Recipes

These pantry recipes use simple ingredients, but they're still fun to make and fun to eat! Find easy, delicious ideas for soups, tacos, pastas, and more.

There’s nothing I love more than making a delicious meal out of what I have on hand. It’s thrilling to reach into the cupboard and pull out a can of tomatoes and a bag of dried lentils and imagine what pantry recipes I can make. Flash forward thirty minutes, and they’ve transformed into a creamy curried soup that’s flavorful, comforting, and nourishing. It’s certainly been a stressful week for us here in Chicago, and I’m sure it has been for many of you too. When I’m faced with stressful situations, cooking is the first thing I turn to. It’s soothing…

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Citrus Salad with Fennel & Avocado

This citrus salad will brighten up any winter day! It's refreshing, light, and filled with flavor from fennel, fresh mint, avocado, and more.

If a tomato salad is the best part of summer, a citrus salad is surely its winter counterpart. When tender greens and bursty berries are still months away, citrus season is at its peak. Good tomatoes may be scarce, but satsumas, grapefruit, oranges, and mandarins are sweet and acidic, juicy, and vibrant. So if I’m in the mood for something fresh, light, and bright in the winter months, a citrus salad is the first thing I turn to. This recipe is my favorite citrus salad yet! It uses a mix of fruit to show off the season’s best, and it’s…

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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.