Parmigiano & Fig Grilled Cheese

A few weeks ago Whole Foods set out to break the Guinness World Record of number of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously. Jack and I were the “official” witnesses of Parmageddon at our Austin store. I know what you might be thinking… how does the lactose intolerant girl get herself into these things? Well, first of all, Jack will not ever turn down an opportunity for free cheese. And second, in recent years I’ve learned that hard cheeses don’t have very much lactose, and that I don’t have as much of a problem with really high quality cheese. (ie. just…

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Edamame Hummus & Radish Crostini

Fresh spring toasts topped with zesty edamame hummus and lemony yogurt dip.

appetizers / vegan / spring

It’s been snack time around here lately. I don’t know if it’s because spring is in the air, or because our schedules have been irregular lately, but we seem to have traded regular meals for snacky meals. Here are two variations that we’ve recently called dinner… best served with wine and maybe a light soup or salad. The snacking continued with the leftovers. The next morning I baked a tortilla until crispy, and topped it with edamame hummus and a fried egg. (New discovery: the breakfast tostada). The rest of the yogurt sauce went on a salad with chopped veggies.…

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Nutella Stuffed French Toast

breakfast / holiday

This might be the most unhealthy thing I’ve made for this site thus far. It’s not “surprisingly” vegan or “by the way” gluten free. And I didn’t make my own Nutella, although I thought about it. But… it’s fast, easy, and super delicious. We’re having some Nutella-loving friends over for Easter brunch next weekend, so I’m thinking this will be sure to impress. If sweets are too much for you in the morning, this can double as dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. (If you’re reading between the lines here, yes… we ate these for breakfast and…

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Kale & White Bean Crostini

A healthy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings! Toasted baguette is topped with marinated white beans and sautéed kale for a tangy, savory starter.

appetizers / holiday: / kale

The season of holiday parties is beginning… I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty full from Thanksgiving. Not that I’ll be turning down cocktails or sugary treats when they’re offered to me… but somehow I feel less guilty indulging if I’ve had my kale fix. (Kale neutralizes out cookies, right?). This appetizer is super simple to throw together (or even make ahead of time) and packs a garlicky-lemony-rosemary-ey punch…

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Fall Hazelnut Panzanella

A delicious stuffing/panzanella hybrid, this healthy fall salad full of tangy sautéed mushrooms and crispy kale makes the perfect Thanksgiving side. Vegan.

Panzanella is one of my favorite summertime salads, so I thought, why not make a fall version using some stuffing-esque ingredients? Instead of juicy tomatoes, I sautéed some mushrooms and added tangy dried cranberries. Instead of sweet basil, I used woodsy sage. I normally toss pine nuts in my panzanella, but hazelnuts have been my nut of choice this fall, so I toasted those up instead. I tossed it all with grilled bread and a tangy vinaigrette and served it alongside grilled salmon. Jack’s conclusion (as we devoured the whole bowl) was “well it’s not stuffing, and it’s not panzanella… but it’s…

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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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Grilled Veggies with Romesco Sauce

Sweet, smoky, and tangy romesco sauce served with grilled veggies and ciabatta makes an easy, healthy weeknight summer dinner or appetizer. Vegan.

Thank you to everyone who left well wishes last week about my poor thumb and helpful suggestions for my fighting-dog issue. I’m doing much better now. Since I was one hand down last week my wonderful husband took over and cooked this lovely meal for us. Sunday night, I sat back and drank wine while Jack carefully peeled, chopped, prepped, and grilled. I surely did not make fun of him for how long it could possibly take one to trim a pepper, and I tried hard to keep my “helpful suggestions” to a minimum. And now about the food — romesco…

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Mini Tomato and Herb Bruschettas

These simple balsamic, tomato, and herb bruschettas come together in under 30 minutes for a healthy summer dinner or appetizer. Vegan.

This is simple… maybe too simple. Jack’s been out of town this week, so not a whole lot of cooking has been happening around here. I had hopes – I wouldn’t say high hopes – but I had medium hopes of what I would make for just myself. But so far all I’ve made is coffee… trips to food trucks… dinner plans with friends (hey, it’s good to get out of the kitchen sometimes). But not to worry, I have something really good saved up for tomorrow’s post. So, until then, I’ll leave you with this simple, herby & balsamic…

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Strawberry Basil French Toast

Delight guests at your spring or summer weekend brunch with this easy strawberry & basil topped French toast. Sweet, surprising, and dairy-free!

I realize the contradiction. Yesterday I was talking about not eating bread, and today I’m sharing french toast. That was just poor planning… Last week, after a chat with myself about basil and desserts, the idea for a strawberry maple basil-ey breakfast stuck in my head. I rarely make french toast these days. In a previous, less healthy life (college), I ate it just about every day. Sometimes for breakfast and for dinner. I don’t recommend that, but I do recommend a sweet indulgent morning every now and then… Here are some other sweet strawberry breakfast ideas that caught my…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.