Couscous Stuffed Red Peppers

A fresh late-summer dinner. Red peppers are stuffed with a delicious mix of lemony kale, mint, pine nuts, and cilantro. Vegan, gluten free option.

I’m not always good at simple. Looking back at some of recipes I’ve posted recently, I realized that I heavily rely on my Vitamix and my food processor. To me, these things are not a hassle, but “old me”, (in a previous life, I never used to cook), would completely skip over a recipe if it asked me to drag out my food processor. Even if i could find all of the pieces for it, I wasn’t interested in the mess and the cleanup. So the other night, I set out to make something that didn’t require fancy ingredients or any…

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Fig & Arugula Wheat Berry Salad

This hearty grain & greens salad makes a healthy side or main in fall or late summer. Packed with fresh veggies & herbs, it can be made vegan & gluten-free!

summer / salads

This is actually the third time I set out to make farro. And for one reason or another, a farro post is still yet to happen. Thanks to my superior pantry labeling system (a million unlabeled bags), I happened to grab these wheat berries instead. Turns out, pre-cooked wheat berries and pre-cooked farro look remarkably similar to each other. Not that it matters… in these salads, any grain will do. The formula is simple: grain + green + nut + chopped fresh herbs + a tangy cheese (optional) + a seasonal special guest. Today’s seasonal guest is figs. But unlike my other…

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Fig & Arugula Flatbread

Topped with fresh figs, pine nuts, arugula & creamy almond-lemon spread, this healthy flatbread makes a sweet & savory late summer appetizer or entree.

summer / vegan

I was really excited to see figs pop out at our farmers market. I feel like fig season is so short… I can never show up at the store expecting figs to be there on any given day, so I just snatch them up when I see them. That night I put together this simple flatbread… a no-fuss, no-oven, casual Saturday dinner that we shared with nice summery white wine. Oh, and by the way, we’re becoming old people this summer. We’re the old married couple that strolls to the farmers market early on Saturday mornings. The old married couple…

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Grilled Bell Pepper & Chickpea Salad

A summer salad with red and yellow bell peppers, chickpeas, fresh oregano, and basil! A simple & healthy weeknight dinner for vegans and meat eaters, too.

summer / salads / gluten free

This Monday, like no other, calls for a healthy start. We got home late Saturday night after spending the week in Chicago. We ate way too many things at way too many places… which is generally how our vacations go. The difference this time is that because we’re food blogging now, I’d make the excuse that we were eating in the name of “inspiration”, or even more ridiculous, “research.” While I might have brought home a few new ideas, I also brought home probably a few extra pounds. So this week is gonna be a healthy one. Yesterday we went to…

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Peach Salsa Tostadas

These easy, flexible tostadas make a fun weeknight summer dinner or party dish! Crispy corn tortillas with sweet & tangy fixings are gluten & meat free.

summer / gluten free

I know, peaches 2 posts in a row… I usually try to mix it up a bit more, but I just had so many peaches left over after that salad. I had never grilled peaches before so I got tons extra “just in case.” And like always, when I plan for the worst (which is almost never), things work out. So last night we finished off the last of those peaches with these yummy black bean tostadas with peach salsa. And speaking of awesome planning, we’re headed to the airport in a little while (off to Chicago), and I’m scrambling.…

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Grilled Panzanella with Poached Egg

Crispy bread cubes tossed with tomatoes, basil, and ricotta make an easy, healthy, and elegant summer dinner or side. Add a poached egg for extra protein!

summer / salads / favorite

I love charred bread, but I haven’t always. When I was younger, my dad ate all the family reject burnt food. Overdone toast, accidentally burnt pancakes, cookies we left in the oven too long… my sister and I had a preference toward underdone and doughy food, so whatever we messed up and overcooked, we’d pile on a plate for my dad. And he’d always say “this is the best kind.” The first time I put burnt toast on a plate for Jack, he looked at me and said “what’s this, am I your dad now?” I had just always assumed…

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Strawberry Quinoa & Feta Salad

Strawberries, feta, greens, and mint make a bright, sweet, and salty spring or summer salad. A healthy gluten free & vegetarian weekday lunch or dinner!

summer / gluten free / favorite

I’m excited to be guest posting at Anthology Magazine this month with a 4-part summer salad series! If you can’t tell by now, I live on salads all summer long, so I’m excited to share some of my favorites. First up, today, is this savory-with-a punch-of-sweet strawberry & feta quinoa salad.

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Roasted Carrots & Cilantro

Sweet roasted carrots served with a creamy, tangy cilantro yogurt sauce make a healthy weeknight side or appetizer for spring or summer.

spring / gluten free / vegan-optional

We don’t really like carrots. Ok, I take that back, we like cake made out of carrots, and we like raw carrots, but both Jack and I grew up with a disdain for cooked carrots. Of course, we only knew them as the mushy baby carrot version. Or worse yet, the mushy baby carrots in the pot roast version. We both have memories of our moms smasing the carrots and boiled potatoes together and pouring gravy on top. “But it’s so good this way”, my mom would say… each and every time… as if one day this mush would miraculously…

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Black Bean Tacos with Zucchini Salsa

Healthy beans & greens tacos and a creamy avocado-zucchini salsa make a crowd-pleasing spring or summer dinner. Vegan. Gluten-free option.

It’s funny when inspiration strikes, or where a good idea finds you…The other day I was sitting at the Discount Tire store, waiting on my car…bored out of my mind. Just me and my phone. After every last email had been replied to and every last tweet read, I went to my go-to time-passing app, Epicurious. They aren’t paying me to write this, but I love this app. It saves me every time… dentist offices, bad movies, you name it… I stopped on this zucchini salsa recipe which completely intrigued me. How could zucchini possibly become a replacement for tomatillos?…

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Swiss Chard Pasta Bake

This healthy, veggie-filled pasta bake will satisfy meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Great for company or a weekend dinner. Gluten-free and vegan options.

The week of bribing people with food and drink continues… my dad is still working around the house (and he’s staying an extra week now – oh the projects I’m going to dream up right after I finish this post). The other night, Jack’s sister came by to help organize the pantry and closets… I’m on this kick where I want things in order (I’m not always this way), and I’m not above delegation to get things done. So my part was to, of course, make dinner for everyone. My dad and Jack are easy, they are human vacuums for…

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Lemon-Walnut Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

A zesty, nutty lemon-walnut dressing brightens this hearty vegetarian salad. Filled with herbs & veggies, this salad makes a healthy weeknight dinner.

My role this week while my dad is visiting = food machine. Which I don’t mind one bit… he’s been hard at work knocking tasks off our “house-to-do” list, and I’m more than happy to be doing the heavy cooking rather than the heavy lifting. I can’t get him to stop for lunch (unless you count the beer… liquid lunch) so for dinners, big bowls of substantial food are in order. I made this quinoa & chickpea salad the other night with some other stuff I happened to have, including beautiful radishes from my CSA box. And I always seem…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.